AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Development of a Rock Physics Model for the McElroy Reservoir for the Purpose of Evaluating and Selecting Seismic Attributes to be used for Reservoir Characterization Studies

A new approach to selecting and ranking seismic attributes for use in detailed reservoir description has been developed and applied to data from the McElroy field as part of a comprehensive program to build a detailed description of this reservoir using existing or emerging technologies in new ways. This work is based on developing a detailed rock physics model for the McElroy field, using log and core data, as well as published results of core analysis for this field. The rock physics model itself is based on use of the Biot-Gassmann relations, which relate properties of elastic seismic wave propagation to underlying reservoir rock and fluid properties. Identifying these seismic/reservoir property relationships in detail is necessary for further work in which we will use reflection seismic data (surface or interwell data) as a basis for extrapolating detailed reservoir properties from well locations into the interwell volume where no log and core data are available. In addition to the recorded seismic data itself, we will use attributes computed from this data. Seismic attributes can often help to reveal changes in reservoir properties which may not be obvious from an analysis of the seismic data alone.

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Electrofacies and Reservoir Quality in the Grayburg Formation of the McElroy Field, West Texas, from Probabilistic Clustering of Wireline Well Logs using GAMLS (Geologic Analysis via Maximum Likelihood System)

This "topical report" is a progress report of work being done by Eric Geoscience, Inc. as part of the overall DOE-funded project "Development of an Advanced Approach for Next Generation, High Resolution, Integrated Reservoir Characterization." The theme behind the overall project is to integrate three types of data of three different scales: surface seismic data, crosswell tomography data, and Wireline well log data. The particular part of this overall project addressed in this topical report is "Subtask 3 Perform Stratigraphic Clustering." The goal of this subtask was to identify (discriminate) rocks of similar depositional environment and/or reservoir quality using a specific clustering procedure (viz., GAMLS). The "stratigraphy" developed from this clustering procedure is to be used as a framework for the ensuing analyses.

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DOE looked to the Industry for Input in Developing the Microhole Initiative for the Future e

The Department of Energy is charting the future of drilling research during the next decade. Under the new microhole initiative, it will pursue a major research program in the area of drilling and using smaller diameter wells less than two inches. The cost to drill these wells will be significantly less and the associated waste with such wells will be much less than conventional well drilling. But will the wells be functional and will the industry find they fill a niche requirement? How will the industry best use small diameter wells and what characteristics will make them attractive? These were the questions DOE asked at a meeting held in April 2003, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Industry operators, academia, and the service providers were asked to help the DOE chart the directions and develop the priorities in implementing this initiative. The discussions and the answers to the questions posed are summarized in a new report prepared by Spears & Associates entitled ?Microhole Initiative, Workshop Summary?.

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IntelliPipeTM Technology: Wired for Speed and Durability

Methods for gathering downhole oil and gas well data have grown more sophisticated in recent years, but the speed with which this data is communicated from the bottom of the well to drillers on the rig can be slower than the Pony Express. IntelliPipeTM, a revolutionary new drill pipe with built-in telemetry, hopes to change the state-of-the-art in downhole communication speed. In a recently completed full-scale field test at the federal Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC) near Casper, Wyoming, the IntelliPipeTM technology was able to transmit downhole data more than 200,000 times faster than technology commonly in use today. Referred to by some as the "Downhole Internet," the IntelliPipeTM technology has the ability to transmit large amounts of downhole data, such as local geology, temperature, pressure, and rate of penetration to the  surface as fast as 2 million bits per second. It also will allow data to be sent the other direction just as fast, giving oil and gas drillers the capability to direct the drill bit more precisely toward oil- and gas-bearing sweet spots and away from less productive areas almost instantaneously. This will enhance the efficiency of oil and gas wells and reduce the number of wells needed to produce a reservoir.

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INCREASING HEAVY OIL RESERVES IN THE WILMINGTON OIL FIELD THROUGH ADVANCED RESERVOIR CHARECTERIZATION AND THERMAL PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES

The objective of this project is to increase the recoverable heavy oil reserves within sections of the Wilmington Oil Field, near Long Beach, California through the testing and application of advanced reservoir characterization and thermal production technologies. The successful application of these technologies will result in expanding their implementation throughout the Wilmington Field and, through technology transfer, to other slope and basin clastic (SBC) reservoirs. The existing steamflood in the Tar zone of Fault Block II-A (Tar II-A) has been relatively inefficient because of several producibility problems which are common in SBC reservoirs: inadequate characterization of the heterogeneous turbidite sands, high permeability thief zones, low gravity oil and non-uniform distribution of the remaining oil. This has resulted in poor sweep efficiency, high steam-oil ratios, and early steam breakthrough. Operational problems related to steam breakthrough, high reservoir pressure, and unconsolidated sands have caused premature well and downhole equipment failures. In aggregate, these reservoir and operational constraints have resulted in increased operating costs and decreased recoverable reserves.

