BakkenSourceSystem

ThreeForksFormationAssessment
April,2010
StephanH.NordengandLynnD.Helms

TableofContents

ExecutiveSummary.......................................................................................................................................1
Introduction..................................................................................................................................................1
Geology.........................................................................................................................................................2
Methods........................................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................................19
AppendixA..................................................................................................................................................20
AppendixB.................................................................................................................................................21

ExecutiveSummary
ThisassessmentbytheNorthDakotaGeologicalSurveyandDepartmentofMineralResourcesreports
theresultsandmethodsusedtoestimatetheoriginaloilinplace(OOIP)andexpectedultimaterecovery
(EUR)ofoilreservesintheThreeForksportionoftheBakkenpool.TheupperfiftyfeetoftheThree
ForksFormationisgenerallydefinedasthelowestpartoftheBakkenpoolbytheOilandGasDivisionof
theDepartmentofMineralResources.
Almost20billionbarrelsofoilappeartobeinplacewithintheThreeForksportionoftheBakkenpoolof
whichcloseto2billionbblsareexpectedtobeproduced.Thisestimateisbasedonover200wireline
loganalysesdistributedacrosstheWillistonBasinofNorthDakota.ThisreportcontainstablesofOOIP
andEURestimatesonacountybycountybasisaswellasstatewidetotals.Mapsdetailingthe
distributionofwellsusedtomakethereserveestimatestogetherwithamapofthemedianOOIPare
included.TheThreeForksassessmentpresentedhereisacompanionstudytothe2008DMR
assessmentoftheBakkenFormation(Bohrerandothers,2008).Togethertheassessmentsindicatethat
theBakkenpoolcontains169billionbarrelsofoilinplaceofwhichabout4billionbarrelswilllikelybe
produced.Theresultsofthesetwostudiesareconsistentwiththeresultsofseveralearlierstudies
focusedonthepetroleumpotentialoftheBakkensourcesystem(Priceandothers,1984;Meissnerand
Banks,2000;Price,2000;FlanneryandKraus,2006andFlannery,2006).
Asoftheendof2009,181horizontalwellsweredrilledandcompletedintheThreeForksFormation
withanadditional9wellsinwhichlateralsweredrilledintoboththeThreeForksandmiddleBakken.
TheNDICmaintainsanuptodatewebpage(https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/bakkenwells.asp)
dedicatedtoprovidingthepublicwithinformationconcerningactivityintheThreeForksandBakken
Formations.

Introduction
TheupperandlowerBakkenshaleslieattheheartoftheBakkensourcesystem.Theseshalesarerich
inorganicmatterandserveasthesourceoftheoilfoundwithinthesystem.HeatingoftheBakken
shalesformillionsofyearshasthermallymaturedtheorganicmattersothathundredsofbillionsof
barrelsofoilhavebeengeneratedandidentifiedwithinNorthDakotaofwhichover4billionis
producible.
TheNorthDakotaGeologicalSurveyandDepartmentofMineralResourcesrecentlycompletedan
assessmentoftheoilreservescontainedintheDevonianagedThreeForksFormation.TheNorth
DakotaDepartmentofMineralResources(DMR)generallyconsiderstheupper50feetoftheThree
ForksasbeingpartoftheBakkenpool.Thisstudyisthesecondinstallmentofthecontinuingeffortby
theDMRtoestimatethereservepotentialofthereservoirswithintheBakkenSourceSystem.The
purposeofthisstudyistodeterminethetotalvolumeofoilthatmayultimatelybeproducedfromthe
ThreeForksportionoftheBakkenPoolinNorthDakota.


Geology
TheThreeForksFormationisoverlainbytheBakkenFormationthroughoutthecentralportionofthe
WillistonBasin.Alongthemarginsofthebasin,wheretheBakkenisabsent,theThreeForksisoverlain
bytheLodgepoleFormation(Fig.1).

