Introductory Geochemistry for Shale-Gas, Condensate-Rich Shales, and Tight Oil Reservoirs

 

When:

Wednesday, September 28, 2016, 9:00 am-4:00 pm

 

Where:

Hyatt Regency Hotel (convention hotel, map)

 

What:

 

• The course is a practical and applied introduction to geochemical techniques routinely employed in shale-gas, shale-condensate, and tight-oil reservoir assessment. Emphasis is on explaining which tools and techniques best address specific questions, the caveats that accompany these tools, the strengths and limitations of petroleum geochemistry in resource play evaluation, and how to interpret conflicting data from different analyses. The focus will be on using practical exercises to review geochemical data, recognize problems with data, and to interpret and integrate geochemical with geologic data. Analytical techniques to be discussed include Leco TOC, bulk pyrolysis, Dean Stark and Soxhlet extraction, liquid and gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, organic petrology using reflected light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and advanced scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Special emphasis is given to caveats associated with using vitrinite reflectance measurements in marine shales. Participants will complete exercises interpreting pyrograms, gas chromatograms, and elementary biomarker data. The class will employ various cross plots and simple mathematics to interpret gas isotope data and calculate original TOC, hydrogen index, and oil and cracked gas yields. The course will generally follow the outline:

 

• Overview of shale-gas, condensate-rich shales and tight-oil reservoirs
• Fundamentals of petroleum source rock screening including generation potential, kerogen type and petroleum products, thermal maturity and generation, hydrocarbon yields
• Advanced evaluation techniques including hydrous pyrolysis, source rock kinetics, diamondoids, Gas chromatographic (GC) fingerprints, and C7 hydrocarbons
• Biomarkers including their use for correlation, and assessing source-rock depositional environment, thermal maturity, and biodegradation
• Stable isotope geochemistry

 

Instructor:

 

Christopher D. Laughrey, Senior Petroleum Systems Analyst, Weatherford Laboratories' OilTracers Interpretive Services Group

 

Chris has 39 years of experience, specializing in areas that include isotope and petroleum geochemistry, basin analysis, and geophysical log analysis.

 

Cost and what's included: $125 (professional) and $60 (students, limit 5) includes handouts and morning and afternoon breaks