Interlake Production Established Using Quantitative
Hydrocarbon Well
-
Log
Analysis
Jim Lancaster, Asher Atkinson
Production was established in a new pay zone of the basal Interlake Formation
adjacent to production in Midway field in Williams County, North Dakota.
Hydrocarbon saturation, which was computed using hydrocarbon well
-
log
(mud-
log
)
data, and computed permeability encouraged the operator to run casing and test
this zone.
By use of drilling rig parameters, drilling mud properties, hydrocarbon-show
data from the mud log
, drilled rock and porosity descriptions, and wireline
log
porosity, this new technique computes oil saturation (percent of porosity) and
permeability to the invading filtrate, using the Darcy equation.
The Leonardo Fee well
was drilled to test the Devonian Duperow, the Silurian
upper Interlake, and the Ordovician Red River. The upper two objectives were
penetrated downdip from Midway production and there were no hydrocarbon shows.
It was determined that the Red River was "tight," based on sample examination by
well
site personnel. The basal Interlake, however, liberated hydrocarbon shows
that were analyzed by this new technology. The results of this evaluation
accurately predicted this
well
would be a commercial success when placed in
production.
Where geophysical log
analysis
might be questionable, this new evaluation
technique may provide answers to anticipated oil saturation and producibility.
The encouraging results of hydrocarbon saturation and permeability, produced by
this technique, may be largely responsible for the
well
being in production
today.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91033©1988 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section, Bismarck, North Dakota, 21-24 August 1988