Figure1.DistributionoftheThreeForksandoverlyingBakkenFormations.Thisstudyassumesthatthe
BakkenFormationlocallysourcestheoilintheThreeForks.Therefore,thepartsoftheThreeForksthat
liebeyondtheBakkenarenotincludedinthisassessment.
TheThreeForksFormationisinformallysubdividedintosixunitslabeledUnit1throughUnit6in
ascendingorder(seeFigure2).Theupper50feetoftheThreeForksFormationcontainspartorallof
Unit6and,whereUnit6isthin,partsofUnit5.Units5and6typicallyconsistoftight,thinly
interbeddeddolostonesandshaleydolostonesthatlieunconformablybeneathtransgressivefaciesthat
makeupthebasalportionofthelowermemberoftheBakkenFormation.Figure3isaphotographofa
representativepieceofcoretakenfromUnit6.


Figure2.ExamplewirelinelogillustratingthestratigraphicrelationshipsoftheBakkenSourceSystem.
Unit1liesbelowtheloggedintervalshownabove.


Figure3)ArepresentativecorefromtheSidonia106HshowingthelowerfivefeetoftheBakken
Formationandtheupper50feetoftheThreeForksFormationthataregenerallyincludedintheBakken
poolbytheNDIC.Thetopofthecoreisintheupperleftcornerandthebottomofthecoreisinthe
lowerrightcorner.Thecoresegmentsproceeddownholefromtoptobottomandfromlefttoright.

Methods
Estimatesoftheoriginaloilinplace(OOIP)arebasedondigitalwirelinelogs(LAS)anddigitizedlog
tracesonfilewiththeNorthDakotaIndustrialCommission(NDIC).Thelogsusedinthisstudyinclude
densityporositylogstogetherwithdeepinductionlogsbothofwhichareneededinordertoestimate
theamountofpetroleumthatispresentinthesubsurface.Theporositylogsprovideestimatesofthe
porespaceandtheinductionlogsmeasuretheresistivityoftherocksintheThreeForks.The
combinationofporosityandformationresistivityarerelatedtothefractionoftheporespacethatis
filledwithformationwaterbytheArchieequation.Thesimplestform,oftenusedinevaluating
carbonatereservoirs,isasfollows(AsquithandKrygowski,2004):

Eq.1

Sw=[Rw/(Rt2)]1/2

Where:

SwFractionoftheporespaceoccupiedbywaterwitharesistivityofRw
RwResistivityoftheformationwater(ohmm)
RtResistivityoftheformation(ohmm)
Porosity Fractionofthetotalrockvolumethatisporespace.

Thecombinationofporositylogswithmeasurementsofformationresistivityprovidetwoofthethree
basicpiecesofdataneededtoestimatethefractionoftheporespacethatissaturatedwithwater(Sw)
aswellastheamountofporespacethatisfilledwithoilandgas(1Sw).Theresistivityoftheformation
wateristhethirdpieceofinformationthatisneededtoestimateSw.
Determinationofformationwaterresistivity(Rw)
MostofthewaterintheBakkenFormationiscloseto,ifnotat,thesaturationpointofsodiumchloride.
Consequently,theresistivityoftheformationwaters(Rw)maybeconfidentlyassumedtobeclosetothe
resistivityofasaltsaturatedbrine(0.04ohmmat75oF).Becauseresistivitydecreaseswithincreasing
temperatureacorrectionisneededtoconverttheformationwaterresistivitymeasuredatthesurface
toaresistivitythatcorrespondstothetemperatureoftheformationatdepth(seeAppendixAfor
details).
Determinationofformationporosity()
Severallogsprovideestimatesofformationporosity.Ofthese,thecompensateddensitylogisprobably
themostrobust.Asthenamesuggests,thecompensateddensitylogmeasuresthebulkdensityofthe
formationadjacenttothetool.Thebulkdensitycanbeusedtoestimatehowmuchporespaceis
presentinarockwhenthedensities(g/cm3)oftherockmatrix(graindensity)andformationfluidare
known(seeAppendixBfordetails).Areviewofgraindensitiesobtainedduringroutinecoreanalyses
indicatethatthedensityofthemineralmatrixintheThreeForksisgreaterthanthedensityoflimestone
5

