DOCSLIB.ORG

Spontaneous Imbibition of Water and Determination of Effective Contact Angles in the Eagle Ford Shale Formation Using Neutron Imaging

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Spontaneous Imbibition of Water and Determination of Effective Contact Angles in the Eagle Ford Shale Formation Using Neutron Imaging Journal of Earth Science, Vol. 28, No. 5, p. 874–887, October 2017 ISSN 1674-487X Printed in China https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-017-0801-1 Spontaneous Imbibition of Water and Determination of Effective Contact Angles in the Eagle Ford Shale Formation Using Neutron Imaging Victoria H. DiStefano *1, 2, Michael C. Cheshire1, Joanna McFarlane3, Lindsay M. Kolbus4, 5, Richard E. Hale6, Edmund Perfect7, Hassina Z. Bilheux5, Louis J. Santodonato8, Daniel S. Hussey9, David L. Jacobson9, Jacob M. LaManna9, Philip R. Bingham10, Vitaliy Starchenko1, Lawrence M. Anovitz1 1. Physical Sciences Directorate, Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37830-6110, USA 2. Bredesen Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN 37996-3394, USA 3. Energy & Environmental Sciences Directorate, Energy & Transportation Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37830-6181, USA 4. STEM Educator, Skateland, Indianapolis IN 46254, USA 5. Neutron Sciences Directorate, Chemical and Engineering Materials Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37830-6475, USA 6. Nuclear Science & Engineering Directorate, Reactor & Nuclear Systems Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37830-6165, USA 7. Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN 37996-1410, USA 8. Neutron Sciences Directorate, Instrument and Source Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37830-6430, USA 9. Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg MD 20899, USA 10. Energy & Environmental Sciences Directorate, Electrical & Electronics Systems Research Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37830- 6075, USA Victoria H. DiStefano: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6023-9716 ABSTRACT: Understanding of fundamental processes and prediction of optimal parameters during the horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing process results in economically effective improvement of oil and natural gas extraction. Although modern analytical and computational models can capture fracture growth, there is a lack of experimental data on spontaneous imbibition and wettability in oil and gas reservoirs for the validation of further model development. In this work, we used neutron im- aging to measure the spontaneous imbibition of water into fractures of Eagle Ford shale with known geometries and fracture orientations. An analytical solution for a set of nonlinear second-order diffe- rential equations was applied to the measured imbibition data to determine effective contact angles. The analytical solution fit the measured imbibition data reasonably well and determined effective con- tact angles that were slightly higher than static contact angles due to effects of in-situ changes in veloci- ty, surface roughness, and heterogeneity of mineral surfaces on the fracture surface. Additionally, small fracture widths may have retarded imbibition and affected model fits, which suggests that aver- age fracture widths are not satisfactory for modeling imbibition in natural systems. KEY WORDS: spontaneous imbibition, effective contact angle, neutron imaging, Eagle Ford shale, rock fractures. 0 INTRODUCTION optimize recovery, models have been developed to simulate The combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracture growth and fluid movement in oil and gas reservoirs fracturing, or fracking, has greatly increased the productivity under subsurface conditions. However, these models must em- of oil and natural gas wells, especially in tight gas shales. To ploy a multitude of assumptions about poorly understood rock properties that are highly dependent on micro-scale fluid-rock *Corresponding author: [email protected] interactions. A quantitative understanding of these interactions, © China University of Geosciences and Springer-Verlag GmbH including spontaneous imbibition and wettability, is a key to de- Germany 2017 veloping better models and improving hydraulic fracturing. For instance, the performance of hydraulic fracturing fluids, both Manuscript received June 15, 2017. water and gas based, can be enhanced by understanding the beha- Manuscript accepted July 30, 2017. vior of the 3-D anisotropic rock-fluid interactions through charac- DiStefano, V. H., Cheshire, M. C., McFarlane, J., 2017. Spontaneous Imbibition of Water and Determination of Effective Contact Angles in the Eagle Ford Shale Formation Using Neutron Imaging. Journal of Earth Science, 28(5): 874–887. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-017-0801-1. http://en.earth-science.net Spontaneous Imbibition of Water and Determination of Effective Contact Angles in the Eagle Ford Shale Formation 875 terization and dynamic studies. with the fluid rather than with air. This preference also influ- This study uses neutron imaging, a non-destructive, rapid- ences many aspects of reservoir performance, particularly in ly developing capability, to verify and modify critical model- enhanced oil recovery techniques such as hydraulic fracturing. ing parameters for fluid flow in subsurface environments. For instance, making the assumption that a reservoir is water- Spontaneous imbibition of water into fractures in the Eagle wet, when it is not, can lead to irreversible reservoir damage Ford Shale Formation, a vitally important shale gas reservoir, and less than optimum recovery (Abdallah et al., 2007). Reser- was imaged to quantitatively measure in-situ imbibition rate. A voir rock formations are complex structures, and the wettabili- model of capillary uptake was then fit to the measured imbibi- ty of each differs. They typically contain multiple mineral tion rate to determine wettability through effective, in-situ types, each of which may wet differently. This makes estima- contact angles. These imbibition rates and contact angles are of tion of their overall wettability difficult. highly relevant to subsurface hydraulic fracturing models. Wettability is important because it is one of the primary va- riables controlling spontaneous imbibition (i.e., capillary uptake). 