Unconventional Gas Reservoirs - M. Rafiqul Islam

Unconventional Gas Reservoirs (eBook)

Evaluation, Appraisal, and Development

M. Rafiqul Islam (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF | EPUB

2014 | 1. Auflage
632 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-0-12-800594-1 (ISBN)

Loaded with reservoir development and characterization strategies, this book will show you how to:

Recognize the challenges and opportunities surrounding unconventional gas reservoirs
Distinguish among the various types of unconventional reservoirs, such as shale gas, coalbed methane, and tight gas formations
Drill down and quantify the reservoir's economic potential and other critical considerations

Gain practical insights and tools to efficiently identify, appraise, and develop unconventional gas reservoirs
Understand various techniques used to analyze reservoir parameters and performance as well as how they were applied to numerous real-world case studies
Upgrade to the latest information on perspectives and insights with discussion of key differences used for today's unconventional gas characterization versus original conventional methods that failed in the past

Natural gas, especially unconventional gas, has an increasingly important role in meeting the world's energy needs. Experts estimate that it has the potential to add anywhere from 60-250% to the global proven gas reserve in the next two decades. To maintain pace with increasing global demand, Unconventional Gas Reservoirs provides the necessary bridge into the newer processes, approaches and designs to help identify these more uncommon reservoirs available and how to maximize its unconventional potential. Loaded with reservoir development and characterization strategies, this book will show you how to: Recognize the challenges and opportunities surrounding unconventional gas reservoirs Distinguish among the various types of unconventional reservoirs, such as shale gas, coalbed methane, and tight gas formations Drill down and quantify the reservoir's economic potential and other critical considerations Gain practical insights and tools to efficiently identify, appraise, and develop unconventional gas reservoirs Understand various techniques used to analyze reservoir parameters and performance as well as how they were applied to numerous real-world case studies Upgrade to the latest information on perspectives and insights with discussion of key differences used for today's unconventional gas characterization versus original conventional methods that failed in the past

Front Cover 1
UNCONVENTIONAL GAS RESERVOIRS 4
Copyright 5
CONTENTS 6
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY 8
Chapter 1 - Introduction 10
1.1 SUMMARY 10
1.2 UNCONVENTIONAL TO MAINSTREAM: A NECESSARY PARADIGM SHIFT 11
1.3 THE PARADOX OF UNCONVENTIONAL GAS 13
1.4 GREENING THE FUTURE OF UNCONVENTIONAL GAS 14
1.5 PARADIGM SHIFT IN RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION 15
1.6 THE SCIENCE OF UNCONVENTIONAL GAS 15
1.7 DEPICTING THE FUTURE 16
1.8 THE END GAME 17
Chapter 2 - World Gas Reserve and the Role of Unconventional Gas 18
2.1 SUMMARY 18
2.2 PETROLEUM IN THE BIG PICTURE 18
2.3 PETROLEUM RESERVE AROUND THE WORLD 35
2.4 WORLDWIDE GAS RESERVE 43
2.5 UNCONVENTIONAL GAS AROUND THE WORLD 58
2.6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 76
Chapter 3 - Important Features of Unconventional Gas 80
3.1 SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION 80
3.2 OVERVIEW OF UNCONVENTIONAL GAS RESERVOIRS 83
3.3 SPECIAL FEATURES OF UNCONVENTIONAL GAS RESERVOIRS 89
3.4 GLOBAL WARMING AND NATURAL GAS 125
3.5 DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF UNCONVENTIONAL RESERVOIRS 135
Chapter 4 - Future Potentials of Unconventional Gas: Challenges and Opportunities 138
4.1 INTRODUCTION 138
4.2 LESSONS LEARNT FROM ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY 139
4.3 CARBON SEQUESTRATION ENHANCED GAS RECOVERY 224
4.4 ENHANCED GAS RECOVERY 229
4.4 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 240
Chapter 5 - Reservoir Characterization of Unconventional Gas Formations 246
5.1 SUMMARY 246
5.2 INTRODUCTION 246
5.3 ORIGIN OF FRACTURES 249
5.4 SEISMIC FRACTURE CHARACTERIZATION 251
5.5 RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION DURING DRILLING 259
5.6 RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION WITH IMAGE LOG AND CORE ANALYSIS 276
5.7 MAJOR FORCES OF OIL AND GAS RESERVOIRS 309
5.8 RESERVOIR HETEROGENEITY 326
5.9 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR SHALE 340
5.10 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR COALBED METHANE 342
Chapter 6 - Scientific Characterization of Unconventional Gas Reservoirs 346
6.1 SUMMARY 346
6.2 INTRODUCTION 346
6.3 SCIENCE OF NATURE VERSUS NATURAL SCIENCE 351
6.4 DELINEARIZED HISTORY OF CHARACTERIZATION OF MATTER AND ENERGY 358
6.5 CHARACTERIZATION OF EVERYTHING IN EXISTENCE 374
6.6 ORGANIC AND MECHANICAL FREQUENCIES 377
6.7 REDEFINING FORCE AND ENERGY 378
6.8 WHAT IS A NATURAL ENERGY SOURCE? 390
6.9 THE SCIENCE OF WATER AND PETROLEUM 393
6.10 ORGANIC ORIGIN OF PETROLEUM 448
6.11 PLACEMENT OF UNCONVENTIONAL GAS IN THE ENERGY PICTURE 455
Chapter 7 - Overview of Reservoir Simulation of Unconventional Reservoirs 496
7.1 INTRODUCTION 496
7.2 ESSENCE OF RESERVOIR SIMULATION 498
7.3 RECENT ADVANCES IN RESERVOIR SIMULATION 521
7.4 COMPREHENSIVE MODELING 535
7.5 TOWARDS SOLVING NONLINEAR EQUATIONS 545
Chapter 8 - Economic Outlook and Conclusions 558
8.1 SUMMARY 558
8.2 ECONOMICS OF UNCONVENTIONAL AND ECONOMICS OF INTANGIBLES 559
8.3 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 564

