Application of Analytical Techniques to Petroleum Systems
Cutting-edge techniques have always been utilized in petroleum exploration and production to reduce costs and improve efficiencies. The demand for petroleum in the form of oil and gas is expected to increase for electricity production, transport and chemical production, largely driven by an increase in energy consumption in the developing world. Innovations in analytical methods will continue to play a key role in the industry moving forwards as society shifts towards lower carbon energy systems and more advantaged oil and gas resources are targeted. This volume brings together new analytical approaches and describes how they can be applied to the study of petroleum systems. The papers within this volume cover a wide range of topics and case studies, in the fields of fluid and isotope geochemistry, organic geochemistry, imaging and sediment provenance. The work illustrates how the current, state-of-the-art technology can be effectively utilised to address ongoing challenges in petroleum geoscience.
Production geochemistry: fluids don't lie and the devil is in the detail
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Published:October 19, 2020
Abstract
The application of production geochemistry techniques has been shown to provide abundant and often low-cost high-value fluid information that helps to maximize and safeguard production. Critical aspects to providing successful data relate to the appropriate sampling strategy and sampling selection which are generally project-aim-specific. In addition, the continuous direct integration of the production geochemistry data with subsurface and surface understanding is pivotal. Examples from two specific areas have been presented including: (a) the effective use of IsoTubes in the production realm; and (b) the application of geochemical fingerprinting primarily based on multidimensional gas chromatography. Mud gas stable carbon isotopes from low-cost IsoTubes have been shown to be very effective in recognizing within-well fluid compartments, as well as recognizing specific hydrocarbon seals in overburden section, including the selective partial seal for only C2+ gas species. With respect to geochemical fingerprinting, examples have been presented related to reservoir surveillance including compartmentalization, lateral and vertical connectivity, as well as fluid movements and fault/baffle breakthrough. The production-related examples focus on fluid allocation within a single well, as well as on its application for pipeline residence times, fluid identification and well testing.
- aliphatic hydrocarbons
- alkanes
- applications
- Atlantic Ocean
- C-13/C-12
- carbon
- characterization
- chromatograms
- compartmentalization
- condensates
- connectivity
- data acquisition
- depth
- ethane
- faults
- Forties Field
- four-dimensional models
- Fulmar Formation
- gas chromatograms
- geochemistry
- geophysical methods
- hydrocarbons
- identification
- isotope ratios
- isotopes
- Jurassic
- Kimmeridge Clay
- Mesozoic
- methane
- migration
- mixing
- natural gas
- North Atlantic
- North Sea
- oil and gas fields
- oil wells
- optimization
- organic compounds
- overburden
- petroleum
- pipelines
- pressure
- production
- reservoir properties
- reservoir rocks
- residence time
- sampling
- seismic methods
- source rocks
- stable isotopes
- techniques
- testing
- Tor Formation
- Upper Jurassic
- well logs
- northern North Sea
- Pierce Field
- Gannet Field
- Penguin Field