Petroleum Engineering Commons^™

Geostatistical Shale Models For A Deltaic Reservoir Analog: From 3d Gpr Data To 3d Flow Modeling, Hongmei Li

LSU Master's Theses

The effects of shales on fluid flow in marine-influenced lower delta-plain distributary channel deposits are investigated using a three-dimensional ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data volume from the Cretaceous-age Ferron sandstone at Corbula Gulch in central Utah, USA. Using interpreted GPR data, we formulate a geostatistical model of the dimensions, orientations, and geometries of the internal structure from the subaerial exposure surface down to about 12 m depth. The correlation function between GPR instantaneous amplitude and shale index is built after statistical calibration of the GPR attributes (amplitude) with well data (gamma ray logs). Shale statistics are computed from this correlation function. …

Kekf R1 Reservoir - West Delta Block 84, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana - An Analysis And Confirmation Of Bypassed Primary And Secondary Reserves, William Clay Kimbrell

LSU Master's Theses

West Delta Block 84 Field is located off the coast of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. The intent of this endeavor is to prove that the two of the reservoirs, the KE-1 and KF-1, form a single communicating reservoir, the KEKF-R1; that a waterflood into the KF-1 reservoir was ineffective; that oil reserves were bypassed; and that a portion of these bypassed oil reserves can be recovered without drilling new wells. Comparisons between pre-seismic and post-seismic geological interpretations were studied, a thorough volumetric analysis was performed with a subsequent material balance calculations and a reservoir computer simulation was performed. Once a history …

Evaluation Of The Hydrocarbon Potential In Low-Salinity Shaly Sand, Fnu Kurniawan

LSU Master's Theses

This research utilizes reservoir data from an oilfield in Indonesia, which is characterized by shaly sand and low salinity formation water. Both low salinity and shaliness reduce the resistivity contrast between oil and water. The aim of this research was to build a comprehensive interpretation algorithm to evaluate the shaly-sand reservoir in a low salinity formation water using limited well log data. Shaly-sand interpretation is still evolving with numerous researchers conducting investigations of the clay minerals effect on rock conductivity through theoretical and experimental approach. These investigations can be loosely divided into either Fractional Shale Volume models or the Cation …

Water-Drive Gas Reservoir: Sensitivity Analysis And Simplified Prediction, Junpeng Yue

LSU Master's Theses

Water influx and well completions affect recovery from water-drive gas reservoir. Material balance, aquifer models and well inflow equations are used to examine and predict the pressure depletion, water influx, and production rates of water-drive gas reservoirs. The parameters of these simple, lumped models are estimated from simulation results using response surfaces and experimental designs for eight varying geologic and engineering factors. Eleven simulated responses (including maximum gas rate, aquifer and well constants, and water breakthrough) are analyzed using ANOVA and response models. A sensitivity analysis of aquifer productivity index, gas production factor, and sweep efficiency reveals that permeability is …

The Effects Of Rock And Fluids Characteristics On Reservoir Wettability, Chandra S. Vijapurapu

LSU Master's Theses

Wettability is the ability of a fluid to spread or adhere on a rock surface in the presence of other immiscible fluids. Knowledge of wettability is important to decide what production strategy needs to be employed for optimum oil recovery. Wettability is affected by rock mineralogy, rock surface roughness, and brine compositions. Previous studies have dealt with solid-liquid-vapor systems and those involving wettability characterization in solid-liquid-liquid systems have used contact angle techniques known to have reproducibility problems. In this study, a new technique called the Dual-Drop-Dual-Crystal (DDDC) Technique has been used to characterize wettability in terms of dynamic contact angles. …

Surfactant-Induced Relative Permeability Modifications For Oil Recovery Enhancement, Subhash C. Ayirala