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THE RELATION OF LABORATORY PHYSICAL-PROPERTY MEASUREMENTS TO THE PRESENCE AND BEHAVIOR OF NATURAL GAS HYDRATES

Although gas hydrate occurs in a wide variety of sediment types, properties of the host materials influence the type and quantity of hydrate formed and whether a particular deposit may be an economic resource or a geohazard. The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) gas-hydrate program is, in part, studying this interaction between natural geologic conditions and the presence, properties, and location of natural gas hydrate at the intergranular scale.

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Laboratory and Seafloor Experiments with Hydrocarbon Clathrate Hydrates: A Review with Potential Applications to Hydrates in Nature

The in-situ chemical composition, structure, and textural positions of clathrate hydrates within sediments, and their effects on the properties of their host sediments are important features that are rarely, if ever, determined directly. All hydrocarbon clathrate hydrates retrieved from their natural environments for study in the lab at atmospheric pressure have been to some degree altered and/or partially decomposed during transit and handling. Thus interpretation of their structures, textures and properties is not always straightforward. Laboratory and seafloor experiments on synthetic hydrocarbon hydrates and aggregates with sediment are useful for aiding the interpretation of retrieved materials. Here we describe such exploratory efforts at the USGS, MBARI and LLNL: (1) Rock-physics theory and measurements of the physical properties of multi-phase granular materials in general indicate that the textural position (conformation) of hydrates in the pore space of sediment dictate the quantitative effects of hydrates on sediment properties. Our ice-to-hydrate synthesis method permits us to make synthetic sediment/hydrate aggregates with known conformation as well as measure accurately their bulk properties and test the rock-physics theories. Such tests currently seem infeasible using natural samples. (2) Such synthetic samples with known hydrate characteristics and properties can be subjected to known P-T-time pathways that simulate the retrieval pathways of natural samples. The effects of the retrieval process can be evaluated by comparing the starting hydrate characteristics and properties with those of the simulated "retrieved" material. Optical cell experiments can be potentially useful in evaluating the textural effects of retrieval by direct observation. (3) The governing physical chemistry of our ice-to-hydrate synthesis method is probably different from that in natural environments. We have found, however, that exposure of lab-made samples to the seafloor and their subsequent retrieval within the P-T stability of methane hydrate alters their grain textures as determined by cryogenic SEM. Such samples resemble natural samples taken from the shallow seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico, suggesting that similar processes that lead to rapid textural equilibration are occurring in both settings. (4) Samples of hydrates at vents sampled by ROV's may be quickly decomposed to gas near the seafloor and retrieved for later gas analysis. Such analyses are not as prone to gas partitioning during transit and hence may be more representative of the in-situ hydrate gas compositions.

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Thermal conductivity of THF hydrate between -25  C and  4  C

We observe two distinct temperature dependencies in the thermal conductivity of tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate at atmospheric pressure between -25 and  4?C. After accounting for 4 ? 2% H2O in our sample, the thermal conductivity of THF hydrate between -25 and -4?C rises by only 0.2%, from .507 to .508 W/mK.

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Multi-Seam Well Completion Technology: Implications for Powder River Basin Coalbed Methane Production

The President's National Energy Policy (NEP) Report estimates that over the next 20 years annual natural gas consumption in the United States will increase by 50 percent to nearly 35 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). A contemporary forecast fully supports this demand increase, though with a short delay. To meet this growing demand for natural gas, the NEP report concludes that we will have to fully develop, in an environmentally sensitive manner, our nation's economically recoverable natural gas resources.

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National Geosciences Data Repository System Phase III: Implementation and Operation of the Repository

All scientific and technical investigations require access to basic fundamental data. The capture and long term preservation of data are required to address a wide range of scientific issues. The National Research Council released a report entitled Preserving Scientific Data on Our Physical Universe (1995), that took a broad look at the challenges of scientific data preservation and management in Federal Agencies. The report concluded "a general problem prevalent among all scientific disciplines is the low priority attached to data management and preservation by most agencies. Experience indicates that new research projects tend to get much more attention than the handling of data from old ones, even though the payoff from optimal utilization of existing data may be greater." No discipline is in greater need of an increased focus on data preservation than the geosciences, where private-sector downsizing and public-sector budgetary constraints have combined to jeopardize vast quantities of valuable geoscientific data critical to our understanding of the Earth's environment and natural resources.

