Understanding the Geologic Variability of the Niobrara to Maximize Production Rates in the Denver-Julesberg Basin and Beyond May 24, 2012 recoveryenergyco.com
Acknowledgements and References Acknowledgements Key References Longman, MW, Luneau, BA and SM Landon, 1998. Nature and Distribution of Niobrara Lithologies in the Cretaceous Interior Seaway of the Rocky Mountain Region. The…
ACTIVITY Recovery Energy 2011 recoveryenergyco.com 3
Niobrara Play Activity PRB Abraxas Chesapeake Devon Double Eagle EOG Helis Mack Marathon Petro-Hunt Slawson GGRB-NPB Strachan Dakota Expl SM Energy Entek Wellstar EOG Windsor Laramie Quicksilver True Wellstar DJB…
DEFENDER DJ BASIN NIOBRARA DEVON DRILLING/PERMIT ACTIVITY (HORIZONTAL WELLS/PERMITS AS OF 3/1/2012) MARATHON SILO WY NE CO WHITING HEREFORD WATTENBERG ANADARKO CONOCO-PHILLIPS Recovery Energy 2011…
Bouger Gravity from RMAG Big Red Book DJ Niobrara max monthly rate - horizontals CHUGSPRING SILO WY NE WY NE WY NE HEREFORD CO CO CO WATTENBERG BO MCF BOE Recovery Energy 2011 recoveryenergyco.com 6
LIFE CYCLE OF A RESOURCE PLAY Discovery, immediately followed by Irrational Exuberance: All the worlds a sweet spot . . . Over-correction of the initial over-reaction, including public over-statements about the spotty nature of…
NIOBRARA RESOURCE SUB-PLAYS Biogenic chalk (high P&P), highly fractured, biogenic gas, trapping mechanisms are key Wattenberg calcareous mudstone, highly fractured, dry gas to wet gas window Silo/Hereford calcareous mudstone,…
CONTROLS ON GEOLOGIC VARIABILITY THE HYBRID NIOBRARA TRINITY Deposition/Diagenesis Calcite vs. Clay vs. Silica, TOC, Hybrid reservoir, Porosity and Permeability, Pore Size and Structure w/r to: Oil and Gas Molecules…
PALEOGEOGRAPHY AND STRATIGRAPHY Recovery Energy 2011 recoveryenergyco.com 10
Niobrara Paleogeography during Smoky Hill Chalk Deposition From Ron Blakey RMAG Big Red Book Recovery Energy 2011 recoveryenergyco.com 11
Niobrara Stratigraphy Niobrara Depositional Trends B1 B2 Modified from Longman et al. , 1 998 Recovery Energy 2011 recoveryenergyco.com 12
RMAG Big Red Book B1
Niobrara Porosity and Permeability From Lockridge and Pollastro, 1 988 Pollastro and Scholle, 1 986 Recovery Energy 2011 recoveryenergyco.com 14
TECTONICS AND FRACTURED RESERVOIR Recovery Energy 2011 recoveryenergyco.com 15
Tectonic Fabric in Vicinity of Silo Field Modified Coherency Attribute at Niobrara Thanks to Global Geophysical Services 16
Fractured Reservoir Types in the Niobrara Working Hypothesis 1 2 3 FRAC ONLY DUAL POROSITY DUAL PERM Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Extremely low matrix Fracture network Matrix contribution permeability and effective comprises most…
Northern DJ Tectonic Elements Niobrara Faults Origin of Niob faults/fracs Bouger Gravity from RMAG Big Red Book Tectonic basement involved DEFENDER Tectonic thin-skinned CHUGSPRING Passive Permian dissolution 1 Hydrocarbon…
Wrench Tectonic Style Basement, Paleozoic, Lower and Upper Mesozoic Linkage Modified from T. L. Davis, 1 985 NW NW SE Niobrara Ft Hays Muddy J Muddy J Structure CI = 10 SE 19
THERMAL MATURITY AND HYDROCARBON OCCURENCE Recovery Energy 2011 recoveryenergyco.com 20
Niob re-entry; Maturity and Calculated Ro pending, 2012 Noteworthy Oil Shows DEFENDER (north and east) CHUGSPRING Niob prod test; no data, 1982 Niob hz re-entry; Niob IP no data, 1983, streaming cut, 1987 1986 WY NE…
Rt Max in Niobrara B High Rt in NW localized 1 2 3 DEFENDER (1-2) 100 ohm Rt CHUGSPRING (1)…
