***Please note venue change***
Mobile or Immobile: Hydrocarbon Characterization from the Comparison of Various Extraction Techniques to Produced Oils
J. Alex Zumberge*,1, Stephanie Perry1, Kai Cheng1, Catherine Donohue1
1GeoMark Research, 9748 Whithorn Dr, Houston TX 77095
*presenting author; azumberge@geomarkresearch.com
Hydrocarbon mobility is crucially important for forecasting hydrocarbon production. However, mobility assessment from traditional rock extraction techniques is challenged because light- to mid-chain hydrocarbons (LMHCs) of interest are not well preserved. Here, we build on advancements in sample handling procedures and new analytical techniques for a more detailed depiction of LMHC profiles, and further apply an innovative extraction technique on cores from the Bakken, Powder River and Delaware Basins. We employ thermal and chemical extraction techniques to recover hydrocarbons from cores and characterize the lab-recovered hydrocarbons to compare to the produced hydrocarbons from the same/nearby wells. Consequently, we evaluate hydrocarbon mobility in various petroleum systems.
As-received rocks from each basin were subjected to petrophysical and geochemical characterization workflows. Total porosity, bulk density, oil/water bulk volumes, oil/water saturations, total organic content and programed pyrolysis were measured for all samples. Additionally, selected twin as-received rocks at the same depth were subjected to chemical solvent and thermal retort extraction techniques in both crushed and intact states. Each extraction method was tailored to retain LMHCs. The geochemical fingerprint for each extract was compared to an appropriate produced oil, determined to be representative of the landing zones of interest, and put into context with the petrophysical data.
Through an integration of rock and fluid property characterization techniques, we present a workflow that links laboratory-based properties to a better understanding of produced fluid properties. The workflow also allows for the identification of the fluid phase loss across different sample types to better understand the inherent mobility of a given rock. Linking the corrected fluid-filled storage volumes, understanding fluid partitioning, and the interplay between petrophysical and geochemical results provide information and subsurface characterization insights to consider in horizontal targets, stacked development plans, production prediction, and completions strategies.
Bio: Dr. Zumberge has extensive lab experience in oil and rock extract analyses with emphasis on correlation tools like bulk organic properties, lipid biomarkers and carbon isotopes. He has over ten years’ experience in a lab environment doing experiments himself, as well as overseeing general sample/project flow through each analysis phase. Dr. Zumberge obtained his PhD in Organic Geochemistry at the University of California – Riverside where he specialized in sterane/hopane relationships through time from the Precambrian to the present. Additionally, Dr. Zumberge has experience with traditional analytical techniques (LC, GC, GCMS, GCCIRMS) as well as new analytical approaches that allow access to the kerogen-bound biomarker pool within rock extracts via Hydrogen Pyrolysis, HyPy. Currently, Dr. Zumberge acts as Executive VP of Operations where he oversees all laboratory operations (oil, rock, and gas) at GeoMark Research and is involved in database management and upkeep. Additionally, Dr. Zumberge has extensive experience in the application of oil composition evaluation by utilizing geochemical parameters to aid with interpretations involving oil-oil and oil-source correlations as well as migration effects.
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