BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE DEEP OFFSHORE NIGER DELTA AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION IN THE PALAEOGENE SEQUENCES

The Niger Delta Deep Offshore Basin has been the latest frontier within the Niger Delta for hydrocarbon exploration and production activities. Until the onset of drilling activities in the early nineteen nineties, little was known about the biostratigraphy of this frontier setting. Thus, uncertainties existed in the ages ascribed to the various stratigraphic sequences. Presently, several wells have been drilled in the Deep Offshore Niger Delta and a three-pronged biostratigraphic data and some sequence stratigraphic interpretations have become available. We integrated biostratigraphic data comprising palynological, foraminiferal, and calcareous nannoplankton zonation and biofacies, wireline log information and regional-3D seismic data, with simple basic sequence stratigraphic analysis for a detailed well correlation, regional mapping of hydrocarbon-bearing intervals, and evaluation of the thicknesses of promising stratigraphic intervals. Results show a significant effect on not only the earlier conceptualized age of the deepest prospective reservoirs, but also the ages of possible source rocks in the Paleogene of the Niger Delta Offshore sequence. This finding will help in the realistic assumptions of source rock characterization, charge modeling/prediction, and the stratigraphic thicknesses of the offshore sequences and their reservoirs. This paper examines the specific derivable age interpretations from the integration of at least six wells, biostratigraphic data with seismic and the implications of these interpretations for hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Paleogene sequences. Furthermore, this paper documents the biostratigraphy work done in the area, in all the structural belts where drilling has occurred including the deepest well drilled in the Deep Offshore Niger Delta, Bosi-006. The results of this study have a critical impact on the current regional geological understanding of the Deep Offshore Niger Delta.

An interdisciplinary view of the long-term evolution of repository systems across scales: the iCROSS project

The interdisciplinary project “Integrity of nuclear waste repository systems – Cross-scale system understanding and analysis (iCROSS)” combines research competencies of Helmholtz scientists related to the topics of nuclear, geosciences, biosciences and environmental simulations in collaborations overarching the research fields energy and earth and environment. The focus is to understand and analyze close-to-real long-term evolutionary pathways of radioactive waste repositories across nanoscales to repository scales. The project is subdivided into work packages dealing with laboratory studies, field experiments in underground research laboratories (URLs), advanced modelling studies and the integration and alignment of data and information using virtual reality methods. In this sense, the project structure aims at a holistic view on relevant processes across scales in order to comprehensively simulate potential repository evolutions. Within the multi-barrier system of a repository for heat-generating radioactive waste, a number of complex reactions proceed, including dissolution, redox processes, biochemical reactions, gas evolution and solid/liquid interface and (co)precipitation reactions. At the same time, thermal and external mechanical stress has an impact on the conditions in a deep geological repository. All those processes are highly coupled, with multiple interdependencies on various scales and have a strong impact on radionuclide mobility and retention. In recent years, substantial progress was achieved in describing coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical-chemical-biological (THM/CB) processes in numerical simulations. A realistic and concise description of these coupled processes on different time and spatial scales is, at present, a largely unresolved scientific and computational challenge. The close interaction of experimental and simulation teams aims at a more accurate quantification and assessment of processes and thus, the reduction of uncertainties and of conservative assumptions and eventually to a close-to-real perception of the repository evolution. One focus of iCROSS is directed to relevant processes in a clay rock repository. In this context, the iCROSS team became a full member of the international Mont Terri consortium and worked in close collaboration with international and German institutions in URL projects. Respective experiments specifically deal with coupled processes at the reactive interfaces in a repository near field (e.g. the steel/bentonite and bentonite/concrete interfaces). Within iCROSS, the impact of secondary phase formation on radionuclide transport is investigated. At Mont Terri, experiments are in preparation to study radionuclide transport phenomena in clay rock formations within temperature gradients and in facies exhibiting significant heterogeneities on different scales (nm to cm). Beside those studies, high resolution exploration methods for rock characterization are developed and tested and the effect of temperature and other boundary conditions on the strength, creep properties and healing of faults within Opalinus clay are quantified. Multiphysics models coupled to reactive transport simulation have been further developed and applied to laboratory and field experiments. Results are digitally analyzed and illustrated in a visualization center, in order to enhance the comprehension of coupled processes in repository systems across scales. The present contribution provides an overview on the project and reports selected results. The impact of considering complex coupled processes in repository subsystems for the assessment of the integrity of a given (generic) repository arrangement is discussed.

Designing a Robust Surfactant Based SP Formulation in High Clay Containing Low Permeability Indonesian Field

Indonesian oil and gas reserves have been depleting since 2000 with no major addition of new oil reserves. Therefore, it is imperative to increase national oil production by optimizing the mature fields through the implementation of successful EOR technology. Out of this approach, a comprehensive study has been carried out on the targeted field by exploring the potential of surfactant-polymer (SP) flooding. This article describes the formulation design, optimization, and lessons learned leading up to a successful and robust chemical EOR formulation designing for a low permeability and high clay (>20% clay) containing Indonesian oil field. The detailed workflow consists of analysis of fluid and rock characterization, tailor-made SP formulation designing, optimization and coreflood validation as presented in previous papers (Bazin, 2010). A series of surfactant formulation were designed and screened synthetically through a validated High Throughput Screening (HTS) methodology using a robotic platform combined with microfluidic tools for ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT), solubility, compatibility with brine and polymer. Rock mineralogy has played an important role due to heterogeneity and very high (>20%) clay content. Surfactants retention through adsorption on reservoir rocks was the main constraint to achieve high performance and economical chemical EOR for the targeted field. Specific strategies by optimizing the surfactant formulation and by injecting adsorption inhibitor thus needed to be deployed to mitigate high surfactant retention. The detailed laboratory screening experiments conclude that the designed robust SP formulation is able to induce ultra-low IFT, excellent solubility and compatibility at the injection water salinity. The dynamic coreflood experiment using reservoir rock shows high incremental oil recovery (>60% ROIP) in short SP slug injection. As expected from the nature of rock, adsorption was the main challenge encountered during the course of this study, which resulted in a very promising oil recovery in economically realistic conditions.

