UnconventionalPetroleumSystem

UnconventionalPetroleumSystem
IIntroduction
IIExamplesofUPS

OilSchematic

(IEA,2012)

IEA,2012

Cander,2012

Cander,2012

Cander,2012

IIntroduction
unconventionaloil
unconventionalgas
differencebetweenCPandUP
differencebetweenCPandUP

IIntroduction
unconventionaloil:heavyoil,natural
bitumen,oilshale
HeavyOil:OilwithAPIgravitybetween10APIand
HeavyOil:OilwithAPIgravitybetween
20APIinclusiveandaviscositygreaterthan100cP
inclusiveandaviscositygreaterthan100cP
NaturalBitumen:OilwhoseAPIgravityislessthan
NaturalBitumen:OilwhoseAPIgravity
10andwhoseviscosityiscommonly
andwhoseviscosityiscommonlygreaterthan
10,000cP.

IIntroduction
unconventionalgas:shalegas,tightgas,
coalbedmethane,gashydrate,basin
coalbedmethane,gashydrate,basin
centeredgas
Naturalgasisexpectedtobethefastestgrowingcomponent
ofworldenergyconsumptionby2020(DOE/EIA,2002)
ofworldenergyconsumptionby2020(DOE/EIA,2002)

UnitedStatesnaturalgasproductiondataforthelower48states
Historicalandprojectedannualproductionbyresourcetype.The
figureismodifiedfromEnergyInformationAdministration(2004).
figureismodifiedfromEnergyInformationAdministration(2004).

~91bcm

ShalegasoffsetsdeclinesinotherU.S.supplytomeet
consumptiongrowthandlowerimportneed
(EIA,2011)

Lowmagnificationviewexhibitsdarker,morecarbonaceousmudstonetexture.
magnificationviewexhibitsdarker,morecarbonaceousmudstonetexture.
Thinlylaminatedsiliceous/argillaceousmatrixhostsamixoforganicmaterial,
microcrystallineclay,silica,angulartosubrounded
subrounded silt,micromicas, phosphatic
debris,andmicrofossilfragments.White,patchy
debris,andmicrofossilfragments.White,patchychertisprimarilyrecrystallized
bioticcomponents,especially foramsandradiolarians(arrows).Magenta
andradiolarians(arrows).Magenta
epoxyhighlightsaninduced,layerparallel
parallel microfracture.(Planepolarizedlight.
Scalebar=0.5mm)

Thetechnicallyrecoverableunprovedshalegasresourceis827trillioncubicfeet(as
ofJanuary1,2009)intheAEO2011Referencecase,480trillioncubicfeetlarger
Referencecase,480trillioncubicfeetlarger
thanintheAnnualEnergyOutlook2010(AEO2010)
AnnualEnergyOutlook2010(AEO2010)Referencecase,reflecting
additionalinformationthathasbecomeavailablewithmoredrillingactivityinnew
andexistingshaleplays.

AnnualEnergyOutlook2011(AEO2011)
AnnualEnergyOutlook2011(AEO2011)

Mapof48majorshalegasbasinsin32countries
Mapof48majorshalegasbasinsin32countries

Asidefromeconomicconsiderations,thereisa
fundamentallyimportantgeologicdistinction.
Conventionalgasresourcesarebuoyancydrivendeposits,
Conventionalgasresourcesarebuoyancy
occurringasdiscreteaccumulationsinstructuraland/or
stratigraphictraps,
whereas
unconventionalgasresourcesaregenerallynotbuoyancy
unconventionalgasresourcesaregenerallynotbuoyancy
drivenaccumulations.Theyareregionallypervasive
accumulations,mostcommonlyindependent
ofstructuralandstratigraphictraps.
selfsourcingreservoirssuchascoalandshale
sourcingreservoirssuchascoalandshale

UnconventionalPetroleumSystem
UnconventionalPetroleumSystem
IIntroduction
IIExamplesofUPS
shalegassystem

Thesefinegrained,clayandorganiccarbon
andorganiccarbonrichrocksarebothgassourceand
reservoirrockcomponentsofthepetroleumsystem(Martinietal.,1998).
Gasisofthermogenicorbiogenicoriginandstoredassorbedhydrocarbons,as
freegasinfractureandintergranularporosity,andasgasdissolvedinkerogenand
bitumen(SchettlerandParmely,1990Martinietal.,1998).
Trappingmechanismsaretypicallysubtle,withgassaturationscoveringlarge
geographicareas(Roen,1993).
Postulatedsealrockcomponentsarevariable,rangingfrombentonites(SanJuan
rockcomponentsarevariable,rangingfrombentonites(SanJuan
basin)toshale(AppalachianandFortWorthbasins)toglacialtill(Michigan
basin)toshale/carbonatefacieschanges(Illinoisbasin)(CurtisandFaure,1997
HillandNelson,2000Walteretal.,2000).
HillandNelson,2000Walteretal.,2000).

Economicalproductiontypically,ifnotuniversally,
requiresenhancementoftheinherentlylowmatrix
permeability(0.001d)ofgasshales(HillandNelson,
2000).Wellcompletionpracticesemployhydraulic
fracturingtechnologytoaccessthenaturalfracture
systemandtocreatenewfractures.Lessthan10%of
shalegaswellsarecompletedwithoutsomeformof
gaswellsarecompletedwithoutsomeformof
reservoirstimulation.

Geographicdistributionoffiveshalegassystemsinthelower48UnitedStates
gassystemsinthelower48UnitedStates

(Curtis,2002)

ReconstructionofLateDevonianpaleogeography(modifiedfrom
ReconstructionofLateDevonianpaleogeography(modifiedfrom
Walteretal.,1995).

AntrimShalegammaraylogfromthe
PaxtonQuarry,AlpenaCounty,Michigan

Isopachmapof
lowerAntrimShale(after
Matthews,1993).

Structuremapcontoured
onthebaseofthelower
AntrimShale(modified
fromMatthews,1993).

AntrimShaleeventschartdepictingthecriticalmomentforAntrimShale
AntrimShaleeventschartdepictingthecriticalmomentforAntrimShale
gasgeneration.

Geographicdistributionoffiveshalegassystemsinthelower48UnitedStates
gassystemsinthelower48UnitedStates

(Curtis,2002)

Accordingtothemodel,hydrocarbongenerationbeganintheLatePaleozoic,
continuedthroughtheMesozoic,andceasedwithupliftandcoolingduringthe
continuedthroughtheMesozoic,andceasedwithupliftandcoolingduringthe
Cretaceous(Jarvieetal.,2001).

Diagrammaticillustrationofincreasinggasflowrateswithincreasingsourcerock
organicrichness(TOC),thermalmaturity,GOR,andfracturesfoundinshale
organicrichness(TOC),thermalmaturity,GOR,andfracturesfoundinshalegas
systems.

Mineralogicaldistributionofquartz(Qz),calcite(Ca),andclay(Cly)intheBarnett
ShalefromtheMitchellEnergyCorp.1Young,W.C.wellshowingahigh
amountofquartz,anindicationofbrittlenessinsomesedimentaryfaciesofthe
BarnettShale.Otherfactorsbeingequal,high
BarnettShale.Otherfactorsbeingequal,highmaturity,brittleshalesaremost
likelytoyieldhighgasflowrates.