Bittersweet Encounters in the Wellbore: Application of the Wellsite Mass Spectrometer in 3D Unconventional Resource Development of Niobrara and Mowry assets in the Powder River Basin
Abstract
The literature abounds with technical information to locate the sweet spot
in an unconventional asset, but the inverse concept has been largely neglected.
This is usually attributed to the lack of suitable tools and interpretive
expertise.
The wellsite mass spectrometer is an exception to this generalization when the
raw data is suitably utilized in comprehensive
interpretive
schemes. This is
accomplished in data analytic deconvolution of the collective mass spectra
signal to determine hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon composition during real
time in the drilling mud system. Critical "bittersweet" components include the
influx of water, inorganic dilutant (e.g., hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide),
leaky top seals, and the potential for depleted compartments. The individual
wellbore mass spec data is post-processed to provide visualization of the key
parameters that are particularly insightful when the full gambit of well bores
are viewed simultaneously in 3D. This includes the systematic influx to the
wellbore of a particular bittersweet component, such as water via fractures
and/or faults. The method is likewise extended to the predictive realm as prior
wells can be used to build a predictive 3D model by taking advantage of the
interchangeable format of data manipulation from fluid inclusion stratigraphic
(i.e., FIS) analysis. This approach is effective at resolving the under-utilized
field data conundrum by providing a platform for the proper alignment of
people, processes, and technologies to provide the answers to issues like well
spacing in asset management.
AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90357 ©2019 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Cheyenne, Wyoming, September 15-18, 2019