Unconventional Reservoir Screening Tool Integrating Fluid Properties
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for identifying sweet spots in unconventional reservoirs are inefficient, as they often focus on high-quality rock zones, neglect low-quality reservoir components, and require iterative processes, leading to missed opportunities and increased drilling costs due to the exclusion of hydrocarbon fluid properties and limitations by pre-defined geological formations.
Innovation Solution
A screening tool that integrates rock property data with hydrocarbon fluid properties to create volume-in-place curves, allowing for the identification of sweet spots and stacked pay potential across the reservoir, regardless of vertical variations, and includes low-quality reservoir components, fluid properties, and multiple target zones, while avoiding geologic formation boundaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional stratigraphic screening methodologies target zones with highest quality rock, then manufacturing precision of sweet spot identification is improved, but loss of substance occurs by excluding low-quality reservoir components that may contain hydrocarbons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter used for sweet spot identification from rock quality alone to an integrated parameter combining rock properties with hydrocarbon fluid properties. This allows low-quality rock zones to be included if they contain significant hydrocarbon volumes, resolving the contradiction between identification precision and substance loss by transforming the evaluation criteria.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite evaluation approach by integrating rock property data with hydrocarbon fluid property data. This composite methodology combines previously separate assessment streams (geological quality and fluid potential) into a unified sweet spot identification framework that captures both high-quality rock zones and low-quality zones with high hydrocarbon potential.
2Measurement precision
If iterative forward modeling is used to determine maximum in-place volume, then measurement precision of hydrocarbon volume is improved, but loss of time occurs due to computational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary integration of hydrocarbon fluid properties with rock properties before the screening process. By pre-calculating and integrating the fluid property data with geological models, the system eliminates the need for iterative forward modeling during the actual screening, achieving both accurate volume calculations and rapid results.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the iterative mechanical forward modeling process with a direct calculation approach. By substituting the iterative simulation mechanism with a streamlined integration method that combines rock and fluid properties, the system achieves comparable or superior accuracy without the time-consuming iterative cycles.
3Manufacturing precision
If rock quality cutoffs are applied to define net reservoir, then manufacturing precision of reservoir definition is improved, but loss of substance occurs by underestimating in-place volumes in low quality rocks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the definition parameters for reservoir identification from strict rock quality cutoffs to a more flexible framework that incorporates hydrocarbon fluid properties. This allows zones with lower rock quality but significant hydrocarbon potential to be included in the net reservoir definition, preventing underestimation of in-place volumes while maintaining definition accuracy through the integrated parameter approach.
4Device complexity
If hydrocarbon fluid properties are excluded from stratigraphic sweet spot determination, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of information occurs regarding key risks such as gas-oil ratios and viscosity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges previously separate evaluation streams (stratigraphic assessment and fluid property assessment) into a unified sweet spot determination process. By combining rock property data with hydrocarbon fluid property data in an integrated framework, the system captures comprehensive information including gas-oil ratios and viscosity while maintaining practical complexity through efficient data integration methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A tool for screening unconventional reservoirs to determine the location of economically important accumulations of hydrocarbons early in a reservoir development process is described. Once the accumulations are identified, subsequent process such as drilling wells and producing hydrocarbons can begin.