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Mechanistic Studies of Improved Foam EOR Processes

The objective of this research is to widen the application of foam to enhanced oil recovery (EOR) by investigating fundamental mechanisms of foams in porous media. This research will lay the groundwork for more applied research on foams for improved sweep efficiency in miscible gas, steam and surfactant-based EOR. Task 1 investigates the pore-scale interactions between foam bubbles and polymer molecules. Task 2 examines the mechanisms of gas trapping, and interaction between gas trapping and foam effectiveness. Task 3 investigates mechanisms of foam generation in porous media. Significant progress was made during this period on all three Tasks.

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Missing Well Locations: An Environmental Risk Assessment and Regulatory Problem for Louisiana

The focus of this project was to examine 48,953 well permits and create a digital database of the locations from various public records. The Basin Research Institute(BRI), Louisiana State University, in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, obtained paper records of each well permit. Using various purchased commercial oil and gas, mapping and surveying software and data management programs, (GeoGraphix, Arcview, AutoCAD Map and ProCogo) a digital latitude and longitude for each of the missing wells was obtained. Through careful examination we were able to obtain locations for 48,577 permits of the 48,953 that were missing coordinates. In our study it was determined that 89 permits were erroneously listed in the existing database and therefore should be removed from the database. As a result of incomplete and illegible information coordinates could not be determined for 193 permits, and no permit records were found for 94 wells. Each permit was placed in one of the following databases as determined by the well status code (Appendix A): Active Producing Wells (11,450,1706 ); completed 11,444 permits, 4 permits could not be found, and no determination could be made for 2 permits. Shut-in Productive Wells (2,305,1706 ); completed 2,300 permits, 4 permits could not be found, and no determination could be made for 1 permit. Abandoned Wells- Active Producer (17,513,1706 ); completed 17,432 permits, 40 permits could not be found, no determination could be made for 41 permits. Wells- Dry Hole (9,029,1706 ); completed 8,893 permits, 9 permits could not be found, no determination could be made for 127 permits. Wells- Permit Expired (7,083,1706 ); completed 7,036 permits, 29 permits could not be found, no determination could be made for 18 permits. Wells- No Status (1,573,1706 ); completed 1,561 permits, 8 permits could not be found, no determination could be made for 4 permits. The newly created databases which are now available in both digital and hard copy format will help Louisiana implement risk-based regulatory policies, streamline existing policies, and provide industry and the public with access to information for all phases of the oil and gas business.

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Development of Coal Bed Methane Utilizing GIS Technologies

During the second half of the 1990's, Coal Bed Methane (CBM) production increased dramatically nationwide to represent a significant new source of income and natural gas for many independent and established producers. Matching these soaring production rates during this period were the advancements in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technologies generating terra-bytes of new data for the oil and gas industry. Coupled to these accelerating initiatives are many environmental concerns relating to production wastes and water table depletion of fresh water resources. It is these concerns that prompted a vital need within the industry for the development of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and mitigation strategies utilizing GIS technologies for efficient environmental protection in conjunction with effective production of CBM. This was accomplished by developing a framework to take advantage of a combination of investigative field research joined with leading edge GIS technologies for the creation of environmentally characterized regions of study. Once evaluated these regions had BMP's developed to address their unique situations for Coal Bed Methane production and environmental protection. Results of the project will be used to support the MBOGC's Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement as required by the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and by the BLM for NEPA related issues for acreage having federally owned minerals.

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Effects of Saline-Sonic Water on EC, SAR, and Water Retention

There is significant concern regarding the potential impact of discharges of saline-sodic water from coal bed methane development sites within the Powder River Basin onto irrigated acreages of the area. The specific objective of this study was to assess soil chemical and physical responses upon wetting with saline-sodic water. This was accomplished by exposing soil material collected from sites within the Powder River Basin to various combinations of two water qualities and three wetting/irrigation regimes.  Water quality treatments consisted of either synthesized Powder River water or synthesized CBM product water. Wetting and irrigation regimes consisted of: 1) a single wetting event, 2) a five-time wet/dry cycle and 3) a five-time wet/dry cycle followed by a single flood (flushing) event with distilled water. Repeated irrigation with saline-sodic water or water with a chemical signature comparable to the CBYI product water used in this study will result in a general increase in the soil salinity and sodicity. It is likely that elevated soil salinity levels will be substantially higher than published thresholds for some irrigated crops. The impact of rainfall on reducing EC and SAR is more predominant when salt concentrations are high, and in coarser-textured soils. Distilled water applications simulating rainfall resulted in a much greater lowering of EC than for SAR.  To assess the effects of saline-sodic water on the physical properties of the soil, water content was measured after the soils were exposed to the various water qualities and treatment scenarios at five different pressure potentials. It was found that water content associated with matric potential differed significantly due to predominant soil textures. Although statistically significant differences were detected among water quality treatments, differences were not considered large enough to have a significant ecological impact. It was determined that CBM product water applied at these levels did not have a consistent significant impact on soil physical properties.