0.1 Spontaneous Imbibition In the simplest case, fluid in a narrow, smooth, cylindrical, capil- Hydraulic fracturing involves injecting high-pressure fluids lary with diameter, D, the Washburn-Lucas Equation, provides a into shale reservoirs to create fracture networks, liberating oil measure of the height of the wetting front due to capillary forces and gas reserves. Some of the injected fluid is never recovered. as a function of time (Washburn, 1921; Lucas, 1918) This missing fluid is termed leak-off. If not controlled properly, σDcosθ leak-off can exceed 70% of the injected volume, potentially h 2 = t (1) 4η decreasing well productivity by blocking oil and/or gas egress, causing formation damage, and/or contaminating ground water where h is the height of the capillary, t is time, σ is surface ten- (Cheng, 2012; Penny et al., 1984). This loss thus presents a po- sion, and η is viscosity. Wettability is measured by the contact tential major barrier to oil and gas recovery. The processes by angle, θ, discussed in detail below. While this equation is insuf- which this loss occurs are, however, poorly understood. ficient to describe capillary uptake in real-world, or even two- One possible mechanism for the escape of fluid into a re- dimensional planar fractures in real rocks (see below), the impor- servoir is spontaneous imbibition into initially dry porous me- tance of wetting angle on the process of capillary uptake is clear. dia and fractures (Cheng, 2012). Spontaneous imbibition oc- Measuring the static contact angle of a liquid on a surface curs when a wetting fluid displaces a nonwetting fluid, such as is the most common method to measure the wettability of re- air, under the influence of capillary suction (Gao and Hu, servoir rocks. The liquid is placed on a uniform, flat, rock sur- 2016). This has been shown to strongly affect the production of face, and the angle between the tangent to the edge of the drop oil and gas by water blockage of oil and gas escape pathways and the solid substrate, the static contact angle relative to air, is (Cheng, 2012; Pordel Shahri et al., 2012; Li, 2007). The rate of measured (Fig. 1). Different liquids can exhibit different con- imbibition, however, is strongly dependent on the multiscale tact angles on the same surface and a single liquid can exhibit properties of the rock matrix. It depends on mineralogy of the different contact angles on different materials, or may change source rock, total organic carbon, distribution of pore throat as a function of other surface properties such as roughness, sizes and fractures, and wettability. Experimental analysis of ionic strength, and mineralogy (Chen et al., 2015; Hamraoui et spontaneous imbibition into porous media has been done on a al., 2000; Wenzel, 1936). Additionally, in systems with fluid number of rocks including shales, but these experiments usual- flow, it has been demonstrated that dissipation of frictional and ly determine spontaneous imbibition into porous media, not viscous forces with an advancing fluid front results in contact fractures such as those examined here (Javaheri et al., 2017). angles that change with time (Hamraoui and Nylander, 2002; While a number of models have been developed in the litera- Hamraoui et al., 2000; Joos et al., 1990). Such time-dependent ture to predict the rate of imbibition (Cheng et al., 2015; Cai et values are referred to as dynamic contact angles, and these can al., 2014, 2010a; Standnes,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Evaluation of the Depositional Environment of the Eagle Ford
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2012 Evaluation of the depositional environment of the Eagle Ford Formation using well log, seismic, and core data in the Hawkville Trough, LaSalle and McMullen counties, south Texas Zachary Paul Hendershott Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Earth Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Hendershott, Zachary Paul, "Evaluation of the depositional environment of the Eagle Ford Formation using well log, seismic, and core data in the Hawkville Trough, LaSalle and McMullen counties, south Texas" (2012). LSU Master's Theses. 863. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/863 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EVALUATION OF THE DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE EAGLE FORD FORMATION USING WELL LOG, SEISMIC, AND CORE DATA IN THE HAWKVILLE TROUGH, LASALLE AND MCMULLEN COUNTIES, SOUTH TEXAS A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Master of Science in The Department of Geology and Geophysics by Zachary Paul Hendershott B.S., University of the South – Sewanee, 2009 December 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee chair and advisor, Dr. Jeffrey Nunn, for his constant guidance and support during my academic career at LSU.