LSU Master's Theses

Surfactants have been considered for enhanced oil recovery by reduced oil-water interfacial tension. However, these surfactants may enhance oil recovery via wettability alteration as well. This study experimentally determines the influence of surfactant type and concentration on oil recovery, oil-water relative permeabilities and wettability in reservoir rocks. Several coreflood experiments were conducted using Yates reservoir fluids in Berea rocks and two types of surfactants (nonionic and anionic) in varying concentrations. A coreflood simulator was used to calculate oil-water relative permeabilities by history matching recovery and pressure drop measured during the corefloods. These relative permeability variations were interpreted using Craig's rules-of-thumb …

Experimental Evaluation Of Control Fluid Fallback During Off-Bottom Well Control In Vertical And Deviated Wells, Fernando Sebastian Flores-Avila

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study measured the liquid fallback during simulated blowout conditions. The purpose of the study was to establish a basis for developing a procedure for controlling blowouts that relies on the accumulation of liquid kill fluid injected while the well continues to flow. The results from experiments performed with air, water, 10.5 ppg and 12.0 ppg mud in an experimental 48 ft flow loop at 0°, 20°, 40°, 60° and 75° deviation angles from the vertical, as well as results from full-scale experiments performed with natural gas and water based drilling fluid in a vertical 2787-foot deep research well, are …

Log-Derived Cation Exchange Capacity Of Shaly Sands : Application To Hydrocarbon Detection And Drilling Optimization, Gamze Ipek

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Researchers at Louisiana State University, LSU, have introduced several petrophysical models expressing the electric properties of shaly sands. These models, to be used for hydrocarbon detection, are based on the Waxman and Smits concept of supplementing the water conductivity with a clay counterions conductivity. The LSU models also utilize the Dual Water theory, which relates each conductivity term to a particular type of water, free and bound, each occupying a specific volume of the total pore space. The main difference between these models and the other shaly sand models is that the counterion conductivity is represented by a hypothetical sodium …

Institutional And Other Constraints To Non-Oil Exports., R. O. Madaki

Bullion

This paper examines the non-oil exports sector in Nigeria which had witnessed a lacklustre performance despite the several statements of government's interest in export-biased growth strategy and the establishment of several export facilitating institutions. The paper further observes that a major problem with Nigeria's non-oil export sector is that it is not predicated on the design and implementation of appropriate and coherent economic policies as there is no clear export promotion blue print in Nigeria. Consequently, the sector is facing a number of institutional and other domestic and external problems. The remaining part of the paper briefly highlight some of …

A Case Study Of The Beneficial Reuse Of Treated Groundwater, Andrew Curtis Elmore, Thomas Graff

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The future disposal of treated groundwater at the former Nebraska Ordnance Plant (NOP) Superfund site has been a topic of interest to the local property owners, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the local regulatory agencies. The Record of Decision for the site includes the extraction, treatment, and disposal of almost 3,000 gpm of groundwater with an estimated restoration time period exceeding 100 years. Interest from property owners and the Nebraska agency charged with regulating groundwater supply prompted the Corps of Engineers to consider several strategies for beneficially reusing the treated water. Alternatives included the establishment of a rural …

Design And Installation Of Horizontal Wick Drains For Landslide Stabilization, Paul Michael Santi, C. Dale Elifrits, J. A. Liljegren

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

One of the most effective options to stabilize landslides is to reduce the amount of water they contain by installing horizontal drains. A new type of horizontal drain material, geosynthetic wick drains, and a new installation method, driving drains rather than drilling them, were evaluated. Horizontal wick drains offer several advantages over conventional horizontal drains: They resist clogging, are inexpensive, may be deformed without rupture, and may be installed by unskilled laborers with a minimal investment in equipment. More than 100 drains were installed at eight sites in Missouri, Colorado, and Indiana using bulldozers, backhoes, and standard wick drain-driving cranes. …

Fourier Transform Raman Spectroscopy For Process Control In The Petroleum Industry, Kent Lawson Wise