Chapter 1

Introduction

Abstract

Only recently it has become evident that natural gas provides one with great value with minimum impact on the environment. With the ongoing “gas crisis” in Europe and steep energy needs of China and India, the importance of natural gas is increasing tremendously in the global market. Unconventional gas reservoirs are responsible for about one-third of annual US natural gas production. In the global scale, unconventional gas reserves can add 60–250% to the proven gas reserves. This book explores the science behind unconventional gas and provides one with a basis that the realistic estimate of total available gas could easily exceed all estimates of the past. With newfound gas and technologies that harness it with environmental integrity, the world could easily see another 100 years of crisis-free energy outlook. This book paints a rosy picture that is supported by scientific basis and guides the readership to be able to discern between hype and hysteria involving petroleum resource management.

Keywords

Energy crisis; enhanced oil and gas recovery; non-Newtonian; reserve analysis; reservoir characterization; tight gas

1.1. Summary

The potential of unconventional gas reserves is far greater than any enhanced oil recovery scheme designed to date. However, when the two are combined and added to that is scientific basis for revised assessment of world gas reserve, the energy outlook becomes very bright. The purpose of this book is to provide one with practical insights and tools that can be used to efficiently identify, appraise, and develop these types of reservoirs. Initially, the readership is be familiarized with both engineering and marketing aspects of natural gas. The mechanisms of gas production and reservoir engineering are discussed. Presented are the origin and mechanisms of gas production, along with the various techniques used to analyze reservoir parameters and performance, and understand how these have been applied to numerous projects. Specific features of unconventional gas reserves and the means of capitalizing on these features in order to maximize long-term benefit are discussed. Scientific characterization of gas reserves included discussion of the history of gas as well as the rock. This “bottom-up” analysis helped develop truly scientific basis for unconventional gas analysis. Thorough geological characterization was presented for US reservoirs in order to connect with potential sources of unconventional gas. This serves as a template for a new analysis that starts off with conventional reservoir characterization. It is shown that the true reserve potential of gas is much higher than the one estimated using conventional approach. Latest information on emerging technologies in typical enhanced oil recovery are presented with lucid discussion of key features of reservoir characterization and development in order to help readership identify techniques that can be used in “enhanced gas recovery” of unconventional gas. It is shown that contrary to popular belief, such techniques are economically attractive and environmentally sustainable. This unlocking of emerging technologies, coupled with a novel technique for characterization of unconventional gas reserves for which conventional techniques fail to yield sound results, creates a true paradigm shift in gas reservoir analysis.