    [Show full text]
  • Eagle Ford Group and Associated Cenomanian–Turonian Strata, U.S
    U.S. Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources in the Eagle Ford Group and Associated Cenomanian–Turonian Strata, U.S. Gulf Coast, Texas, 2018 Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 8.5 billion barrels of oil and 66 trillion cubic feet of gas in continuous accumulations in the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group and associated Cenomanian–Turonian strata in onshore lands of the U.S. Gulf Coast region, Texas. −102° −100° −98° −96° −94° −92° −90° EXPLANATION Introduction 32° LOUISIANA Eagle Ford Marl The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Continuous Oil AU TEXAS assessed undiscovered, technically MISSISSIPPI Submarine Plateau-Karnes Trough Continuous Oil AU recoverable hydrocarbon resources in Cenomanian–Turonian self-sourced continuous reservoirs of 30° Mudstone Continuous Oil AU the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group Eagle Ford Marl Continuous and associated Cenomanian–Turonian Gas AU Submarine Plateau–Karnes strata, which are present in the subsurface Trough Continuous Gas AU 28° across the U.S. Gulf Coast region, Texas Cenomanian–Turonian Mudstone Continuous (fig. 1). The USGS completes geology- GULF OF MEXICO Gas AU based assessments using the elements Cenomanian–Turonian 0 100 200 MILES Downdip Continuous of the total petroleum system (TPS), 26° Gas AU 0 100 200 KILOMETERS which include source rock thickness, MEXICO NM OK AR TN GA organic richness, and thermal maturity for MS AL self-sourced continuous accumulations. Base map from U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service TX LA FL Assessment units (AUs) within a TPS Map are defined by strata that share similar Figure 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Theory and Perspective on Stimulation of Unconventional Tight
    Theory and Perspective on Stimulation of Unconventional Tight Oil Reservoir in China Zhifeng Luo Professor National key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir and Exploitation; College of Oil and Gas Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China; e-mail: [email protected] Yujia Gao∗ Postgraduate College of Oil and Gas Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University,Chengdu 610500, China; e-mail:[email protected] Liqiang Zhao Professor National key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir and Exploitation; College of Oil and Gas Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University,Chengdu 610500, China; e-mail: [email protected] Pingli Liu Professor National key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir and Exploitation; College of Oil and Gas Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University,Chengdu 610500, China; e-mail: [email protected] Nianyin Li Professor National key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir and Exploitation; College of Oil and Gas Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China; e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT China has tremendous unconventional tight oil resources which are widely distributed in lots of petroliferous basin. However, compared with North American, all the tight oil reservoirs discovered in China has its own characteristics including continental sedimentation, interbeded formation, worse reservoir physical properties and less oil reserves per unit volume, which make it much harder to stimulate. Based on thorough analysis of successful stimulation experiences in North American, taking the characteristic of China’s tight oil reservoir into consideration, this article emphasized that increasing stimulated volume must be paid attention to, what’s more, integrated fracturing technology must be adopted into tight oil reservoir stimulation to promote both production and recovery efficiency.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2020-3045
    U.S. Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Formations, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2019 Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 6.9 billion barrels of oil and 41.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in conventional and continuous accumulations in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Formations onshore and in State waters of the U.S. Gulf Coast region. Introduction Geologic Models for Assessment The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessed undiscovered, The Austin Chalk, consisting of both chalk and marl, was technically recoverable oil and gas in the Upper Cretaceous deposited on a broad, low-relief marine shelf that deepened to the (Coniacian–Santonian) Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Forma- south and west during the Coniacian–Santonian marine transgression. tions in the subsurface of the Gulf Coast from southern Texas to Landward, to the northeast, the Austin Chalk transitions into sandstone the Florida Panhandle. The Austin Chalk and related stratigraphic and mudstone of the Tokio Formation in Arkansas and Louisiana and the units present onshore and in State waters of the U.S. Gulf Coast Eutaw Formation in Mississippi and Alabama. The Tokio and Eutaw region are part of the Upper Jurassic–Cretaceous–Tertiary Composite Formations were deposited in shallow to marginal marine depositional Total Petroleum System (TPS) (Condon and Dyman, 2006). environments at the leading edge of the marine transgression. The source of hydrocarbons in Austin Chalk, Tokio, and Eutaw reservoirs 100° 98° 96° 94° 92° 90° 88° 86° varies spatially throughout the onshore Gulf Coast.
