Abnormal Pressures Encountered in a Deep Wildcat Well, Southern Piceance Basin, Colorado

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Wilson ◽  
Bret G. Gunneson ◽  
Kristine Peterson ◽  
Royale Honore ◽  
Matthew M. Laughland
Keyword(s):  
Piceance Basin

Simulated effects of oil-shale development on the hydrology of Piceance basin, Colorado

1974 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B. Weeks ◽  
George H. Leavesley ◽  
Frank A. Welder ◽  
George J. Saulnier
Keyword(s):  
Oil Shale ◽  
Piceance Basin

THE EFFECTS OF STRATIGRAPHY AND COAL AND SHALE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITIES ON TEMPERATURES GRADIENTS IN THE PICEANCE BASIN, COLORADO, USA

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Souvall ◽  
◽  
Allison Keator ◽  
Molly Baron ◽  
Paul Morgan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Piceance Basin ◽  
Thermal Conductivities

Insights into productivity drivers for the Niobrara-equivalent horizontal play in the Piceance Basin, Colorado

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-354
Author(s):  
Jason Eleson ◽  
Chip Oakes ◽  
Graham McClave
Keyword(s):  
Powder River Basin ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Piceance Basin ◽  
Thermal Maturity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Horizontal Drilling ◽  
Child Effects ◽  
Mancos Shale ◽  
Low Degree ◽  
Future Potential

Limited horizontal drilling has occurred within the Niobrara-equivalent section of the Mancos Shale in the Piceance Basin, and the results from individual wells are highly variable. Prior studies have suggested that thermal maturity and completion techniques were the primary drivers for the observed production trends, but further analysis of well results indicates there are more variables at play. This study leveraged a comprehensive data set from the Piceance Basin, including core analyses, pressure data, and drilling and completion methods to provide additional context for the production results. From this analysis, several key trends were identified. North/south variations in thermal maturity were confirmed, as well as additional trends were identified revealing later exhumation south of the Rangely fault system resulted in significant depressurization, particularly in the western Piceance Basin. The semi-regional depressurization was the result of decrease in overburden pressures that allowed vertical migration of hydrocarbons out of the Mancos Shale. In addition to the semi-regional depressurization, there were more local depressurization events that resulted from faulting in areas such as the Orchard Unit in the southern Piceance Basin where thrust faults allowed hydrocarbons to migrate vertically into overlying formations. Northwest to southeast production trends are present in the southern Piceance Basin and are interpreted to reflect structurally undeformed areas based on high formation pressures and better producing horizontal wells. Parent-child effects have been observed locally and are linked to lower initial production rates and faster decline rates. The northern Piceance Basin exhibits higher reservoir pressure in the liquids window than was observed to the south due to the relatively low degree of exhumation and/or faulting in areas where horizontal Niobrara wells were drilled. Horizontal well results in the northern Piceance Basin have been mixed, largely due to inefficient completion strategies. By comparing the northern Piceance Basin wells with similar horizontal Niobrara wells in the Powder River Basin of northeastern Wyoming, it is concluded that drilling into the over-pressured liquids rim and utilizing slickwater frac fluid with friction reducer and 100 mesh sand will yield improved economic results over those obtained so far in the Piceance Basin. Though relatively few laterals have been drilled in the Piceance Basin Niobrara play, the basin has great future potential.

Microseismic Feedback Enhanced Real-Time Diversion Evaluation in Mancos Shale, Piceance Basin Completions

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. L. Scott ◽  
J. H. Cape ◽  
K. D. Mahrer ◽  
N. Li ◽  
A. R. Childers
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Piceance Basin ◽  
Mancos Shale

Fluvial architecture of the Burro Canyon Formation using unmanned aerial vehicle-based photogrammetry and outcrop-based modeling: Implications for reservoir performance, Escalante Canyon, southwestern Piceance Basin, Colorado

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. T1117-T1139
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Clark ◽  
Matthew J. Pranter ◽  
Rex D. Cole ◽  
Zulfiquar A. Reza
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Geometric Mean ◽  
Piceance Basin ◽  
Sweep Efficiency ◽  
Flow Simulations ◽  
Reservoir Performance ◽  
Reservoir Models ◽  
Sandstone Body ◽  
Aerial Vehicle

The Cretaceous Burro Canyon Formation in the southern Piceance Basin, Colorado, represents low sinuosity to sinuous braided fluvial deposits that consist of amalgamated channel complexes, amalgamated and isolated fluvial-bar channel fills, and floodplain deposits. Lithofacies primarily include granule-cobble conglomerates, conglomeratic sandstones, cross-stratified sandstones, upward-fining sandstones, and gray-green mudstones. To assess the effects of variable sandstone-body geometry and internal lithofacies and petrophysical heterogeneity on reservoir performance, conventional field methods are combined with unmanned aerial vehicle-based photogrammetry to create representative outcrop-based reservoir models. Outcrop reservoir models and fluid-flow simulations compare three reservoir scenarios of the Burro Canyon Formation based on stratigraphic variability, sandstone-body geometry, and lithofacies heterogeneity. Simulation results indicate that lithofacies variability can account for an almost 50% variation in breakthrough time (BTT). Internal channel-bounding surfaces reduce the BTT by 2%, volumetric sweep efficiency by 8%, and recovery efficiency by 10%. Three lateral grid resolutions and two permeability-upscaling methods for each reservoir scenario are explored in fluid-flow simulations to investigate how upscaling impacts reservoir performance. Our results indicate that coarsely resolved grids experience delayed breakthrough by as much as 40% and greater volumetric sweep efficiency by an average of 10%. Permeability models that are upscaled using a geometric mean preserve slightly higher values than those using a harmonic mean. For upscaling based on a geometric mean, BTTs are delayed by an average of 17% and the volumetric sweep efficiency is reduced by as much as 10%. Results of the study highlight the importance of properly incorporating stratigraphic details into 3D reservoir models and preserving those details through proper upscaling methods.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document