a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research and Application Consortium Selected Overview Slides Austin Texas Fracture Research and Application Consortium Selected Overview Slides Austin Texas

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 2 Agenda Introduction Models to Flow Simulation Introduction to Characterization Methods Discussion

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 3 FRAC Goals Fracture Research and Application Consortium Verifiable conceptual fracture models Accurate pre-drill predictions High-resolution, site-specific evaluation Proven economic impact –Exploration: risk assessment –Production: reservoir simulation

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 4 Benefits of Membership I Opportunities for collaborative projects –Case studies Fracture Research & Application Consortium –We are committed to developing useful tools Accessible, proven value, unique Access to cutting-edge research as it happens –Website & FTP site, software

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 5 FRAC Website private side Username: DevonEnergy Password: FracIA16 Note these are case sensitive

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 6 Shared Case Study Data

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 7 Reports, manuscripts, abstracts

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 8 Glossary

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 9 Application

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 10 Benefits of Membership II Annual research meeting & field trips Company office visits & short courses Company staff training in Austin Longstanding committed membership Leveraged research –DOE, NSF –Jackson School Geology Foundation

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 11 Members 2005 Fracture Research & Application Consortium Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering – Geological Sciences – Bureau of Economic Geology The University of Texas at Austin IMP Shell International E & P Huber Anadarko

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 12 UT Researchers Associated with FRAC Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering – Geological Sciences – Bureau of Economic Geology The University of Texas at Austin Lake Olson Marrett Lander Bonnell Sen Gale Reed Laubach Milliken Srinivasan Holder Fomel Geocosm Geocosm UTIG

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 13 Why a new approach is needed Fracture prediction & evaluation Inherent sampling limitations Unconstrained models –Predictions difficult to verify –Predictions do not extend to key attributes Intensity, Clustering, Are the fractures open? Predrill and interwellbore extrapolation –Unacceptable uncertainties

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 14 Challenges Fracture Prediction & Evaluation Unconstrained models Equifinality Predictions difficult to verify Predictions difficult to verify

Frontier Formation, Wyoming Challenges Fracture Prediction & Evaluation Inherent sampling limitations Hypothetical well bore Hypothetical well bore Example of difficult-to- measure attribute Open Fracture Length Distribution

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 16 FRAC Approach Exploit links between chemical, mechanical processes –More accurate predictive models –Measure attributes not otherwise obtainable –Quantitative, site-specific, low-cost data not limited by conventional sampling problems –Map attributes; calibrate seismic data; incorporate results in simulators

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 17 Research Approaches

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 18 Conceptual Approach of FRAC. Production: Reservoir Simulation Microstructure (Laubach) Structural surrogates Geomechanics (Olson) Scaling (Marrett) Reservoir quality Exploration: Risk Assessment Quality, Orientations, Timing, Apertures, Lengths, Spacings, Geometry Predict Attributes of Large Fractures and Fracture Arrays Quantitative Structure Geomechanics Diagenesis Linked Models

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 19 Fractures Across a Range of Scales FRAC Research Covers this Scale Range Outcrop cms Logs mm Core < mm Thin section 0.5 mm SEM  ms Seismic mdm

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 20 Predictions of Fracture Clustering Three maps of fracture trace patterns n=5 n=20 n=80 low n, spacing < bed thickness, early subcritical growth high n, widely spaced clusters, late critical growth n is subcritical index (n) a rock property that can be used to predict network geometry Note changes in degree of fracture clustering Arrow indicates bed thickness for these models

a of Bureau Economic Geology a Fracture Research & Application Consortium 21 Case Studies Key element of FRAC Objectives –Advance research –Transfer technology New structure starting in 2005 –Aim: Service to Members –Structure under development –Made possible in part by JSG initiative grant