    [Show full text]
  • Diagenesis in the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Shale
    DIAGENESIS IN THE UPPER CRETACEOUS EAGLE FORD SHALE, SOUTH TEXAS by Allison Schaiberger Copyright by Allison Schaiberger (2016) All Rights Reserved A thesis submitted to the Faculty and the Board of Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Geology). Golden, Colorado Date ______________________ Signed: ____________________________________ Allison Schaiberger Signed: ____________________________________ Dr. Steve Sonnenberg Thesis Advisor Signed: ____________________________________ Dr. Stephen Enders Interim Department Head Department of Geology and Geological Engineering Golden, Colorado Date ______________________ ii ABSTRACT This study utilizes three cores provided by Devon Energy from LaVaca and Dewitt Counties, TX, which were analyzed with a focus on diagenetic fabrics within the Lower Eagle Ford. A better understanding of paragenesis within the organic-rich Lower Eagle Ford was developed with the use of XRF and XRD measurements, thin section samples, stable isotope analysis, and CL analysis. The majority of diagenetic alteration occurred early at shallow depths within anoxic/suboxic environments and slightly sulfate-reducing conditions from diagenetic fluids with varying isotopic composition. Diagenetic expression variation is most influenced by the depositional facies in which alteration occurs. Within the study area, four identified depositional facies (A-D), and five diagenetic facies (1-5) were identified within the Lower Eagle Ford study area based
    [Show full text]
  • Geologic Models and Evaluation of Undiscovered Conventional and Continuous Oil and Gas Resources— Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk, U.S
    Geologic Models and Evaluation of Undiscovered Conventional and Continuous Oil and Gas Resources— Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk, U.S. Gulf Coast Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5159 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Front Cover. Photos taken by Krystal Pearson, U.S. Geological Survey, near the old Sprinkle Road bridge on Little Walnut Creek, Travis County, Texas. Geologic Models and Evaluation of Undiscovered Conventional and Continuous Oil and Gas Resources—Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk, U.S. Gulf Coast By Krystal Pearson Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5159 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Marcia K. McNutt, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2012 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Pearson, Krystal, 2012, Geologic models and evaluation of undiscovered conventional and continuous oil and gas resources—Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk, U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Application of Organic Petrography in North American Shale Petroleum Systems: a Review
    International Journal of Coal Geology 163 (2016) 8–51 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Coal Geology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijcoalgeo Application of organic petrography in North American shale petroleum systems: A review Paul C. Hackley a, Brian J. Cardott b a U.S. Geological Survey, MS 956 National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston, VA 20192, USA b Oklahoma Geological Survey, 100 E. Boyd St., Rm. N-131, Norman, OK 73019-0628, USA article info abstract Article history: Organic petrography via incident light microscopy has broad application to shale petroleum systems, including Received 13 April 2016 delineation of thermal maturity windows and determination of organo-facies. Incident light microscopy allows Received in revised form 10 June 2016 practitioners the ability to identify various types of organic components and demonstrates that solid bitumen Accepted 13 June 2016 is the dominant organic matter occurring in shale plays of peak oil and gas window thermal maturity, whereas Available online 16 June 2016 oil-prone Type I/II kerogens have converted to hydrocarbons and are not present. High magnification SEM obser- Keywords: vation of an interconnected organic porosity occurring in the solid bitumen of thermally mature shale reservoirs Organic petrology has enabled major advances in our understanding of hydrocarbon migration and storage in shale, but suffers Thermal maturity from inability to confirm the type of organic matter present. Herein we review organic petrography applications Shale petroleum systems in the North American shale plays through discussion of incident light photographic examples. In the first part of Unconventional resources the manuscript we provide basic practical information on the measurement of organic reflectance and outline Vitrinite reflectance fluorescence microscopy and other petrographic approaches to the determination of thermal maturity.
