--> Fracture Characterization of the Woodford Shale in the Arbuckle Anticline, Southern Oklahoma, Using Terrestrial Lidar

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Fracture Characterization of the Woodford Shale in the Arbuckle Anticline, Southern Oklahoma, Using Terrestrial Lidar

Abstract

Abstract

Natural fractures are structural features formed during brittle deformation. They provide conduits for gas production from the unconventional reservoirs. The Devonian Woodford Formation is an unconventional reservoir that produces hydrocarbons in various locations in southern Oklahoma. In this study, Terrestrial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanning is used to quantitatively analyze natural fractures along the northern overturned limb and southern upright limb of the Arbuckle Anticline along I-35 in the Arbuckle Mountains in southern Oklahoma.

The goal of this study is to determine a) the relationship between fracture spacing, fracture density and bedding thickness and b) structural control on the fracture density. Composition of the Woodford Shale is analyzed using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and petrographic thin sections to determine the lithological controls on competency and brittleness. This study provides a complete fracture characterization of the Woodford Shale, where the presence of natural fractures enhance reservoir permeability in an otherwise tight reservoir.