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Rotary Steerable Motor (RSM) System for Deep Gas Drilling Status Report

The objective is to increase the efficiency of drilling, especially deep gas drilling, by allowing directional wells to be drilled with greater speed and fewer changes of bottomhole assembly. This system will avoid the problems associated with current technologies - e.g., the requirement to 'slide'when steering using a steerable system, which can lead to sticking; the oversized tortuous hole drilled by steerable systems while rotating; or the reduced power provided to the bit using a rotary steerable system driven from the surface.

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Effects Of Irrigation Water Quality And Water Table Position On Plant Biomass Production, Crude Protein, And Base Cation Removal

This research examines the effects of surface irrigation water quality and water table position on the ability of selected plant species to produce biomass and crude protein, and to remove the base cations sodium (Na 1 ), calcium (Ca 2), and magnesium (Mg 2) from shallow groundwater. It was hypothesized that selected plant species could effectively produce biomass and crude protein, and potentially remove salts from shallow groundwater. Columns were arranged in the greenhouse as a two water quality x three water table positions x three plant species randomized complete block experiment. Water qualities were simulated coalbed methane product water (treatment) and simulated Powder River water (control). Three water table positions were maintained at 114, 76, and 38 centimeters from the column soil surface. Wytana saltbush (A triplex -wytana), Big saltbrush (Atriplex lentiformis) and Maritime barley (Hordeum marinium) were selected for their livestock forage and salt tolerant (halophytic) characteristics. Colums irrigated with simulated coalbed methane water had higher electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) than those irrigated with simulated Powder River water. Mean EC and SAR increased linearly with time at all water table positions in both the control and treatment. EC and SAR increased the fastest in columns maintained at the 38 cm or shallowest water table position. Column EC and SAR did not increase at the same rate over time due to differences m soil surface evaporation, plant water use, and the preferential removal of calcium (Ca 2 ) from shallow groundwater. Hordeum marinium produced more biomass, but did not contain the quality of crude proem found in the Atriplex species. Atriplex lentiformis produced the highest quality forage. Plant species responded to water table position more than water quality. Both Triplex species produced the most biomass at the 38 cm water table position, while Hordeum marinium produced the most biomass at the 76 cm water table position. Atriplex lentiformis removed more sodium(Na 1 ), calcium (Ca 2), and magnesium (Mg 2) than Hordeum marinium and Atriplex wytana at all water table positions m both the simulated Powder River and coalbed methane water treatments.

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Microhole Initiative

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is continuing a major research and development initiative to create a small, fast, inexpensive and environmentally friendly rig for drilling 5000? microholes to investigate potential oil and gas reservoirs. In order to prioritize the next series of investments, DOE desired input from petroleum industry operators, service companies and equipment suppliers on the operation and application of this coiled-tubing-based technology.

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Temperature, pressure, and compositional effects on anomalous or "self" preservation of gas hydrates

We previously reported on a thermal regime where pure, polycrystalline methane hydrate is preserved metastably in bulk at up to 75 K above its nominal temperature stability limit of 193 K at 0.1 MPa, following rapid release of the sample pore pressure. Large fractions (>50 vol.% ) of methane hydrate can be preserved for 2?3 weeks by this method, reflecting the greatly suppressed rates of dissociation that characterize this ?anomalous preservation? regime. This behavior contrasts that exhibited by methane hydrate at both colder (193?240 K) and warmer (272?290 K) isothermal test conditions, where dissociation rates increase monotonically with increasing temperature. Here, we report on recent experiments that further investigate the effects of temperature, pressure, and composition on anomalous preservation behavior. All tests conducted on sI methane hydrate yielded self-consistent results that confirm the highly temperature-sensitive but reproducible nature of anomalous preservation behavior. Temperature-stepping experiments conducted between 250 and 268 K corroborate the relative rates measured previously in isothermal preservation tests, and elevated pore-pressure tests showed that, as expected, dissociation rates are further reduced with increasing pressure. Surprisingly, sII methane ethane hydrate was found to exhibit no comparable preservation effect when rapidly depressurized at 268 K, even though it is thermodynamically stable at higher temperatures and lower pressures than sI methane hydrate. These results, coupled with SEM imaging of quenched sample material from a variety of dissociation tests, strongly support our earlier arguments that ice-?shielding? effects provided by partial dissociation along hydrate grain surfaces do not serve as the primary mechanism for anomalous preservation. The underlying physical-chemistry mechanism(s) of anomalous preservation remains elusive, but appears to be based more on textural or morphological changes within the hydrate material itself, rather than on compositional zoning or ice-rind development.

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