Unconventional
From appraisal to field development
Unconventional
From appraisal to field development
Biota provides a range of standard products in the unconventional business, answering the most common questions from single well to pad, section, or field development project scales. These answers can be enhanced with specialized analyses.
Total Fluid Log (TFL)
4D fluid contributions at the bench or formation level
Challenge
Optimizing landing zone(s) and well spacing to neither under- nor over-capitalize a field requires having an accurate, calibrated reservoir model to estimate hydrocarbon production and recovery rates. Successful prediction demands an understanding of actual fluid contribution from different benches in stacked plays or the actual drainage height within a single bench over time.
Solution
Produced fluid samples are collected, typically weekly, from IP0 to IP90, followed by bi-weekly sampling past IP90 throughout the life of the well. DNA is extracted and sequenced at each time point, then compared to the well cuttings derived DNA Stratigraphy to provide a probabilistic fluid contribution estimate from each different strata, or, a Fluid Contribution Log. These results are further integrated with production data to put them into context.
Results
Changes in fluid contribution from multiple landing zones over time, in correlation with production data, informs landing zone optimization decisions for additional wells and provide detailed insight into changes in DRV to reduce model uncertainty.
Well Connectivity
Optimizing well spacing, understanding the decline curve
Challenge
While initial stimulated volumes can be estimated by a range of technologies, insight into actual drained volume and well to well connectivity – and their associated impact on production rates over time – were previously not readily available.
Solution
Integration of oil production data with Biota’s fluid to fluid similarity analysis of wells at the pad or field level throughout an extended monitoring period.
Results
Petrophysical logs clearly identify the benches above and below a perceived frac barrier on the DNA Stratigraphy log. Biota’s Fluid Contribution Logs from wells landed above and/or below the frac barrier can identify contributions from across the “frac barrier.” The well to well similarity plot further clarifies whether the respective wells actually drain the same volume of rock, reducing production efficiency. 4D monitoring provides insight into whether this connectivity is fleeting or lasts for the life of the well.
Water Sourcing
Informed decisions to help reduce water cut
Challenge
The cost of handling and disposing of produced water is a major cost element in unconventional plays. Reducing water cut (and therefore water production) through optimized well placement and completion strategy requires a dynamic understanding of the zone(s) from which the unwanted water is produced.
Solution
DNA Diagnostics are a total fluid measurement, meaning they include all produced liquids; water, oil, and condensate. Integrating water saturation logs with the DNA Stratigraphy allows our Fluid Contribution Logs to determine the probability of fluid contributions from known water bearing zones.
Results
While the impact of landing zone on water cut can be easily seen in production data, mitigation remains elusive. DNA Diagnostics provide insights into the actual source of the produced water, and if oil is indeed produced from the intended target zone(s). This workflow enables a balanced approach for optimizing landing zones of subsequent wells for minimum water production while optimizing recovery rates.
Frac Barrier Assessment
Joint or separate bench development
Challenge
Frac barrier effectiveness is a key question to answer to optimize pad development. An ineffective frac barrier allows for joint development and reduced number of wells, compared to an effective frac barrier that requires separate development of the respective benches.
Solution
Combining Fluid Contribution Logs based on a DNA Stratigraphy log covering benches above and below a potential frac barrier with fluid to fluid comparisons to determine fluid origin and well to well connectivity.
Results
Fluid contribution logs from wells landed above and below the frac barrier identify whether benches beyond the frac barrier contribute to the production of those wells as a first step. Additionally , the fluid to fluid comparison provides insight into whether or not the drained volumes are connected hydraulically. Lastly, time based monitoring informs whether or not the connectivity is temporal or more lasting in nature.
Advanced Data Integration and Analysis
Integration of multiple data sets is the foundation for advanced reservoir engineering analysis. Data integration is critical for creating a deeper understanding of the subsurface and further optimizing the development of your assets.