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

As early as 1950, Raman spectroscopy was proposed as a method to determine aromatics and olefins in hydrocarbon mixtures. Until recently, extensive use of Raman spectroscopy in the characterization of hydrocarbons has not been practical due to several limitations. One early limitation to Raman analysis was the absence of a high intensity and stable excitation source. This problem has been overcome with the advent of lasers. Another limitation was the presence of fluorescence in hydrocarbon fuels when excited by visible lasers. However, the development of Fourier-transform Raman spectrometers now allows Raman spectra to be collected using near-IR lasers (e.g …

Simulation Of Temperature And Stress Fields During Rcc Dam Construction, Ronaldo Luna, Yongfu Wu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The worldwide experience in the construction of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dams together with the use of numerical solutions, allows the simulation of different scenarios in a computer. It is well documented that thermal control is one of the most important problems for RCC dam construction. The dam temperature changes due to the heat produced by the internal hydration of concrete and the environmental boundary conditions influencing the elastic modulus and creep properties of concrete. The construction process was simulated to study how the temperature and stress change during dam construction. The numerical methodology considers the effect of temperature on the …

Development In The Petroleum Sub-Sector And Their Impacts On Nigerian Economy., I. P. Ojinnaka

Bullion

The development of the petroleum industry has had both negative and positive impacts on the Nigerian economy. Two schools of thought can be examined. First, that positive impacts outweigh the negative, and secondly, the inverse. The paper will examined the impacts and analyzed the positive ones. From the approach of the study it is clear that the petroleum industry has had both negative and positive impacts on the Nigerian economy. Nigeria without petroleum could be like any other country without oil or gas, that is, import dependent. However, Nigeria with oil is the best thing that could have happened to …

Calibration Of Optical Digital Fragmentation Measuring Systems, Norbert H. Maerz, Wei Zhou

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Optical granulometry systems like WipFrag are required to measure fragments in situ. That is to say, the fragments are in piles where sorting takes place, where fragments are partially overlapped, and where fines may not be seen because they fall in and behind the coarser fragments, or where the fines are simply too small to be seen. As a result, optical systems tend typically to overestimate the size of the distribution, and underestimate the variability of the distribution. The wider the size distribution being measured, the more severe the problem is. This paper presents the results of a study that …

Ethics Exercises For Civil, Environmental, And Geological Engineers, Paul Michael Santi

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The practices of civil, environmental, and geological engineering share many common ethical dilemmas. These fields typically require extensive interaction with clients and regulatory agencies, while dealing with unpredictable earth materials for design and uncertain design parameters. Consequently, a capstone design course must address not only technical issues, but also a wide range of ethical and behavioral issues. This study presents a series of exercises used in the classroom to teach these issues through dealing with "gray" ethical areas, concepts of advocacy and the use of compromise, relating specific stories to global concepts, proper behavior in the corporate environment, and the …

Predicting The Unconfined Compressive Strength Of The Breathitt Shale Using Slake Durability, Shore Hardness And Rock Structural Properties, Engin C. Koncagül, Paul M. Santi

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Compressive strength is the most widely used design parameter in the construction industry and in rock engineering. For example, Bieniawski [Bieniawski, Z.T., Estimating the strength of rock materials, Is. J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall., 1974, 74, 312-320.] reported that mining engineers request the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) more often than any other rock property. However, standards set for specimen preparation are very demanding. Therefore, it is quite difficult and sometimes impossible to fulfill these requirements using weak rocks and especially shales. This paper evaluates the use of the slake durability and Shore hardness tests to estimate UCS, based on …

Magma Traps And Driving Pressure: Consequences For Pluton Shape And Emplacement In An Extensional Regime, John Patrick Hogan, Jonathan D. Price, M. Charles Gilbert

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The level of emplacement and final form of felsic and mafic igneous rocks of the Wichita Mountains Igneous Province, southwestern Oklahoma, U.S.A. Are discussed in light of magma driving pressure, lithostatic load, and crustal magma traps. Deposition of voluminous A-type rhyolites upon an eroded gabbroic substrate formed a subhorizontal strength anisotropy that acted as a crustal magma trap for subsequent rising felsic and mafic magma. Intruded along this crustal magma trap are the A-type sheet granites (length/thickness 100:1) of the Wichita Granite Group, of which the Mount Scott Granite sheet is typical, and smaller plutons of biotite bearing Roosevelt Gabbro. …