    [Show full text]
  • Digital Outcrop Models of the Eagle Ford Group in Lozier
    DIGITAL OUTCROP MODELS OF THE EAGLE FORD GROUP IN LOZIER CANYON, TERRELL COUNTY, TEXAS A Thesis by DREW EDWARD DAVIS Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Chair of Committee, Juan Carlos Laya Committee Members, Michael Pope Walter Ayers Head of Department, Michael Pope May 2017 Major Subject: Geology Copyright 2017 Drew Davis ABSTRACT The Eagle Ford group was a prolific producer of unconventional oil and gas in south Texas during the last decade. Operators typically target the Lower Eagle Ford formation to drill horizontal wells with lateral lengths averaging nearly 1 mi (1.61 km). Geologic variability can be significant at these distances, thus an understanding of lateral variability of reservoir thicknesses, facies distributions, and fractures paired with geochemical and petrophysical data is valuable in characterizing unconventional reservoirs. High-resolution digital outcrop models (DOMs) using photogrammetry techniques provide a unique tool to study variability of Eagle Ford group strata in outcrops in Lozier Canyon in Terrell County, West Texas. Stratigraphic variability within the Eagle Ford group is well documented; however, lateral variability of Eagle Ford strata is minimally understood and is fundamental to developing this productive unconventional play. This project focuses on world-class outcrops that expose complete vertical sections of the Eagle Ford group. The study area covers a north-to-south straight line distance of 6.2 mi (10 km) allowing analysis at reservoir-scale. The average gross stratigraphic thickness of the Eagle Ford group increases by approximately 27.8 ft (8.47 m), a 13.59% increase, from the Scott Ranch site in north Lozier Canyon to south Lozier Canyon.
    [Show full text]
  • Program and Abstracts for the 2016 GCSSEPM Foundation Perkins
    Mesozoic of the Gulf Rim and Beyond: New Progress in Science and Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico Basin 35th Annual Gulf Coast Section SEPM Foundation Perkins-Rosen Research Conference 2016 Program and Abstracts Marathon Conference Center Houston, Texas December 8–9, 2016 Edited by Christopher M. Lowery John W. Snedden Norman C. Rosen Mesozoic of the Gulf Rim and Beyond: New Progress in Science and Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico Basin i Copyright © 2016 by the Gulf Coast Section SEPM Foundation www.gcssepm.org Published December 2016 The cost of this conference has been subsidized by generous grants from Hess Corporation and Freeport McMoRan. ii Program and Abstracts Foreword Thirty-two years ago, the Gulf Coast Section of SEPM convened its 3rd Annual Research Conference on the Jurassic of the Gulf Rim (Ventress et al., 1984). At that time, the Mesozoic was being explored onshore as conventional carbonate and sandstone reservoirs, the Cantarell Field (Mexico) was in its early stages of production, and offshore areas of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico were primarily Cenozoic reservoir targets. Today, the Mesozoic is known to contain large discovered volumes in unconventional shale reservoirs onshore, Cantarell is in decline, and Mesozoic discoveries are being made in the ultradeep water of the Desoto and Mississippi canyons. Mexico has opened for international exploration, and political events in Cuba may eventually cause it to follow suit. This increased economic interest in the Mesozoic of the Gulf of Mexico has in turn spurred a huge volume of scientific research and increased investment in research and access to samples from wells in previously undrillable regions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lower Woodbine Organic Shale of Burleson and Brazos Counties, Texas: Anatomy of a New “Old” Play