Calculated Ro Relation to Heat Flow, Bouger Gravity Generation, migration Paleocene Eocene WY NE WY NE Modified from Merin and Moore, 1 986 CO CO Most distal production in Colo Mineral Belt From Matuzcak, 1 976 Calc Ro…
Generation, migration Frac reservoir, traps WY NE Niob flowed oil WY NE during drilling, 2011 CO CO Niob OTS during bit trip, 2010 Most distal production in Colo Mineral Belt Bouger Gravity from RMAG Big Red Book 3…
NORTHWEST DJ NORTHWEST COLORADO SHALEY RESERVOIR Recovery Energy 2011 recoveryenergyco.com 26
Northwest DJ Basin DEFENDER Northwest DJ sees higher DEVON LONDON FLATS clay, lower calcite CHUGSPRING AHLBRANDT Local high Rt, maturity insufficient to ensure 70% Calcite economic production 1 PANDA…
Ahlbrandt 23-63-4-1H S N Rt shaded 20 ohm.m B1 Middle marl B2 GR shaded < 150 api 4X Vertical Exaggeration 47 bo, 580 mcf, 4539 bw Jun-Oct, 2011 London Flats 1-29H N S 2006, NW-SE B1 TG shaded red 750 units B2 B2…
I DONT ALWAYS DRILL NIOBRARA, BUT WHEN I DO, I PREFER IT TO BE NATURALLY FRACTURED Recovery Energy 2011 recoveryenergyco.com 29
1 More Clay; Less Calcite; Critical Fractures Buck Peak Fracture Dominated Reservoir on Structural Flexure Northwest DJ Relatively Clay Rich Reservoir Benefitting from (Requiring) High from Coskey and Stark, 201 1 Fracture…
Greenhorn Resistivity Threshold Isopach Greenhorn (Jetmore) Type 1 Reservoir NE Similar Maturity, Reservoir to NW DJ Niobrara Significant Shows from Fractures, in Areas Peripheral to High Resistivity 7, 700 Oil SW 4., 5. 6. 5,…
TYPE 2 HEREFORD FIELD SILO FIELD HERRINGTON FARMS OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS Recovery Energy 2011 recoveryenergyco.com 33
Hereford Field LLOYD STATE WY 1,807 to 20,460 bo/mo max CO 2,577 to 14,895 mcf/mo max ELMER Silo JAKE 596 to 26,440 bo/mo max GALLEGOS 169 to 20,884 mcf/mo max JERSEY LION CREEK 9-35 Codell Producer…
Hereford Field Type 2 Reservoir WY CO Wet Gas Window (Reservoir Energy) Production Related to Complex Wrench JAKE Faulting, but Significant Benefit from Matrix (microfrac) and Energy Drilled parallel to Max Hz Stress LION CREEK…
State 1-16 Barney 41-15 Silo State 41-22H Spud 7/27/10 Lateral TD at 11,700 in 9/30/2010 WILMA 41-17 Frac early October 2010 Produce 3.8 mbo, 15.1 mmcf, 35.4 mbw (B2) from Oct 2010 to Sep 2011 Wilma 41-17 2011 2010…
Silo Field Type 2 Reservoir Oil Window, Dual Porosity, Large Aperture Open Fractures Production Keyed by Complex Wrench Faulting Sub-Parallel to Principal Horizontal Stress Niobrara Structure CI = 50 ATLAS 1-19 NE TG SW…
Herrington Farms Type 2 Reservoir Similar Maturity, Reservoir Un-Depleted Feeder and Strike-Parallel Fracture Systems HERRINGTON FARMS ATLAS 1-19 SILO STATE 41-22 SIMRAY STATE Niob OTS during bit trip, 2010 Niobrara…
Herrington Farms Type 2 Reservoir Similar Maturity, Reservoir Un-Depleted Feeder and Strike-Parallel Fracture Systems HERRINGTON FARMS ATLAS 1-19 SILO STATE 41-22 SIMRAY STATE Niob OTS during bit trip, 2010 Niobrara…
Possible Operational Strategies for Different 1 Focus on Fracture Niobrara Fractured Reservoir Types Swarms, Threshold Maturity Considerations 3 Semi-Unconventional in Shaley Reservoir Consider Fracture Swarms as 1 Potential…
Conclusions/Hypotheses Geologic Variability in Niobrara Oil Sub-plays Natural Fractures are the Single Most Critical Component of Successful Niobrara Oil Production for All Reservoir Types Including Proven Calcareous Mudstone…