(seeTable1;AppendixB).Thisissignificantbecausemostofthecompensateddensitylogsonfilewith
theNDICarepresentedintermsofporosityandthattheseporositiesarebasedontheassumptionthat
themineralmatrixisthatofcalcite,thedominantmineralinlimestone(2.71g/cm3).Therefore,in
ordertocompensateforthedifferenceindensitybetweenlimestoneandthemixofmineralsinthe
ThreeForksFormation,thecorrectiongivenbyEquation2wasappliedtothedensityporositylogsused
inthisassessment(seeAppendixBfordetails).

Eq.2

tf=0.05+0.95ls

ls=Compensateddensityporositybasedonalimestonematrix.
tf=CompensateddensityporositybasedonThreeForksmatrixdensity.

Where:

TheArchieEquation(Eq.1)wasusedwithtemperaturecorrectedformationwaterresisitivities(Rw)and
densitycorrectedporositylogs(tf)togetherwithmeasurementsofformationresistivity(Rt)providedby
deepinductionlogstoestimatethewater(Sw)andoil(So)saturationspresentintheThreeForks
Formation.Theseestimatesusedthe211wellspresentedinFigure4.Watersaturationsforeachwell
werecalculatedthroughtheupper50feetoftheThreeForksFormationin0.5footincrements.
MostofthetechnicalexhibitscontainingreservesestimatespresentedtotheNDICatlegalhearingsuse
watersaturationasacriticalthresholdthatdefinesthethicknessofpayzoneintheThreeForks.This
assessmentmadeuseofthreethresholdsthatcorrespondtothehighest,lowestandmostlikelywater
saturationsthatcouldbeexpectedtopayinthedevelopmentoftheThreeForksFormation.These
thresholdscorrespondtowatersaturationsof60%,50%and40%respectively.Inpractice,the
thresholdflaggedpotentialpayzonessothatonlythoseintervalsthatwerelesssaturatedwithwater
thanthethresholdwouldcontributetothenetpayofthewell.Summingtheproductofincremental
thickness(0.5ft),porosity(tf)andoilsaturation(So)foreachflaggedintervalprovidesanequivalent
thicknessofoilpresentinagivenwell.
Eq.3

FeetOil=(1Sw)xtfxincrementalthickness(ft)

ThetotalamountofproducibleoilpresentintheThreeForksFormationwasestimatedbycalculating
thevolumeoforiginaloilinplace(OOIP)fromoilthicknessmapscontouredusingtheresultsofEq.3.
Figure4isanexampleofthistypeofmap.Thisassessmentusedthreemapsthatcorrespondtotheoil
thicknessesthatresultedfromthethreewatersaturationthresholdsdiscussedearlier.Thevolumetric
analysisoftheOOIP,onacountybycountybasis,arepresentedinTables2,3,4.Tables2,3and4also
includetheassessmentoftheBakkenFormationconductedbytheNDICin2008.Theporositiesandoil
saturationsthatcorrespondwiththemostlikelyscenario(Sw<50%)agreewellwiththeaveragevalues
usedbyindustryintheirsubmissionstotheNDIC(seeTable1).However,theaveragepaythickness
arrivedatintheassessmentismuchlessthanthecurrentnetpaythatisbeingcurrentlyexploited.The
6

averagepaythicknesslistedfortheassessmentcontainslargeareasinwhicheconomicoilproduction
fromtheThreeForksisnotlikelybecausethepayintervalisthin.Includingthesubeconomicpartsof
theThreeForksinTheaveragepaythicknessfortheentireThreeForksisthereforereducedwhenareas
containingsubeconomicareincludedintheaverage.
Eq.4

Where:

EUR=RFxOOIP/FVF

EUR=ExpectedUltimateRecovery(bbls).