The science of both fluid and rock is discussed using delinearized history analysis. The discussion of coal bed methane and gas hydrate is carried out with the focus on improving production rate under various production strategies. Criteria for selecting candidates for hydraulic fracturing as well as horizontal wells are discussed. For every case encountered specific suggestion is made that is custom designed for the particular application. A guideline is provided for optimization of recovery schemes under various production and enhanced gas recovery strategies.

Finally, numerical modeling approaches are discussed and challenges in modeling unconventional gas reservoirs are presented. A number of case studies involving technological application as well as numerical modeling are presented. Overall, new opportunities are highlighted and previously held beliefs and myths deconstructed.

1.2. Unconventional to Mainstream: A Necessary Paradigm Shift

Newton did not know what the term “Newtonian” meant in any discipline. Scientists that followed Newton's “laws” and theories with dogmatic fervor did not know what the term non-Newtonian stood for. At present, scholarly works on “Non-Newtonian” outnumber “Newtonian” by a big margin. Over 50 years ago, US government started to invest in research in coal bed methane, shale gas, shale oil, along with other areas of petroleum development. Decades later, the term “unconventional” was coined. Even some more decades later came the success story of unconventional gas. This success would come only after Europe had been under the grip of a “gas crisis.” Within years, “unconventional” became the biggest story in U.S. in terms of energy independence. A new type of revolution began. Figure 1.1 shows graphical representation of wells in the shale gas plays of just one basin in Texas. If 10,860 horizontal gas wells are called “unconventional” one must wonder what would the term “conventional” represent.

Figure 1.1 Location map for Barnett shale. From EIA, 2011.

Chapter 2 discusses the role of unconventional gas in the big picture of petroleum. It deconstructs many myths that have perplexed modern society that has grown accustomed to vilifying carbon—the essence of life. It unravels the mysteries of “resource triangle” that is based on the false premise that natural is more expensive than artificial (Figure 1.2). It places unconventional gas in its correct position within proven gas and oil reserves and shows that this “unconventional” is anything but unconventional in conventional sense. It is the mainstream of the future.

The chapter also presents a delinearized history of energy developments in relation to petroleum production, particularly as it relates to natural gas. It shows that energy needs of the future can only be met if we excel in accessing unconventional gas. It creates the need for a paradigm shift in nomenclature as well as scientific description of unconventional reservoirs. In simple terms, it delivers the message that the science of unconventional gas cannot be understood with the conventional routines.

Figure 1.2 Conventional perception of resource triangle.

1.3. The Paradox of Unconventional Gas

We live in an interesting époque. Everything surrounding us seems to point to contradictions. We made unprecedented progress in technology development, only to hear from Nobel Laureate Chemists (e.g., Robert Curl) that ours is a “technological disaster.” We claim to have progressed from dark ages of savagery and lack of empathy to modern enlightenment only to hear from some of the most ardent supporters of modern European mind-set of Capitalism (e.g., Pope Francis) that unfair economic structures that creates huge inequalities are actually an act of terrorism. As civilization evolved, we claim to have become wiser and more efficient, only to discover our per capita energy need has skyrocketed in the modern era. We are so sure about our superiority that we call humans as the top of the food chain and boast about our entitlement over other species, only to discover that the greatest crisis is the population growth of humans—the “best creation” of nature. We have identified “greening” as the key to resolving the environmental disaster that has befallen on us only to target carbon as the worst enemy to environmental integrity. This is the same carbon that is the essence of “greening.” We praise nature for its unique ability to turn bad into good, for its tenacity and sustainability, only to target petroleum as the number one enemy of the environment. Which petroleum? The one that was perfected by nature—the very nature we love to be in tune with.

Chapter 2 started the paradigm shift and Chapter 3 continues it in the realm of unconventional technology development, its geological nature, and the economics that can support its development and growth. It shows conventional engineering analysis is not the only one that does not apply to unconventional reservoirs; conventional accounting theories as well as...

Erscheint lt. Verlag	24.10.2014
Sprache	englisch
Themenwelt	Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie
Themenwelt	Technik ► Elektrotechnik / Energietechnik
ISBN-10	0-12-800594-7 / 0128005947
ISBN-13	978-0-12-800594-1 / 9780128005941

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