Hydrocarbon Density Determination in Mixed Formations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for estimating hydrocarbon volumes and saturation in geological formations are inaccurate, especially in formations with mixed hydrocarbons, as they assume pure gas or pure oil, leading to erroneous results and lack information on hydrocarbon properties.
Innovation Solution
A method combining well log measurements, such as pulsed neutron logs and magnetic resonance logs, to determine total organic carbon mass, mass fraction, and volume of hydrocarbons, allowing for the calculation of hydrocarbon density and subsequent accurate saturation determination, independent of resistivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional methods assume pure gas or pure oil to estimate hydrocarbon saturation, then the calculation process is simplified, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to inaccurate results in mixed hydrocarbon formations
Solution Approach 1:
The method segments the hydrocarbon composition by separately determining gas saturation and oil saturation components. It uses gas density to calculate gas saturation from bulk density, then derives oil saturation from the remaining hydrocarbon saturation, enabling accurate mixed hydrocarbon evaluation without assuming a single fluid phase
Solution Approach 2:
The method changes the evaluation parameters by incorporating bulk density measurements and gas density data into the saturation calculation framework. This allows dynamic determination of hydrocarbon composition and saturation based on actual formation conditions rather than fixed assumptions
2Measurement precision
If multiple well log measurements are combined to determine hydrocarbon properties, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The method uses a multi-functional evaluation approach where bulk density measurements serve multiple purposes: determining formation density, calculating hydrocarbon density, and deriving saturation information. This integrates several evaluation functions into a unified framework that reduces the need for separate specialized measurements
3Productivity
If hydrocarbon composition is not well known, then the evaluation process becomes more uncertain, but conventional methods still provide results through assumptions
Solution Approach 1:
The method dynamically adapts to unknown hydrocarbon compositions by using measured bulk density and gas density to calculate actual hydrocarbon density and saturation. This replaces fixed assumptions with condition-based parameter determination that automatically adjusts to the actual formation state
Solution Approach 2:
The evaluation process incorporates feedback loops where bulk density measurements and gas density data are used to iteratively refine hydrocarbon saturation and density calculations. This ensures results are consistent with actual formation conditions rather than relying solely on initial assumptions
Data Source
AI summary
A method for analyzing a geological formation having at least one hydrocarbon therein may include determining a total organic carbon mass over a depth range of the geological formation, and determining a mass fraction of the at least one hydrocarbon over the depth range of the geological formation based upon the total organic carbon mass. The method may further include determining a volume of the at least one hydrocarbon over the depth range of the geological formation, and determining a density of the at least one hydrocarbon over the depth range of the geological formation based upon the mass fraction and the volume of the at least one hydrocarbon.