Tight Oil Play Assessment for Junior Oil & Gas Company
A consortium of resource companies required independent expertise to review more than 1 million acres of opportunity. The purpose of the assessment was to determine whether it was plausible to describe the stratigraphic zone as a potential shale/tight oil reservoir and, if warranted, to provide a volumetric assessment.
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Project Highlights
- One million acres of opportunity requires independent expertise
- Sproule ERCE experts conclude zone could be a tight oil reservoir
- Significant upside for E&P company results in continued exploration
- Two years of additional data confirms original assessment
Challenges:
A consortium of resource companies required independent expertise to review more than 1 million acres of opportunity
The zone of interest was commonly interpreted as source rock, with maturity ranging from the early oil window to the dry gas window; previous exploration in the area focused on diagenetic traps in carbonates
The purpose of the assessment was to determine whether it was plausible to describe the stratigraphic zone as a potential shale/tight oil reservoir and, if warranted, to provide a volumetric assessment
The zone of interest was commonly interpreted as source rock, with maturity ranging from the early oil window to the dry gas window; previous exploration in the area focused on diagenetic traps in carbonates
The purpose of the assessment was to determine whether it was plausible to describe the stratigraphic zone as a potential shale/tight oil reservoir and, if warranted, to provide a volumetric assessment
Solutions:
Two independent methods were used to estimate the present-day volume of hydrocarbons within the shale to capture the uncertainty: the first was a mapping of the pyrolysis S1 data and basin modelling, and the second was geological mapping using a gross isopach map in conjunction with petrophysical parameters
The pyrolysis data was interpreted to represent the minimum present-day residual oil saturation within the shale, and the volumetric analysis represented the total hydrocarbons that could currently be present within the shale
The pyrolysis data was interpreted to represent the minimum present-day residual oil saturation within the shale, and the volumetric analysis represented the total hydrocarbons that could currently be present within the shale
Values:
Sproule ERCE concluded that the stratigraphic zone of interest could be described as a potential tight oil reservoir, indicating significant upside for an exploration and production (E&P) company
The assessment determined whether it was worthwhile for the consortium to conduct further investigation into these resources
After two years of exploration drilling, Sproule ERCE was contracted to update the original assessment to incorporate the results of eight new wells
The data from these wells supported the original assessment
The assessment determined whether it was worthwhile for the consortium to conduct further investigation into these resources
After two years of exploration drilling, Sproule ERCE was contracted to update the original assessment to incorporate the results of eight new wells
The data from these wells supported the original assessment