Gas Storage and Production in the Devonian Age Lower Huron Shale Formation in the Big Sandy Field, Kentucky

Pankowski-Heckman, Katie; McCallum, Scott

The knowledge of the organic matter texture and porosity network present in different stratigraphic intervals and spanning multiple maturity windows is an extremely important aspect of any shale gas play. Three full diameter cores from the Lower Huron, each representing one of the maturity windows present in the Big Sandy Gas field (oil, wet gas, and dry gas), have been used to create sequence stratigraphic, lithologic unit, and gas in place models for the play. The core data shows positive correlations between low bulk density and high porosity as well as high porosity and high gas saturations across all maturity windows present in the field. Positive correlations between high porosity and high TOC also exist in the Lower Huron core data which implies that organic content also plays a role in the gas storage and deliverability mechanisms within the Lower Huron reservoir. A lithologic unit analysis of the Lower Huron shale formation has shown that the Lower Huron is more concentrated in low bulk density, organic, and quartz-rich shale through a transgressive lithologic unit and an associated analysis of Lower Huron horizontal well production has shown that horizontal lateral placement within a transgressive lithologic unit will enhance the production of a horizontal well. Argon ion milled thin sections from the transgressive lithologic units from all three core wells have been examined to determine the differences in the porosity network and organic matter texture present through the different maturity windows present in the Big Sandy gas field. The differences in the porosity network and organic matter texture have been paired with a gas in place model in order to identify and explain "sweet spots" within the Lower Huron reservoir in Eastern Kentucky.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90163©2013AAPG 2013 Annual Convention and Exhibition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 19-22, 2013