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Evaluating Shale and Tight Oil & Gas Reservoirs

This three to five day class provides an extensive introduction to the exploration, appraisal, and development of unconventional reservoirs. It identifies the data that need to be collected, how to analyze and interpret them, and how to integrate and apply this knowledge to the decision‐making process. Participants will develop a broad understanding of the practices and pitfalls in assessing these reservoirs and will reinforce this knowledge by analyzing case study posters as teams. Attendees will receive a course notebook and a memory stick containing reference material.

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Course Description (PDF)

Who Should Attend: This course is intended for geoscientists, petrophysicists, engineers, and managers who are
seeking a comprehensive introduction to unconventional reservoirs. It is appropriate for those without
previous unconventional experience, those with some exposure that want to broaden their understanding, and more experienced hands interested in new technologies and practices.
What Participants Are Saying: “Extremely wide ranging information summarized in a concise manner””Great. Lots of excellent resources/references provided.”

Course Content

  1. Introduction: Definitions, technologies, global potential, commercial aspects, reserves
  2. Gas shales and liquids‐rich shales (2-3 days)
    1. Geology: Origin, composition, deposition, pore types, natural fractures
    2. Geochemistry: TOC, Rock-Eval, thermal maturity, sorption, liquids to gas transition
    3. Geophysics: Geohazards, seismic attributes, microseismic, geomodeling
    4. Petrophysics: Core analyses, log analyses, integration, practices and pitfalls
    5. Geomechanics: Static & dynamic properties, stress calculations, frac stim design
    6. Drilling/Completions: Drilling practices, completion types, refracs, frac hits
    7. Well Performance: Flow regimes, empirical forecasting, analytical/num. modeling
    8. Shale Gas Case Studies: Fayetteville, Haynesville, Utica, Horn River, Barnett
    9. Liquids-Rich Shale Case Studies: Eagle Ford, Marcellus, Woodford, Wolfcamp
    10. Sweet-spotting: Data to collect/integrate, strategies, decision trees, exit ramps
  3. Tight sandstones and carbonates (1-2 days)
    1. Geology: Depositional systems, diagenesis, stratigraphy, correlation, res. quality
    2. Geophysics: Resolving geo-bodies, fractures, depletion delineation
    3. Petrophysics: Routine and special core analyses, log analyses, field examples
    4. Drilling and Completions: Well designs, engineered completions, Big Data
    5. Well Performance: Applying DCA, RTA, & simulation, parent-child well management
    6. Discrete vs. basin-centered accumulations: Characteristics, differentiating them
    7. Tight Sand Case Studies: Jonah, Wamsutter, Wattenberg, Medina Group, Cardium
    8. Tight Carbonates Case Studies: Bakken, Niobrara, Austin Chalk, Jean Marie
  4. Coalseam gas (optional, .5-1 day)
    1. Origin, lab/log analyses, well performance, drilling/completions, appraisal/develop
  5.  Project Evaluation Using a Staged Approach
    1. Importance, workflow/objectives/tactics in each stage, shale assessment exercise