RF=RecoveryFactor.

OOIP=OriginalOilInPlace(bblsintheformation).

FVF=FormationVolumeFactor.

Theexpectedultimaterecovery(EUR)fortheThreeForksFormationwasdeterminedusingEq.4forthe
low(Sw<0.4),high(Sw<0.6)andmostlikely(Sw<0.5)watersaturationthresholds.Thisassessmentuseda
9%recoveryfactor(RF)whichisassumedtorepresentthefractionoftheOOIPthatcouldbeexpected
tobeproduced.Thisrecoveryfactorisbasedontheaveragevaluesubmittedduringexperttestimony
totheNDIC.
Thevolumeofinplaceoilisalsoadjustedtoaccountforthedecreaseinfluidvolumethatoccursduring
production.Thisadjustmentinvolvesdividingthevolumeofproducibleoilinplaceatdepthbythe
formationvolumefactor(FVF)of1.5.ThisvalueisclosetotheaverageFVFusedbyindustryintheir
submissionstotheNDIC.TheEURsfoundinthisassessmentarepresentedinTables2,3,4andFigure
8.AdditionalmapsillustratingtheOOIP,onacountybycountybasis,fortheBakkenandtotalBakken
ThreeForksassessmentsarepresentedasFig.6and7withthecorrespondingEURmapspresentedas
Fig.9and10.


Table1)SummarystatisticsobtainedfromDMRexhibits.

Assessment

NDIC
Exhibits

Three
Forks
Formation

Pay
Thickness
(ft.)

Average
Standard
Deviation
Numberof
Cases

Assessment
Statistics
Forthe
MostLikely
Case

30.5
19.78

Oil
Saturation
(%pore
space)
64.8
11.40

84

6.1

Average
Assuming50%
SoCutoff

Porosity(%)

Formation
Volume
Factor

Recovery
Factor(%)

6.9
2.33

1.45
0.20

8.93
5.32

85

85

84

76

61.8

7.60

1.5

9.0

Average
Assuming50%
SoCutoff

AverageFrom
Density
PorosityLogs


Figure4)Totaloriginaloilinplace(OOIP)fortheThreeFormationcontouredasacrefeetoil.Onlythose
intervalscontainingatleast50%oilfilledporositycontributetothenetpaythatiscontouredasacre
feetoil.Thewelllocationsillustratedcorrespondtothewellsusedinthisstudy.

Table2.Countybycountysummaryofmostlikelyoriginaloilinplace(OOIP)andexpectedultimate
recovery(EUR).

MostLikely

County
Billings
Bottineau
Burke
Divide
Dunn
GoldenValley
Grant
McHenry
McKenzie
McLean
Mercer
Morton
Mountrail
Oliver
Renville
Slope
Stark
Ward
Williams
Total

Bakken
OOIPper
EURperCounty
County
3,141,271,156
115,858,434

14,891,719,317
187,975,278
16,836,857,774
123,315,660
18,059,716,691
294,169,921
66,147,411

62,508,094

32,438,937,580
382,654,320
3,253,719,118

27,242,795,837
424,826,873

10,586,089

2,349,351,546
86,371,150
4,540,670,907

26,263,485,095
474,392,108
149,157,766,614
2,089,563,745

ThreeForks
OOIPper
County
1,717,909,400
1,642,257,140
2,084,609,970
855,513,980
2,008,459,540
25,519,700

539,104,280
3,941,684,770
351,841,190
118,427,220
84,144,950
1,676,048,980
9,002,880
183,377,880

1,604,239,450
446,420,030
2,666,823,630
19,955,384,990

10

EURper
County
154,611,846
147,803,143
187,614,897
76,996,258
180,761,359
2,296,773

48,519,385
354,751,629
31,665,707
10,658,450
84,144,950
150,844,408
810,259
16,504,009