Improving The Jar Slake, Slake Index, And Slake Durability Tests For Shales, Paul M. Santi

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study proposes modifications to three shale durability tests to improve reproducibility, reduce the level of effort required, and better correlate the test to actual slaking characteristics. Modifications to the jar slake test reduced test variability by one-third, offering a substantial improvement in consistency, with only a slight loss in the ability of the test to predict slake durability. Analysis showed that slake index test error could be reduced or at least pinpointed by testing groups of samples, rather than single samples. Furthermore, the wet-sieving procedure should be more carefully defined. Analysis of correlations between single- and multiple-cycle slake durability …

Methods For Predicting Shale Durability In The Field, Paul Michael Santi, Jerry D. Higgins

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Durability of shales and other weak rock is an important parameter describing the material's susceptibility to breakdown upon exposure to water or during construction work. While laboratory methods have been developed to measure durability, no correlations between laboratory results and simple field tests have been determined. The results of this study show that certain field parameters can predict slake durability with acceptable accuracy. The recommended field tests, in order of desirability, are slake index, jar slake, hammer rebound, and NGI "Q" value. Single variable and multiple variable linear regression equations are given, including equations conservatively modified so that 95% of …

Optical Digital Fragmentation Measuring Systems -- Inherent Sources Of Error, Norbert H. Maerz, Wei Zhou

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Automated optical imaging systems of measuring fragmentation are increasingly being used in the mining, comminution, and materials handling industries. These methods have been well received in many of the industries involved. Considering that in many of these applications there are no alternative ways of sizing material, having even a rudimentary measurement of size distributions allows evaluations of explosive, blast design, detonator performance, crusher and milling performance, and material degradation due to transport.

Optical methods have inherent limitations, which reflect on accuracy, precision, and reproducibility of measurement results. This stems from the fact that there are myriads of variables, which affect …

Relative Permeability Effects On The Migration Of Steamflood Saturation Fronts, A. Erkal, Daopu Thompson Numbere

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The effects of various relative permeability-saturation relationships on the movement of water saturation fronts during steam flooding is investigated. Empirical correlations, curve fitting and spline interpolation functions are used to represent the relative permeability data. The effects of these correlations on water saturation movement and ultimately on oil recovery performance are compared. It was observed that only the spline function is able to adequately represent a given set of data throughout its saturation range. All the other correlations fit the given data well only at high water saturations and fit poorly at the low saturations. Furthermore, the correlations converge at …

Petrochemical Analysis By Remote Fiber-Optic Raman Spectroscopy And Partial Least Squares Regression Analysis, Philip Edmund Flecher Jr.

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

A dispersive Raman system with charge coupled device (CCD) detection, distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) diode laser excitation, and a fiber optic probe has been developed for the rapid analysis of petrochemicals and fuels. Initially, mock petroleum fuels with analyte concentrations from 1.S - 16% were prepared and analyzed with the system. The inability of the original index guided diode laser to maintain a constant frequency during the mock petroleum analysis was a recurrent problem. The DBR laser was subsequently shown to have stability superior to index guided lasers, and was used in the remainder of the research.

Real gasoline samples …

Tracking Thermal Saturation Fronts By A High Level Pc Programming Language, A. Erkal, Daopu Thompson Numbere

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a PC based alternative procedure for determining the water saturations within the hot water zone of a thermal project for use in analytical oil recovery calculations. Conventional analytical calculation of oil recovery under steam and hot water injection requires the tracking of the movements of the saturations advancing within the variable-temperature hot-water zone. This involves an adaptation of the Buckley-Leverett theory to this variable temperature zone after dividing it into a number of constant temperature or isothermal zones. If the number exceeds two, the calculation can become very tedious unless done with a computer program. FORTRAN programs …

