E&P FIELD SERVICES ASIA SDN.BHD.

Hydrocarbon Microseepage: Opportunities for Shale Gas-Shale Oil

Exploration and Development
 

 
Characteristics of Hydrocarbon Microseepage

1. Strongest from mature source rocks, oil/gas accumulations, faults and fracture zones
2. Microseepage intensity varies both spatially and temporally
3. Composition reflects composition of hydrocarbons in reservoir and/or source rock
4. Microseepage increases after hydraulic fracturing
5. Microseepage decreases with production and/or declining reservoir pressure
6. Repeat surveys identify and track hydrocarbon drainage

Uncertainties in Shale Gas/Shale Oil Resource Development

1. Identification of “sweet spots”

2. Identification of faults and fracture zones
3. Where to frac and number of frac stages
4. Pre-drill and pre-frac prediction of hydrocarbon composition
5. Discriminate between productive and non-productive fractured zones (80% of production comes
from 30% of perfs – Colin Sayers, Schlumberger)
6. Monitor hydrocarbon drainage from the fractured zones
7. Identify areas with bypassed hydrocarbon potential

Microseepage Surveys to Reduce Risk and Monitor Drainage

1. Acquire baseline hydrocarbon microseepage data from over the priloposed horizontal well and
adjacent area
2. Identify sweet spots and determine their hydrocarbon composition
3. Correlate microseepage data with comparable composition data from target zone(s)
4. Repeat microseepage survey after fraccing and beginning of production to monitor production-
related decreases in microseepage, and track hydrocarbon drainage
5. Microseepage “highs” unaffected by production may represent bypassed pay

Detection Methods for Unconventional Reservoirs

1. Soil Gas (C1-C5 hcs), instantaneous, gas concentration and composition

2. Microbial Oil Survey Technique (MOST); integrative; butane-oxidizing bacteria
3. Fluorescence (aromatic hcs), a liquid hydrocarbon indicator
4. Passive electromagnetics (Power Imaging); depth & thickness of thc-bearing zone(s)
5. Helium in soil gas; excellent fracture indicator

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Micro-seepage Survey Design for Unconventional Reservoirs

1. Recommend 50m (165 ft.) sample interval along 5-6 survey lines placed above and parallel to the
proposed track of the horizontal well(160-192 sample sites). An additional 20 samples might be placed
away from the horizontal well to monitor micro-seepage at background (i.e. unstipulated) sites.

2. Samples would be collected and analyzed (a) prior ta drilling and/or hydraulic fracturing, (b) after
hydraulic fracturing, (c) 2-4 months after start of production, and (d) 8-12 months after start of production
3. Analytical results of the hydrocarbon microseepage surveys should be correlated with microseismic data
and production data.

Figure1. Soil gas profile across a fractured chalk reservoir (Niobrara) at Silo field, Wyoming

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Tel/Fax: +33 1 45 74 45 97, +33 6 86 42 88 81
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 E&P FIELD SERVICES ASIA SDN.BHD.

Figure 2. High-resolution micro-seepage survey can reveal potential "sweet spots" as well as linear anomalies
that may reflect leakage along faults and/or fracture zones. High seepage areas are indicated by red,
orange, and yellow colors; low seepage values are shown in green and blue. Soil samples collected
at 50m (165ft) intervals in a grid pattern.

Figure 3.
Passive electromagnetic data can identify
the depth to, and thickness of, mature
organic-rich shales such as the Chainman
Shale (Mississippian) in this example from
Railroad Valley, Nevada. The EM data is
recorded at the surface and, after
processing, provides the depth to oil and
gas-bearing zones, including source rocks.
The red dashes on the figure represent the
location of hydrocarbon indicators (EHI's) as
determined from the EM data recorded at
the surface.

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International Operations office — 233 Boulevard Pereire, 75017 Paris, France
Tel/Fax: +33 1 45 74 45 97, +33 6 86 42 88 81
FRANCE — INDONESIA — MALAYSIA — PAKISTAN — USA
 E&P FIELD SERVICES ASIA SDN.BHD.

Figure 4. Pattern of hydrocarbon microseepage anomalies in Jonah Field, Wyoming. This deep, tight-gas
reservoir produces from the Lance Formation. The mix of high-seepage and low-seepage is
commonly observed over producing fields. Low seepage values occur in immediate vicinity of
producing wells, and high seepage generally between wells and from as yet unproduced parts of the
reservoir.

Figure 5. Micro-seepage profile across tight gas reservoir at Jonah Field, Wyoming. The 3 westernmost wells
display geochemical "lows" at well site due to production; the central well had not yet been placed on
production at time of survey and is still associated with high microseepage values.

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International Operations office — 233 Boulevard Pereire, 75017 Paris, France
Tel/Fax: +33 1 45 74 45 97, +33 6 86 42 88 81
FRANCE — INDONESIA — MALAYSIA — PAKISTAN — USA
E&P FIELD SERVICES ASIA SDN.BHD.

Why Choose E&P Field Services for your Survey

1. Our senior personnel have more than 25 years of experience collecting, analyzing, and interpreting
geomicrobial and geochemical data worldwide
2. Dedicated and experienced people in laboratory and field; staff includes geologists, geochemists,
microbiologists, and GIS specialists
3. We offers a variety of independent but complementary methods. These include Microbial Oil Survey
Technique, Sorbed Soil Gas, and Fluorescence; additional analyses available when warranted.
4. Both MOST and SSG are integrative methods, that is, they record microseepage over a time frame
of months to years; probe soil gas provides an instantaneous soil has measurement.
5. More than 80% of prospects with an associated hydrocarbon microseepage anomaly have resulted
in a commercial discovery. In contrast, prospects without an associated hydrocarbon anomaly
result in discoveries only 10-12% of the time.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR A COST ESTIMATE FOR A SURVEY, CONTACT

Dietmar (Deet) Schumacher, PhD

Certified Petroleum Geologist (CPG 4301) and
Vice President for Geosciences and Technology,
E&P Field Services (Paris, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Islamabad and USA)
USA, mobile +1-505-204-6005
Email, deet@enp-services.com or deetschumacher@gmail.com

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International Operations office — 233 Boulevard Pereire, 75017 Paris, France
Tel/Fax: +33 1 45 74 45 97, +33 6 86 42 88 81
FRANCE — INDONESIA — MALAYSIA — PAKISTAN — USA
E&P FIELD SERVICES ASIA SDN.BHD.

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International Operations office — 233 Boulevard Pereire, 75017 Paris, France
Tel/Fax: +33 1 45 74 45 97, +33 6 86 42 88 81
FRANCE — INDONESIA — MALAYSIA — PAKISTAN — USA