144,381,551
40,177,803
240,014,127
1,872,556,554

Total
OOIPper
County
4,859,180,556
1,642,257,140
16,976,329,287
17,692,371,754
20,068,176,231
91,667,111
62,508,094
539,104,280
36,380,622,350
3,605,560,308
118,427,220
84,144,950
28,918,844,817
9,002,880
183,377,880
10,586,089
3,953,590,996
4,987,090,937
28,930,308,725
169,113,151,604

EURper
County
270,470,280
147,803,143
375,590,175
200,311,919
474,931,279
2,296,773

48,519,385
737,405,950
31,665,707
10,658,450
84,144,950
575,671,281
810,259
16,504,009

230,752,701
40,177,803
714,406,235
3,962,120,299

Table3.Countybycountysummaryofminimumexpectedoriginaloilinplace(OOIP)andexpected
ultimaterecovery(EUR).

Minimum
Bakken

County
Billings
Bottineau
Burke
Divide
Dunn
GoldenValley
Grant
McHenry
McKenzie
McLean
Mercer
Morton
Mountrail
Oliver
Renville
Slope
Stark
Ward
Williams
Total

OOIPperCounty
1,242,100,878

ThreeForks
EURper
County
10,147,480

OOIPper
County
1,429,528,190
1,406,951,290
1,636,905,690
499,034,600
1,235,421,870
5,664,900

10,985,956,451
50,780,051
8,202,264,716
18,874,119
7,486,735,279
38,483,854
24,538,677
23,265,040

408,155,300
36,733,977
12,768,723,210
78,006,785
2,884,459,150
259,601,324
1,277,048,034
107,683,390
9,691,505

65,094,280
5,858,485

14,995,930
1,349,634
14,054,974,161
100,872,134
1,048,466,640
94,361,998

427,140
38,443

33,652,670
3,028,740
3,922,551

1,046,331,232
62,020,731
1,307,214,790
117,649,331
2,261,265,978
331,340,380
29,820,634
12,218,256,790
422,874,413
1,924,560,850
173,210,477
71,595,382,997
782,059,568 14,339,557,060 1,290,560,135

11

EURper
County
128,657,537
126,625,616
147,321,512
44,913,114
111,187,968
509,841

Total
OOIPper
County
2,671,629,068
1,406,951,290
12,622,862,141
8,701,299,316
8,722,157,149
30,203,577
23,265,040
408,155,300
15,653,182,360
1,384,731,425
65,094,280
14,995,930
15,103,440,801
427,140
33,652,670
3,922,551
2,353,546,022
2,592,606,358
14,142,817,640
85,934,940,057

EURper
County
138,805,017
126,625,616
198,101,563
63,787,233
149,671,823
509,841

36,733,977
337,608,108
9,691,505
5,858,485
1,349,634
195,234,132
38,443
3,028,740

179,670,062
29,820,634
596,084,890
2,072,619,703

Table4.Countybycountysummaryofmaximumexpectedoriginaloilinplace(OOIP)andexpected
ultimaterecovery(EUR).

Maximum
Bakken

County
Billings
Bottineau
Burke
Divide
Dunn
GoldenValley
Grant
McHenry
McKenzie
McLean
Mercer
Morton
Mountrail
Oliver
Renville
Slope
Stark
Ward
Williams
Total

OOIPper
County
5,796,035,234

ThreeForks
EURper
County
206,400,129

22,189,139,910
199,556,693
33,046,783,554
241,602,214
38,148,811,183
569,306,630
130,056,732

126,677,986

61,092,805,333
904,171,770
6,871,671,997

48,066,522,137
739,082,368

21,249,293

4,479,035,609
108,655,741
7,454,033,280
52,407,038,986
804,963,984
279,829,861,234 3,773,739,530

OOIPper
County
1,823,379,410
1,765,706,390
2,538,332,760
1,259,877,240
2,610,804,300
56,227,800

594,894,150
5,936,775,500
719,401,490
300,429,520
258,154,420
2,341,957,450
297,027,120
483,920,760

