Shale gas reservoir

characterization
Bagus Endar Bachtiar Nurhandoko

ROCK FLUID IMAGING LAB.

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CONTENTS

Shale gas reservoir system

Lesson learned from US
Character of Shale Gas
Target characterization
Role of Rock Physics in shale gas prediction
Predicting pressure
Total organic content and seismic wave
Gas maturity
Fracture prediction
Rigidity of shale
Conclusions
References

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Shale gas
Shale gas is natural gas produced from shale
Shale gas areas are often known as resource
plays (as opposed to exploration plays). (Jarvie,
2008)

(U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2011)

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Illustration of shale gas compared to

other types of gas deposits

(U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2011)

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Shale Resource System:

a self contained petroleum system
Around 60% of
hydrocarbons
expelled into
conventional
reservoirs

SEAL

S
RESERVOIR

SOURCE

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Lesson learned from US

This fact shows

significant production
of unconventional gas
in US. Therefore,
Indonesia has to start in
exploring
unconventional gas

Unconventional gas produced in US compared by total gas produced in US

(U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2011)

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Character of shale gas reservoir

Shale gas are rich in organic material (0.5% to 25%) and are usually
mature petroleum source rocks in the thermogenic gas window,
where high heat and pressure have converted petroleum to natural
gas. [US DOE, 2009]
Shale gas reservoir are sufficiently brittle and rigid enough to
maintain open fractures.
Shale gas is low permeable (especially the primary porosity)

In some areas, shale intervals with high natural gamma radiation

are the most productive, as high gamma radiation is often
correlated with high organic carbon content
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Shale matrix under SEM

Courtesy Rock Fluid Imaging Lab.

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Porosity vs Permeability of
Gas shale reservoir
Permeability in mikro Darcy scale !

(Metwally and Chesnokov, 2011)

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Target of characterization
Target of characterization :
1. Total organic content. Is elastic wave parameter influenced by total
organic content ?
2. Is petroleum source rocks in the thermogenic gas window ?

3.
4.
5.

Heat of shale
Pressure (pore pressure and overburden pressure)

Fractured zone (shale gas reservoir are sufficiently brittle)

Rigidity of shale . Is shale reservoir enough to maintain open
fractures ?
High natural gamma radiation are the most productive zone, as high
gamma radiation is often correlated with high organic carbon
content

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Role of Seismic Rock Physics

in reservoir characterization
Rock physics relates between Seismic
wave parameter (i.e Velocity, amplitude,
etc.) and Reservoir parameter (i.e:
porosity, clay content, fluid content,
lithology etc.)

ROCK PHYSICS

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Structure of rock

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Target of characterization
Target of characterization :
1. Total organic content. Is elastic wave parameter influenced by total
organic content ?
2. Is petroleum source rocks in the thermogenic gas window ?

3.
4.
5.

Heat of shale
Pressure (pore pressure and overburden pressure)

Fractured zone (shale gas reservoir are sufficiently brittle)

Rigidity of shale . Is shale reservoir enough to maintain open
fractures ?
High natural gamma radiation are the most productive zone, as high
gamma radiation is often correlated with high organic carbon
content

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Could we measure Total organic content

of Shale Gas using Seismic wave ?
Silica rich sample

Clay rich sample

Zhu et. al., 2011

Hi TOC correlates with Low Impedance

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TOC and AVO parameters

Clay rich

Zhu et. al., 2011

Hi TOC tends to the left side of quadrant

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Seismic Rock Physics Measurement

Courtesy Rock Fluid Imaging Lab.

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Overburden pressure effect

(under gas saturation)

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Target of characterization
Target of characterization :
1. Total organic content. Is elastic wave parameter influenced by total
organic content ?
2. Is petroleum source rocks in the thermogenic gas window ?

3.
4.
5.

Heat of shale
Pressure (pore pressure and overburden pressure)

Fractured zone (shale gas reservoir are sufficiently brittle)

Rigidity of shale . Is shale reservoir enough to maintain open
fractures ?
High natural gamma radiation are the most productive zone, as high
gamma radiation is often correlated with high organic carbon
content

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Quantify source rock maturity and

hydrocarbons in place
Petroleum systems modeling assesses
exploration risk before drilling, combining
your seismic information, well data, and
geological knowledge to help you understand
the evolution of a sedimentary basin.
Petroleum system modeling sheds light on the
source and timing of hydrocarbon generation,
migration routes, gas in place, maturation,
and hydrocarbon type.
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Predicting heat of shale

Temperature gradient:

Combining geochemistry and

temperature -pressure
(From Clayton, 1991)

Magnetic : combining Magnetic data, Geochemistry,

seismic can result better prediction of shale gas generation
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Predicting Pressure
Overburden pressure history
Seismic data -> Burial history
Density of shale

Pressure history

Pore Pressure
Data input:

seismic prestack, velocity,core-sample

Rock Physics analysis
Mud log
Well log data

Processing:
Facies analysis
Velocity refinement
Statistical-Neural-Network

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Overburden pressure effect

(under gas saturation)

Courtesy Rock Fluid Imaging Lab.