Skin Effects Due To Perforations -- A Study Of Analysis Techniques, Jon Michael Gibbs

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

Until 1991, two methods could be used to evaluate the skin effect due to perforations, the Brons and Marting Method and the Harris Method. Due to the simplicity of the technique, the Brons and Marting Method has been the preferred method of use in the petroleum industry. However, with the recent development of a third technique to evaluate the skin effect due to perforations, the need has arisen to evaluate each of these techniques to determine which method is the most accurate under given conditions. This paper reviews and compares each of the three methods for evaluating the perforations skin. …

Sporomorphs And Palynological Interpretations Of Lower Oligocene Strata From The Eastern Gulf Coast, U.S.A., Lisa M. Reeves

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

The Vicksburg Group in the eastern Gulf Coast of the United States belongs to one of the most complete and continuous Paleogene strata in the world. Previous studies in this region have neglected the rich palynomorph assemblages of the Lower Oligocene units of the Vicksburg Group. Four samples from Wayne County Mississippi were analyzed for palynological information on the Vicksburg Group. The initial objective of the study was to understand the principles of palynology and the basis for sporomorph identification. A minimum of 300 specimens were counted per slide to determine the distribution of sporomorphs in the sediments. Two hundred …

Interactive Multimedia Applications For The Correlations Of Petroleum Fluids Properties, Herman Smith Iii

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

Interactive Multimedia Applications for the Correlations of Petroleum Fluids Properties is a truly interactive and multimedia computer application designed to better help students taking the class "The Properties of Petroleum Fluids", Petroleum Engineering 141. This computer program incorporates error and information voice messages, control over three different computer applications (HyperCard 2.2, Mathcad V3.1, and DeskPaint™ V3.2), three-dimensional multi-coloration, pop-up graphics, directional buttons, object/label-oriented programming, and floating palettes. This creates one computer application to calculate petroleum properties versus the use of multiple, often crowded graphs.

High-Pressure Wateijet Technology: A Review And Design Of High-Pressure Hybrid Drillbits, Azmi Zainal Adnan

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

The petroleum industry has seen many technological advances since oil was first discovered in the 19th century. Some of the current technological advances in the industry include cuttings transport, drillbit design, logging, and horizontal and directional drilling. Currently, research projects are being done at UMR to find ways to further reduce drilling costs and develop new technology that could improve the drilling effectiveness. One such project is the development of high- pressure waterjet / hybrid bits to replace the conventional mechanical drillbits. In this design, the advantages of waterjet penetration are combined with those of mechanical teeth cutting action..

At …

Assessment Of Environmental Implications Of Abandoned Oil And Gas Wells, Donald L. Warner, Cary L. Mcconnell

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A detailed study was made of the potential for abandoned oil and gas wells in the Lower Tuscaloosa sand of Mississippi and Louisiana to act as conduits for movement of saline water from the Lower Tuscaloosa into underground sources of drinking water (USDW's). Finite-difference numerical modeling determined the extent that water might be forced from the Lower Tuscaloosa sand into a USDW as a result of injection into the Lower Tuscaloosa. Within the range of conditions modeled, water from the Lower Tuscaloosa never traveled into a USDW. On the basis of the modeling, we concluded that it is unlikely that …

Structural, Depositional, And Diagenetic Controls On Reservoir Development: St. Peter Sandstone, Newaygo County, Michigan, Mark S. Caldwell

Masters Theses

Enhanced reservoir quality in the Middle Ordovician St. Peter Sandstone is observed in gas bearing zones in wells located on domal structures. Geometry and degree of this enhanced porosity development is the result of the interplay of structural, depositional, and diagenetic controls. An integrated subsurface study of the Woodville/Goodwell field area was performed in order to document controls on hydrocarbon accumulation.

Recurrent structural growth of domal features throughout the Paleozoic is well documented by isopach mapping. Burial and thermal history studies indicate that hydrocarbons were generated in Ordovician aged source rocks during late Devonian to early Mississippian time, and accumulated …