Description
Geologic Concepts to Understand Reservoir Quality and Heterogeneity
Relevant for O&G Exploration and Production, CO2 Injection, and Waste Water Disposal
Where: Bureau of Economic Geology Core Research Center - Austin, TX (10611 Exploration Way)
When: Monday November 18th, 2024 - 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
The Ellenburger Group is a target for hydrocarbon exploration and production, CO2 injection, and waste water disposal. For each of these undertakings to be economically successful, reservoir quality and heterogeneity are important risk factors. Within the Ellenburger, these two factors are complex as diagenetic processes of dolomitization and karstification have strongly affected the original limestone.
The Ellenburger strata in Texas was deposited on a very broad, shallow-water platform where depositional systems ranged from tidal-flat setting in the interior platform, through low-energy restricted intertidal to subtidal in the middle platform, to high-energy restricted subtidal on the outer platform. Following deposition and some burial, an intensive period of karstification occurred at the Middle Ordovician Sauk-Tippecanoe megasequence boundary, which strongly affected the upper 300-600 ft of the Ellenburger section. Dolomitization both preceded and occurred after this karst event. Karsting has produced most of the upper Ellenburger reservoirs by creating a pore network of cave collapse associated breccias and fractures. These pore networks evolve with depth and form highly heterogenous reservoirs at the interwell scale. Dolomitization has created some dolomitized matrix intercrystalline pores, but in general, matrix porosity is less than 5%, except where microbial thrombolite complexes developed. Also, in some areas, deep hydrothermal processes have created vuggy pores.
This STARR one-day workshop for Texas operators will include:
The Morning session will cover:
The afternoon session will take place in our state of the art core viewing facility where we will look at a collection of core showcasing the different facies associated with the Ellenburger. This discussion will be led by Dr. Bob Loucks from STARR/RCRL.
Relevant for O&G Exploration and Production, CO2 Injection, and Waste Water Disposal
Where: Bureau of Economic Geology Core Research Center - Austin, TX (10611 Exploration Way)
When: Monday November 18th, 2024 - 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
The Ellenburger Group is a target for hydrocarbon exploration and production, CO2 injection, and waste water disposal. For each of these undertakings to be economically successful, reservoir quality and heterogeneity are important risk factors. Within the Ellenburger, these two factors are complex as diagenetic processes of dolomitization and karstification have strongly affected the original limestone.
The Ellenburger strata in Texas was deposited on a very broad, shallow-water platform where depositional systems ranged from tidal-flat setting in the interior platform, through low-energy restricted intertidal to subtidal in the middle platform, to high-energy restricted subtidal on the outer platform. Following deposition and some burial, an intensive period of karstification occurred at the Middle Ordovician Sauk-Tippecanoe megasequence boundary, which strongly affected the upper 300-600 ft of the Ellenburger section. Dolomitization both preceded and occurred after this karst event. Karsting has produced most of the upper Ellenburger reservoirs by creating a pore network of cave collapse associated breccias and fractures. These pore networks evolve with depth and form highly heterogenous reservoirs at the interwell scale. Dolomitization has created some dolomitized matrix intercrystalline pores, but in general, matrix porosity is less than 5%, except where microbial thrombolite complexes developed. Also, in some areas, deep hydrothermal processes have created vuggy pores.
This STARR one-day workshop for Texas operators will include:
The Morning session will cover:
- A seminar of lectures and core presentations that reviews Ellenburger depositional setting, lithofacies, diagenesis, and reservoir quality and heterogeneity.
- A review of seismic characterization analysis that shows the three-dimensional architecture of karst systems within the Ellenburger. Seismic data displays large scale sags (suprastratal deformation) where cave systems have collapsed.
- Data on several injection projects in the Ellenburger section will be examined.
The afternoon session will take place in our state of the art core viewing facility where we will look at a collection of core showcasing the different facies associated with the Ellenburger. This discussion will be led by Dr. Bob Loucks from STARR/RCRL.
Click HERE for Registration
Questions: Dr. Lorena Moscardelli - lorena.moscardelli@beg.utexas.edu