he Naturally Fractured Reservoir Group of

Log
Analysis

Fracture
Characterization
Spraberry Core-flooding
Fracture
System CO2
Quartz Schematic
Barite

Core Holder
Natural Fracture
Simulation
3.00E+02
Induced Fractures
2.50E+02
Effective stress,

2.00E+02
1.50E+02
psia

1.00E+02
5.00E+01
0.00E+00
BPR
SEM -5.00E+01
1

S22
8

No. of grid
S15

No. of grid
15

Photomicrograph
S8
22

block at x-dir block at y-dir

S1

(100 ft each) (100 ft each)

Gas Injection

Specializing in Water and Gas

Injection in Naturally Fractured
Reservoirs with a Multi-Disciplinary
Approach
 he Spraberry Trend Area
in West Texas, one of the
largest uneconomic oil
fields in the world, still
Spraberry Trend Area
shows less than 12% O’Daniel

“Largest Uneconomic

ly s
ppply ieierrs
recovery after 40 years Martin Co

Suup CCaarrr
f
CCOO Reeeef
waterflooding. The Field in the World”

22 S
R
oonn
nnyy
reasons for its low
Shackelford

CCaa
productivity and Midland Co Glasscock Co Preston

disappointing waterflood Driver

Midkiff

performance have Tippett

North

remained unexplained Merchant

Pembrook

until now. Through the Sherrod

expertise of our team, a Pembrook

multidisciplinary approach Aldwell

using advanced Upton Co Reagan Co

Benedum

techniques is now
unlocking the mysteries of
the Spraberry Trend,
with the following methodologies:
• Detailed reservoir characterization of the matrix and naturally fractured systems
from logs, vertical and horizontal cores, and surface outcrops.
• 3-D seismic studies useable on the “front line” for fracture detection.
• Imbibition experiments to determine the wettability of the rock and predict the
recovery mechanisms under ambient and reservoir conditions.
• Numerical modeling studies to conserve valuable data from the laboratory
experiments and to determine the critical injection rate.
• Fully coupled geomechanic and fluid-flow numerical simulation models for naturally
fractured reservoirs to analyze stress-sensitive rock properties and to predict
production-induced changes in stress.
• Rock mechanics studies of stress-dependent deformation and permeability of
reservoir matrix rock and natural fractures to predict well/reservoir performance.
• Reservoir simulations to develop guidelines for field development in stress-sensitive
naturally fractured reservoirs.
• CO 2 flooding experiments and reservoir simulation studies to provide understanding
of the interaction between matrix and fluid and to investigate the effectiveness of
CO2 flooding in naturally fractured reservoirs.

This project
is supported
by
 360
0 NN 36°
36° EE
330 30

eological
N
N 56°
56°EE
Avg.
Avg.
300 60
N
N 76°
76°EE
and
270
5U
90
Petrophysical
Analysis

U
55U
240 120
1U

210 150
180

Our study used various techniques to examine the reservoir

and non-reservoir rocks. We can offer the following
services, including:
• Thin section analysis to assess rock petrography and
diagenesis.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis to determine bulk
mineralogy, clay content, and fracture cements.
• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis to examine
pore morphology, pore distribution, connectivity, and
detail mineralogy.
• Detailed minipermeameter analysis to measure air
permeability at small scales.
• Log evaluation to estimate rock-fluid properties in
relation to petrographic and petrophysical analysis.
• Planning and analysis of horizontal cores to provide
information on the natural fracture system, such as the
orientation, degree of mineralization, fracture aperture,
and spacing.
 Experimental Set-up
for Imbibition Tests
Oil
Oil recovered
under Room ettability
Determination
Conditions
Oil bubble
bubble

Glass
Glass funnel
funnel
and Imbibition
Experiments
Brine
Core
Core plug
Brine

• Wettability determination at ambient condition.

• Wettability determination at reservoir temperature and pressure.
• Investigation of imbibition mechanism with reservoir fluids and rock.
• Design of water injection rates.
• Capillary pressure measurements.
• Contact angle determination at reservoir condition.
• Up-scaling of transfer rates.
Experimental Set-up for Imbibition
Tests under Reservoir Conditions Side View

Air
Air Bath
Bath
NV
NV

BV BV
Brine Tank
PR

High
Pressure
Imbibition
Cell core
Graduate
Graduate
Cylinder BV

umerical N
N22Bottle
Bottle
(2000
(2000 psi)
psi)
BV
BV == Ball
NV
Ball Valve
Valve
NV == Needle
PR
Needle Valve
Valve
PR == Pressure
Pressure Regulator
Regulator
Top View

Modeling
Inlet for creating
tangential flow

• Decline curve analysis.

• Well test analysis in naturally fractured reservoirs.
• Modeling of stress sensitivity in naturally fractured reservoirs.
• Up-scaling of laboratory experiments.
• Development of laboratory experiments for prediction of reservoir performance.
• Modeling of laboratory experiments to generate the reliable input parameters
for reservoir simulation.
• Sensitivity analysis to determination of most important parameters for reservoir
simulation.
 • Development of geological model.
eservoir
• Development of fracture model (dual porosity/dual
permeability). Simulation
• Integration of laboratory and
geological data for reservoir B-8
8

simulation.
B-11
T-1

17
9
Reservoir Model
Model
• History matching field
B-1
10
B-2
B-3
16 B-4

performance (primary
20 B-10
B-5
B-9
15

Humble Pilot Model

Model
depletion and waterflood on
21 B-6

B-7 A-4

22

a well by well basis). 15 O

N
SHB-10
SHB-10

• Prediction of waterflooding,
N 5 0O E SHB-9
SHB-9
Grid
Grid system
system Fracture Trend
SHB-6 SHB-4
SHB-4
SHB-6

infill drilling, drainage

SHB-2
SHB-2

pattern and horizontal well matrix

matrix
fracture
fracture
performance.
fracture
fracture
GRID
GRID DIMENSION
DIMENSION IS
IS 22X18X3
22X18X3 vugs matrix
matrix
NO
NO COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN
BETWEEN LAYER
LAYER

80 ACRES
ACRES

O2 Flooding and
Gas Injection
Our study investigated the economic
feasibility of gas injection in the naturally
fractured reservoirs through experimental
and mathematical modeling in:
• Design of production facilities for gas
injection.
• Screening reservoirs for good injection
candidates.
• Slim tube tests to determine Minimum
Miscible Pressure (MMP).
• Extraction experiments to determine the
efficiency of recovery mechanisms due to
the vaporization of oil into the gas phase.
• Pendant-drop apparatus to measure
Spraberry crude oil/gas IFT at reservoir
conditions.
• Gravity drainage experiments with
Reservoir whole core, performed at
reservoir conditions.
• Mathematical modeling to match the experimental data.
• Reservoir simulation to improve oil recovery prediction by using black oil model, gas
condensate, volatile oil and compositional simulators.
• Design of gas injection pilots project.
• Economic analysis of gas injection projects.
 PP

DD

4
4 7
6 37

CONTACT
INFORMATION

Dr. David S. Schechter

E-mail: schech@spindletop.tamu.edu
Tel: (979) 845-2275
Fax: (979) 845-1307