1,879,946,640
755,925,470
4,006,468,020
27,629,228,440

12

Total

EURper
OOIPper
County
County
164,104,147
7,619,414,644
158,913,575
1,765,706,390
228,449,948
24,727,472,670
113,388,952
34,306,660,794
234,972,387
40,759,615,483
5,060,502
186,284,532

126,677,986
53,540,474
594,894,150
534,309,795
67,029,580,833
64,746,134
7,591,073,487
27,038,657
300,429,520
23,233,898
258,154,420
210,776,171
50,408,479,587
26,732,441
297,027,120
43,552,868
483,920,760

21,249,293
169,195,198
6,358,982,249
68,033,292
8,209,958,750
360,582,122
56,413,507,006
2,486,630,560 307,459,089,674

EURper
County
370,504,276
158,913,575
428,006,641
354,991,166
804,279,017
5,060,502

53,540,474
1,438,481,565
64,746,134
27,038,657
23,233,898
949,858,538
26,732,441
43,552,868

277,850,939
68,033,292
1,165,546,106
6,260,370,089


Fig.5)OOIPfortheThreeForksportionoftheBakkenpoolbycounty.

13


Fig.6)OOIPfortheBakkenportionoftheBakkenpoolbycounty.

14


Fig.7)CombinedOOIPfortheThreeForksandBakkenbycounty.

15


Fig.8)EURfortheThreeForksportionoftheBakkenpoolbycounty.

16


Fig.9)EURfortheBakkenportionoftheBakkenpoolbycounty.

17


Fig.10)CombinedEURfortheBakkenandThreeForksbycounty.

18

References
Asquith,G.,andKrygowski,D.,2004,BasicWellLogAnalysis(2ndedition),AAPGMethodsinExploration
Series,No.16,TheAmericanAssociationofPetroleumGeologists,Tulsa,OK,244p.
Bohrer,M.,Fried,S.,Helms,L.,Hicks,B.Juenker,B.McCusker,D.Anderson,F.,LeFever,J.,Murphy,E.,
andNordeng,S.,2008,StateofNorthDakotaBakkenResourceStudyProject,NorthDakotaGeological
Survey,600EastBoulevardAvenue,Bismarck,NorthDakota,16p.
FlanneryJ.andKraus,J.,2006,IntegratedanalysisoftheBakkenpetroleumsystem,U.S.WillistonBasin:
AmericanAssociationofPetroleumGeologistsSearchandDiscoveryArticle#10105

Flannery,J.,2006,IntegratedAnalysisoftheBakkenPetroleumSystem,U.S.WillistonBasin,inGilboy,
C.F.andWhittaker,S.G.,eds.,SaskatchewanandNorthernPlainsOil&GasSymposium:Saskatchewan
GeologicalSocietySpecialPublicationNo.19,p.138145.
Meissner, F.F. and Banks, R.B., 2000, Computer simulation of hydrocarbon generation, migration, and
accumulationunderhydrodynamicconditionsexamplesfromtheWillistonandSanJuanBasins,USA:
AmericanAssociationofPetroleumGeologistsSearchandDiscoveryArticle#40179.

Price,L.C.,Ging,T.,Daws,T.,Love,A.,Pawlewicz,M.,andAnders,D.,1984,Organicmetamorphismin
theMississippianDevonianBakkenshale,NorthDakotaportionoftheWillistonBasin,inWoodward,J.,
Meissner,F.F.andClayton,J.L.,eds.,HydrocarbonsourcerocksoftheGreaterRockyMountainRegion:
RockyMountainAssociationofGeologists,Denver,CO,p.83134.

Price, L. C., 2000, Origins and Characteristics of the BasinCentered Continuous Reservoir
Unconventional OilResource Base of the Bakken Source System, Williston Basin,
http://www.undeerc.org/Price/.