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Pore pressure effect

(under gas saturation)

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Influence of pore pressure to

Seismic wave : some examples

P wave decrease !

Nurhandoko et. al, 2007

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Target of characterization
Target of characterization :
1. Total organic content. Is elastic wave parameter influenced by total
organic content ?
2. Is petroleum source rocks in the thermogenic gas window ?

3.
4.
5.

Heat of shale
Pressure (pore pressure and overburden pressure)

Fractured zone (shale gas reservoir are sufficiently brittle)

Rigidity of shale . Is shale reservoir enough to maintain open
fractures ?
High natural gamma radiation are the most productive zone, as high
gamma radiation is often correlated with high organic carbon
content

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Fracture characterization
Methodology:
AVOA (AVO in various azimuth) -> suitable for HTI
fracture
----- very expensive
VTI

Fracture modules: Coherency, Maximum Curvature,

AI, Lambda-Mu-Rho which are combined together by
fracture parameter from well (Core, Resistivity
Scanning) using statistical artificial neural network
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Fracture/slate orientation and seismic

wave

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Fracture prediction using Join Rock

Physics and Statistical Neural Network

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Combining Rock Mechanic and Fault to

generate Fracture Induced fault map

Rock Mechanic measurement

Nurhandoko et.al, 2012

Fracture induced fault

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Target of characterization
Target of characterization :
1. Total organic content. Is elastic wave parameter influenced by total
organic content ?
2. Is petroleum source rocks in the thermogenic gas window ?

3.
4.
5.

Heat of shale
Pressure (pore pressure and overburden pressure)

Fractured zone (shale gas reservoir are sufficiently brittle)

Rigidity of shale . Is shale reservoir enough to maintain open
fractures ?
High natural gamma radiation are the most productive zone, as high
gamma radiation is often correlated with high organic carbon
content

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Predicting rigidity of shale

Data input:
Rigid shale (dry)
Soft shale (wet)
Rock physics measurement

Attributes:
AI, Mu, Rho, Lambdac, Poisson, etc.
But Mu (Shear Modulus) is solely influenced by matrix

We can combine whole above data for predicting

accurately the rigidity of shale using
Join statistical Rock Physics and statistical Neural
Network
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References

US Department of Energy, 2009, "Modern shale gas development in the United States",
p.17.
_________, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2011, Review of Emerging
Resources: U.S. Shale Gas and Shale Oil Plays,
http://www.eia.gov/analysis/studies/usshalegas/index.cfm#9, released 8 July 2011
Jarvie, D., 2008, Unconventional Shale Resource Plays:Shale-Gas and Shale-Oil
Opportunities, NAPE Forum.
Nurhandoko, B. E. B., Susilowati2, Budi, M. L., Siahaan, Ishaq, U. M., Abdillah, W. E.,
Kusudiharjo, K., Rudiyanto, H., Wiyanto, Y., Sulistyanto, B., 2011, Study Of Seismic Parameter
And Avo Responses Of Coal Bed Methane Reservoir Using Rock Physics Physical Modeling,
Proceeding HAGI-IAGI Joint Conference.
________, Cokronegoro, R., ikmah, A., Nashruddin, M., Supriyanto, E.B.,2007, Pore pressure
effect on seismic wave and AVO parameter, Indonesian Journal of Physics.
________, Ishaq, U.M., 2007, Rock Physics of Anisotrophy and Fracture, IPA
Yu, Z., Liu, e., Martinez, A., Payne, M., Haris, C., 2011, Understanding Geophysical Responses
of Shale Gas, The Leading Edge
Metwally, Y., and Chesnokov, E., 2011, Gas shale; relationships between permeability and
intrinsic composition, Ext. Abstract SEG 2011 San Antonio.

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CONCLUSIONS
Strategy of gas shale characterization is following:
Total organic content. Elastic wave parameter can be as a tool for TOC
prediction.
Is petroleum source rocks in the thermogenic gas window ?.
Basin modeling by combining geochemistry, seismic, magnetic can be as
solution.

Pressure (pore pressure and overburden pressure), anomaly of pressure

may be caused by fractured shale
Fractured zone prediction (shale gas reservoir are sufficiently brittle) can
be identified by some methods
Prediction the rigidity of shale. Shale reservoir should enough to maintain
open fractures, combining geophysics, rock physics and lithology can be as
solution for solving this prediction.

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Thank you
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