    The Lower Woodbine Organic Shale of Burleson and Brazos Counties, Texas: Anatomy of a New “Old” Play Richard L. Adams1, John P. Carr1, and John A. Ward2 1Carr Resources, Inc., 305 S. Broadway Ave., Ste. 900, Tyler, Texas 75702 2PetroEdge Energy III, 2925 Briarpark Dr., Ste. 150, Houston, Texas 77042 ABSTRACT The Lower Woodbine Organic Shale, in the southwest portion of the East Texas Basin, is a very organic-rich shale with high resistivity, a hot gamma ray response, and very good mud log shows. This zone owes its high organic content and the resultant well-established oil pro- duction to its deposition in a silled basin, the product of a prograding delta from the north and northeast, a shelf-rimming Sligo/Edwards barrier reef complex to the south and southeast, a large basement high that affected water depth to the east, and a con- stricted area between the Sligo-Edwards Shelf Margin and the San Marcos Arch to the west. Within this silled basin, the zone grades from producing 30–35 gravity oil in northern Brazos County to dry gas in southernmost Grimes County. In 2008, concurrent with the development of the “Eagleford play” in South Texas, Apache began a program recompleting wells from the underlying Buda and the overly- ing Austin Chalk into the Giddings (“Eagleford”) zone. The early recompletions were vertical completions with very small cumulative oil production. Later, they would drill several short lateral horizontal wells to better test this organic shale. The data from the Apache wells would prove to be invaluable in the current round of evaluation and drilling that began in 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • Basin-Centered Gas Systems of the U.S. by Marin A
    Basin-Centered Gas Systems of the U.S. By Marin A. Popov,1 Vito F. Nuccio,2 Thaddeus S. Dyman,2 Timothy A. Gognat,1 Ronald C. Johnson,2 James W. Schmoker,2 Michael S. Wilson,1 and Charles Bartberger1 Columbia Basin Western Washington Sweetgrass Arch (Willamette–Puget Mid-Continent Rift Michigan Basin Sound Trough) (St. Peter Ss) Appalachian Basin (Clinton–Medina Snake River and older Fms) Hornbrook Basin Downwarp Wasatch Plateau –Modoc Plateau San Rafael Swell (Dakota Fm) Sacramento Basin Hanna Basin Great Denver Basin Basin Santa Maria Basin (Monterey Fm) Raton Basin Arkoma Park Anadarko Los Angeles Basin Chuar Basin Basin Group Basins Black Warrior Basin Colville Basin Salton Mesozoic Rift Trough Permian Basin Basins (Abo Fm) Paradox Basin (Cane Creek interval) Central Alaska Rio Grande Rift Basins (Albuquerque Basin) Gulf Coast– Travis Peak Fm– Gulf Coast– Cotton Valley Grp Austin Chalk; Eagle Fm Cook Inlet Open-File Report 01–135 Version 1.0 2001 This report is preliminary, has not been reviewed for conformity with U. S. Geological Survey editorial standards and stratigraphic nomenclature, and should not be reproduced or distributed. Any use of trade names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U. S. Government. 1Geologic consultants on contract to the USGS 2USGS, Denver U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey BASIN-CENTERED GAS SYSTEMS OF THE U.S. DE-AT26-98FT40031 U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Contractor: U.S. Geological Survey Central Region Energy Team DOE Project Chief: Bill Gwilliam USGS Project Chief: V.F.
    [Show full text]
  • Lowery-Leckie 2014 Eagle Ford.Pdf
    PALAEO-06957; No of Pages 17 Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology xxx (2014) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/palaeo Foraminiferal and nannofossil paleoecology and paleoceanography of the Cenomanian–Turonian Eagle Ford Shale of southern Texas Christopher M. Lowery a,⁎, Matthew J. Corbett b,R.MarkLeckiea,DavidWatkinsb, Andrea Miceli Romero c,ArisPramuditod a Univeristy of Massachusetts, Dept. of Geosciences, 233 Morrill Science Center, 611 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01003, USA b University of Nebraska, Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, 214 Bessey Hall, PO Box 80330, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA c University of Oklahoma, School of Geology and Geophysics, 100 East Boyd St., Room 710, Norman, OK 73019, USA d BP, 501 Westlake Park Blvd., Houston, TX 77079, USA article info abstract Article history: The Upper Cretaceous of central Texas is dominated by a broad, shallow carbonate platform called the Comanche Received 3 July 2013 Platform that occupies an important gateway between the epeiric Western Interior Seaway (WIS) of North Received in revised form 21 July 2014 America to the open-marine Gulf of Mexico/Tethys. We investigated the Cenomanian–Turonian Eagle Ford Accepted 23 July 2014 Shale on and adjacent to the Comanche Platform to determine whether the Eagle Ford Shale has an affinity Available online xxxx with the Western Interior, and if so, determine where the transition from Western Interior to open ocean is located. We were also interested in the relationship, if any, between the organic-rich facies of the Eagle Ford Keywords: OAE2 and Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2).
    [Show full text]