Source rock characterization and oil grouping in the NW Java, Central Java and NE Java Basins, Indonesia

This study reveals the detailed organic geochemistry from crude oils (acquired from wells and seepages) and rock extracts from NW Java and NE Java Basin that have been gathered and compiled from previous publications. The interpretation was conducted from geochemical data value and plot, GC-MS fingerprints, and agglomerative-hierarchical cluster analysis using the Euclidean algorithm. Various source rocks from those basins were deposited under fluvio-lacustrine to the marine environment. Six groups of crude oils are also distinguished. Groups 1, 2, and 6 are oils from deltaic source rocks, Groups 3 and 4 are oils from marine source rocks, and Group 5 is from lacustrine and/or fluvio-lacustrine source rocks. Groups 1, 2, and 6 could be distinguished from the pristane/phytane (Pr/Ph) ratio and C29 sterane composition, while Groups 3 and 4 differ from the distribution of C27 sterane. The schematic depositional environment of source rocks is also generated from this study and suggests that Group 5 is deposited during early syn-rift non-marine settings, while the remaining groups are deposited in the deltaic (Group 1,2 and 6) and marine settings (Groups 3 and 4). The main differences between those groups are including the distributions of C27-C28-C29 steranes.

Rock Characterization Through Physical Properties and Their Relationship to Simple Compressive

This work proposes a simple methodology and practical application in the field for the approximate determination of the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) in rocks, property or characteristic that is important in mining, since through it analyzes are carried out to the assessment of security and stability factors and/or possible fortification systems in the works or mining structures, in addition to the characterization of the UCS is also influential in the use of explosives for the exploitation or extraction of materials from a quarry or mine. This estimate is proposed based on the determination of the following three properties of the rock, which in this investigation we call density, porosity and absorption ‘in mine’. These physical properties can be obtained in a simple, but methodical way and in this work, tests have been carried out on the same material or rock from the Cojitambo area, Cañar province (Ecuador) and on the basis of 60 samples or test tubes. The results obtained allow a correlation between the properties described above and the UCS, in addition to a calculation methodology for the proposed objective. Keywords: compression, rock, density, porosity, absorption, fortification. Resumen En este trabajo se propone una metodología sencilla y de aplicación práctica en campo para la determinación aproximada de la Resistencia a la Compresión Simple (RCS) en rocas, propiedad o característica que es importante en minería, ya que mediante la misma, se ejecutan análisis para la valoración de factores de seguridad y estabilidad y/o posibles sistemas de fortificación en las obras o estructuras mineras, a más de que la caracterización de la RCS es también influyente en el uso de explosivos para la explotación o extracción de materiales de una cantera o mina. Esta estimación se la propone en base a la determinación de las siguientes tres propiedades de la roca, que en esta investigación las denominamos densidad, porosidad y absorción ‘en mina’. Estas propiedades físicas se las puede obtener de una forma simple, pero metódica y en este trabajo se han ejecutado ensayos sobre un mismo material o roca proveniente de la zona de Cojitambo, provincia del Cañar (Ecuador) y sobre una base de 60 muestras o probetas. Los resultados obtenidos permiten una correlación entre las propiedades antes descritas y la RCS, a más que se ha estructurado una metodología de cálculo para el objetivo planteado. Palabras Clave: compresión, roca, densidad, porosidad, absorción, fortificación.

Technology Focus: Formation Evaluation (August 2021)

Leading into the third quarter of this year, I am honored to be able to highlight and share three impactful SPE papers that demonstrate integration at its best. In reviewing the papers, five main technical themes emerged. These include * Machine learning and artificial intelligence as applied to formation evaluation * Production analysis methodologies and their effect on understanding rock characterization and behavior * Subsurface characterization primarily focused on rock typing and permeability * Tool advancements (openhole, cased-hole, or laboratory-based tools) * Subsurface-to-production integration across subdisciplines (e.g., geology, geochemistry, petrophysics, and engineering) The latter is the common thread between the three papers recommended and discussed here. In this new decade, the prevalence of integration is at the forefront of the scientific community. Every discipline, scientist, or company has a way in which they define the term “integration.” Regardless of how you define the effort that links disciplines quantitatively, the importance of constraining subsurface characterization to link it to production results and drive toward a predictive model is a critical accomplishment for our industry. As such, I’d like to highlight three papers in this feature (OTC 30644, SPE 201417, and SPE 202683) and the knowledge and workflow applications they define and demonstrate. Sharing these integrated work flows with the community aids in teaching and leads to best-practice components of integrative studies. These efforts also share and demonstrate how to bridge the gap between in-situ characterization and wellhead performance prediction and results—in other words, the static-to-dynamic link between rock and fluid properties as quantified and how they will inevitably produce hydrocarbon through the rock and fluid interactions. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 201334 Combined Experimental and Well-Log Evaluation of Anisotropic Mechanical Properties of Shales: An Application to Wellbore Stability in the Bakken Formation by Saeed Rafieepour, The University of Tulsa, et al. SPE 201486 A New Safe and Cost-Effective Approach to Large-Scale Formation Testing by Fluid Injection on a Wireline Formation Tester by Christopher Michael Jones, Halliburton, et al. SPE 201735 Integrated Reservoir Characterization With Spectroscopy, Dielectric, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance T1-T2 Maps in a Freshwater Environment: Case Studies From Alaska by ZhanGuo Shi, Schlumberger, et al.