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Williston Basin Timothy O Review of Hydrocarbon Production from the Stonewall and lower Interlake Formations: Western North Dakota – Williston Basin Timothy O. Nesheim North Dakota Geological Survey North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 slide #2 Williston Basin Stratigraphy Spearfish Fm. Tyler Fm. Madison Group Bakken-Three Forks Fms. Stratigraphic Column of North Dakota North of Column Stratigraphic Stonewall-lower Interlake Formations Stonewall-lower Interlake Red River Fm. North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Stonewall Hydrocarbon Production slide #3 Cumulative North Dakota Oil Production by Formation 5) 86 MMBO - Tyler 2) 1,018 MMBO – Madison* 7) 61 MMBO - Lodgepole 1) 1,952 MMBO – Bakken/TF Spearfish Fm. 8) 21 MMBO - Birdbear 4) 156 MMBO - Duperow Tyler Fm. Madison Group 10) 10 MMBO - Winnipegosis 6) 65 MMBO - upper Interlake Bakken-Three Forks Fms. Stratigraphic Column of North Dakota North of Column Stratigraphic Stonewall-lower Interlake Formations 9) 17 MMBO – lower Interlake/Stonewall Stonewall-lower Interlake 3) 316 MMBO – Red River Red River Fm. North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Stratigraphy slide #4 upper Stonewall cycle Nodular to bedded anhydrite • Each cycle is composed mostly of carbonate rock capped by nodular to bedded anhydrite and/or silty to Stromatolite sandy argillaceous dolomitic “marker” beds (e.g., upper and lower “t” marker beds). • However, while all the sedimentation cycles share some commonalities, Massive dolo mudstone cycle #6? they also display significant variations from one another both vertically and laterally. cycle #5 cycle #4 Burrow-mottled wacke-mudstone cycle #3 cycle #2 cycle #1 Additional cycle in upper Stony Mtn. Fm. (Gunton Mbr) Sandy argillaceous bed Varies from sandy argillaceous dolomitic mudstone to dolomitic claystone North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Stratigraphy – Stonewall Formation slide #5 cycle #6? Regional GR marker bed anhydrite (basin-centered) cycle #5 upper “t” ~Regional GR marker bed lower “t” Regional GR marker bed cycle #4 anhydrite cycle #3 cycle #2 Regional GR marker bed cycle #1 anhydrite Additional cycle in upper Regional GR marker bed Stony Mtn. Fm. (Gunton Mbr) anhydrite (basin-centered) North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Stratigraphy – lower Interlake slide #6 Regional GR marker bed anhydrite (basin-centered?) cycle #6? (Putnam zone) cycle #5 Regional GR marker bed cycle #4 anhydrite (basin-centered) cycle #3 cycle #2 (Salisbury zone) cycle #1 Regional GR marker bed Additional cycle in upper Stony Mtn. Fm. (Gunton Mbr) anhydrite (basin-centered) North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Historical Production Trends: Stonewall Formation slide #7 upper middle lower North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Historical Production Trends: Stonewall Formation slide #8 Main “fairway” of historical Stonewall production (vertical) Commingled w/ lower Interlake North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Historical Production Trends: lower Interlake Formation slide #9 LI-2 LI-1 LI-1 & LI-2 LI-2 LI-1 North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Historical Production Trends: lower Interlake Formation slide #10 - lower Interlake LI-1 - LI-1 & LI-2 mix LI-1 commingled with upper Stonewall - lower Interlake LI-2 North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Historical Production Trends: lower Interlake Formation slide #11 LI-1 Stonewall LI-2 North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Petroleum Source Beds - Stonewall Formation slide #12 A A’ #8073 potential petroleum A’ source beds #7612 A • Organic-rich (0.5-5.2% TOC*) carbonate mudstone • Commonly present at up to three stratigraphic intervals • Source rock net thickness = ~6-8 ft. • Tmax values 455-460° (late mature oil generation window) with HI values <150 mg HC/g TOC *TOC values may be significantly depleted due to thermal maturation North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Case Study for Stonewall Formation Production: slide #13 Elk-Indian Hills Field Area – Northern McKenzie County North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Elk-Indian Hills Field Area: upper Stonewall Production slide #14 Non-productive Stonewall penetration Anticlinal folding/ structural “bumps” Oil migration Productive Stonewall well A A’ North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Elk-Indian Hills Field Area: upper Stonewall Production slide #15 Stonewall Reservoir: Burrow-mottled dolomite -heterogeneous texture A *Key Point: Porous dolostone reservoir beds undergo lateral facies changes into non-porous limestone/dolostone A’ North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Elk-Indian Hills Field Area: upper Stonewall Production slide #16 B’ B Best overall vertical well production • Both reservoir horizons are moderately to highly porous • Positioned along anticlinal crest B’ B cycle #4 cycle #3 *Key Point: the reservoir of each sedimentation cycle has a unique porosity development trend/distribution North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Horizontal (“Unconventional”) Potential slide #17 #10407 #10431 33-053-01751-00-00 33-053-01755-00-00 Columbian Oil Develop. Corp. Columbian Oil Develop. Corp. Page #30-1 Deer Pass #20-1 B K.B. = 1,941 ft. K.B. = 1,879 ft. B’ *Key Point: the upper Stonewall can contain notable quantities of hydrocarbon-charged, unconventional quality reservoir cycle #4 cycle #3 • ~23 ft. net thickness *#10407 vertical well perforations • Porosity: ~4-10% - w/ Permeability: 0.1<10.0 md cumulatively produced 53.7 MBO & 70.6 • Core plug saturations: 20-50% oil with <25% water MMCF gas with ~6% water cut from a • OOIP: 4-6 MMBO/640 acres (8-12 MMBO/1280 acres) fractured reservoir North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Hydrocarbon Accumulations: lower Interlake Formation slide #18 Stoneview Field area: - lower Interlake LI-1 North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Stoneview Field Area: lower Interlake Production slide #19 Structure Contours C (feet below sea level): LI-1 top C’ Productive lower Interlake well North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Stoneview Field Area: lower Interlake Production slide #20 C C’ core *Key Point: Porous dolostone reservoir beds undergo lateral facies changes into non-porous limestone/dolostone (similar to the Stonewall Formation reservoirs) North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Stoneview Field Area: lower Interlake Production slide #21 *Key Point: Porous dolostone reservoir beds undergo lateral facies changes into non- porous limestone/dolostone (similar to the Stonewall Formation reservoirs), which forms a stratigraphic trap overlying structure. North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Stoneview Field Area: lower Interlake Production slide #22 • 11 initial vertical wells were drilled an completed in the lower Interlake during the early 1990’s. - 600+ MBO Stoneview Field - 800+ MBO North Tioga Field North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Stoneview Field Area: lower Interlake Production slide #23 • Beginning in 1999, 11 additional horizontal wells have been drilled (solid black lines) and completed plus 3 horizontal re- entries of pre-existing vertical wells (dotted lines). • Horizontal wells are open-hole completions (no hydraulic fracture stimulation). • Horizontal re-entry attempts did not appear very successful. • Majority of the new horizontal wells have been successful (200- 400+ MBO). North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Stoneview Field Area: lower Interlake – Reservoir Facies slide #24 massive to faintly laminated dolostone core Relatively homogeneous reservoir that can respond positively to water flooding North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 slide #25 Concluding Remarks: • Six cycles of sedimentation comprise the Stonewall and lower Interlake Formations • Each cycle contains discontinuous hydrocarbon reservoir beds each with unique porosity trends • Stonewall-lower Interlake hydrocarbon production appears to be primarily a function of stratigraphic trapping of hydrocarbons due to discontinuous reservoir quality (facies change) • Structural features along stratigraphic/porosity pinch-outs may further enhance production potential • Reservoir facies varies between the two units: Stonewall = burrow- mottled dolostone (heterogeneous = hydraulic fracture candidate?), lower Interlake = massive to laminated dolostone North Dakota Geological Survey Geological Investigation No. 210 Slide Notes: (GI-210 publication material was original presented at the 2018 Willison Basin Petroleum Conference) Slide #1 Timothy Nesheim – North Dakota Geological Survey – lower Interlake and Stonewall Formations The three main components of the presentation include: 1) an overview the Stonewall-lower Interlake stratigraphy, 2) examine the historical production trends of the various subintervals that comprise these units, and 3) review two case studies of field areas with notable production, one for the Stonewall and another for the lower Interlake. Slide #2 Looking at a stratigraphic column for North Dakota, with the state’s 40+ geological formations arranged from the shallowest-youngest formations at the top to the deepest-oldest formations at the base, the Stonewall and lower Interlake
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