Advanced Formation Evaluation to Optimize Shale Development in Permian Basin

Abstract

Permian Basin reserves exceed the reserves of the largest conventional field in the world, Ghawar, Saudi Arabia [1]. To develop this field many companies use ‘factory drilling’ or ‘geometrical approach’. This approach decreases the cost of drilling and make sense for source rocks because these are hydrocarbons saturated rocks or the rocks where hydrocarbons have been cooked. Geometrical approach would be ideal for homogeneous formations, but as it will be shown below shale place are very inhomogeneous vertically and laterally. While a drilling cost for a single well is reduced, this approach significantly increases the overall development costs and environmental impact because of drilling a big number of low producing wells. We found the way to solve this problem developing a technology that uses standard open-hole log data to calculate Production Profile that shows predicted production along the entire well.