19

AppendixA
Correctionsthattranslatesurfacemeasuredresistivitiestoresistivitiesatdepth.
Equation1iscalledArpsequationandisanempiricalrelationshipthatcorrectstheresistivityofa
formationwatermeasuredatthesurfacetothetemperatureoftheformationatdepth.
Eq.1

Rw1=Rw2(T2+7)/(T1+7)

WhereRw1andRw2aretheresistivities(ohmm)ofaformationfluidattemperatureT1andT2(oF)
respectively.IftheresistivityofthebrinesintheBakkenFormationareassumedtobe0.04ohmmat
75oFthenRw2is0.04ohmmandT2is75oF.Therefore,thetemperatureatdepththatcorresponds
withtheBakkenFormation(Rw1)atdepthandtemperature(T1)mustalsobeknown.Adequate
estimatesofformationtemperatureusebasictemperatureanddepthdatathatarerecordedonwire
linelogheaders.Mostlogheadersthataccompanyinductionlogscontainamaximumrecorded
temperaturethatpresumablycorrespondswiththetotalloggeddepth.Estimatesofformation
temperatureareoftencalculatedasfollows:
Eq.2

Tf=Ts+Df[(TtdTs)/Dtd]

WhereTfistheformationtemperatureatdepthDf.Temperatureisassumedtofollowalineargradient
betweentheaveragesurfacetemperature(Ts)andthemaximumtemperature(Ttd)presumably
measuredatthebottomoftheloggedwellatadepthofDtd.SubstitutingTfforT1inEq.2providesthe
resistivityofthewaterintheformation.AccordingtotheUSGS, the normal average annual
temperature in North Dakota ranges from 37 F in the northeast to 43 F along the southern
border (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/habitat/climate/temp.htm).Themidpointbetween

thesevalues(40oF)isusedhereastheaveragesurfacetemperature(Ts)inEq.2.

20

AppendixB
AvailablecoredataindicatethattheaveragegraindensityintheupperpartoftheThreeForksis2.79
g/cm3.Usingtherelationshipbetweenporosityanddensitymeasurementsprovidesameansof
convertingdensityporositymeasurementsbasedonalimestonematrixtoporositymeasurementsusing
theobservedmatrixdensity.

40
35

Frequency

30
25
20
15
10
5
0

GrainDensity(g/cm3)

Figure1FrequencydistributionofgraindensitiesmeasuredfromtheThreeForkscoreslistedinTable1.
Table1SummarystatisticsforthegraindensityofThreeForksFormationfromcoreanalysis.
WellName
VANHOOK113H
STANDES15189
2413H1
SUNMARATHON
SHOBE1
BRAAFLAT1111H
Composite

NDIC#
16997
17043

AverageGrain
Density
2.785
2.801

S.D.Grain
Density
0.0168
0.0292

Numberof
Samples
37
14

12033

2.774

0.0175

16

17023

2.794
2.791

0.0282
0.026

81
147

Theequationforporosity()fromlogmeasuresofbulkdensityb,andthedensitiesoftherockmatrix
maandfluidflis:

21


Eq.1

=(mab)/(mafl)

AlmostallofthedensityporositylogsrunthroughtheThreeForksformationusealimestonematrix
density(ls=2.71g/cm3)tocalculatetheporositiespresented.Thecorederivedmatrixdensities
summarizedaboveindicatethatthelogporositiesarelessthanwhatispresentintheThreeForks.This
canbecorrectedbycalculatingthebulkdensitythatcorrespondstotherecordedlimestonedensity
porosityasfollows:

Eq. 2

ls=(2.71b)/(2.711.18)

Where:

ls=Limestonedensity=2.71g/cm3

fl=Saltsaturatedbrinedensity=1.18g/cm3

b=bulkdensitythatcorrespondstotherecordedlimestoneporosityls

SolvingforbandsubstitutingtheresultintoEq.2withthesamefluiddensityandamatrixdensity(ma)
of2.79g/cm3correctsalimestoneporosity(ls)tooneconsistentwiththedensityoftheThreeForks:
Eq.3a

tf={2.79[2.71ls1.53]}/[2.791.18]

tf=0.05+0.95ls

or
Eq.3b

22