Integrated Eagle Ford Reservoir Characterization — Which Data is Critical to Collect and Best Describes Well Performance?
The Eagle Ford has emerged as one of the most prolific shale-gas discoveries in North America. Substantial industry activity and technology have been directed towards understanding this resource play to delineate the productive fairway, highlight potential sweet-spots and unlock its economic potential. Activity rose from 94 well permits in 2009 to over 1,000 permits in 2011. Currently in excess of 100 drilling rigs are active across this trend.
Pioneer Natural Resources is using a combination of well logging (pilot & lateral), core, seismic attributes, production logging, micro-seismic and outcrop observations to provide an integrated analysis of the critical performance drivers and uncertainty within this shale-play. The use of technology is fundamental to our visualization and characterization efforts, including scale, vertical & lateral variability and an assessment of matrix and natural fracture contribution. Our goal is to accelerate the learning curve and effectively impact development strategies for this resource play.
While the Eagle Ford is a recent discovery (2008), many hundreds of older legacy wells were drilled, and logged this source rock section. The Eagle Ford is a classic example of an unconventional resource play, hidden within a seemingly mature petroleum basin. With advances in drilling and completions technology the industry is unlocking this multi TCFE/BBOE resource potential.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90142 © 2012 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, April 22-25, 2012, Long Beach, California