System and method for identifying productive gas shale formations

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for classifying shale gas formations based on geochemical, petrophysical and/or petrological properties. In preferred embodiments, the methods, systems, and apparatuses classify gas shales according to the processes of hydrocarbon generation (i.e., thermogenic versus biogenic), the degree of clay maturation, the dominant composition of the gas shales, and the like. The methods, systems, and apparatuses also account for formation characteristics such as total organic carbon, degree of Kerogen maturity, and the like. Such an arrangement allows for consistent and reliable identification of productive (and likely profitable) types of shale gas reservoirs.

1 . A system for identifying potentially productive gas shale formations, comprising:
 a database configured to store data representing formation properties for a gas shale formation; and   a workstation connected to the database, the workstation being adapted to receive the data representing the formation properties from the database, classify the gas shale formation based on the formation properties, and determine whether the gas shale formation is likely to be a productive gas shale formation according to one or more predefined criteria;   wherein the gas shale formation is classified as one of the following types: siliceous, siliceous cherty, clastic, hybrid hyperpycnal, hybrid hypopycnal, or hybrid homopycnal.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workstation is adapted to further classify the gas shale formation as one of the following classes: thermogenic shale with generally mature clay, biogenic shale with mature clay, or biogenic shale with immature clay. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workstation is adapted to determine that the gas shale formation is a potentially productive gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as thermogenic with generally mature clay and siliceous, siliceous cherty, elastic, hybrid hyperpycnal, hybrid hypopycnal, or hybrid homopycnal type. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workstation is adapted to determine that the gas shale formation is a potentially productive gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as biogenic with mature clay and siliceous or clastic type. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workstation is adapted to determine that the gas shale formation is a potentially productive gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as biogenic with immature clay and clastic type. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the formation properties includes one or more of: depth, bulk and grain density, pore pressure, effective and gas-filled porosity, matrix permeability, mobile oil saturation, water saturation, percent bound hydrocarbons, percent bound clay water, total organic carbon, clay content, type, and/or maturity, Kerogen content, type, and/or maturity, mineral and/or chemical composition, gas composition, isotope studies. 
   
   
       7 . A method of identifying potentially productive gas shale formations, comprising:
 storing data representing formation properties for a gas shale formation in a database;   providing the data representing the formation properties to a workstation;   classifying the gas shale formation based on the formation properties using the workstation; and   determining whether the gas shale formation is a potentially productive gas shale formation according to one or more predefined criteria using the workstation;   wherein the gas shale formation is classified as one of the following types: siliceous, siliceous cherty, clastic, hybrid hyperpycnal, hybrid hypopycnal, or hybrid homopycnal.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the workstation is adapted to further classify the gas shale formation as one of the following classes: thermogenic shale with generally mature clay, biogenic shale with mature clay, or biogenic shale with immature clay. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the workstation is adapted to determine that the gas shale formation is a productive type of gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as thermogenic with mature clay and siliceous, siliceous cherty, elastic, hybrid hyperpycnal, hybrid hypopycnal, or hybrid homopycnal type. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the workstation is adapted to determine that the gas shale formation is a productive type of gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as biogenic with mature clay and siliceous or clastic type. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the workstation is adapted to determine that the gas shale formation is a productive type of gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as biogenic with immature clay and clastic type. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the formation properties include one or more of: depth, bulk and grain density, pore pressure, effective and gas-filled porosity, matrix permeability, mobile oil saturation, water saturation, percent bound hydrocarbons, percent bound clay water, total organic carbon, clay content, type, and/or maturity, Kerogen content, type, and/or maturity, mineral, and/or chemical composition, gas composition, isotope studies. 
   
   
       13 . A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-readable instructions for causing a workstation to identify potentially productive types of gas shale formations, the computer-readable instructions comprising instructions for causing the workstation to:
 receive data representing formation properties for a gas shale formation from a database;   classify the gas shale formation based on the formation properties using the workstation; and   determine whether the gas shale formation is a potentially productive type of gas shale formation according to one or more predefined criteria using the workstation;   wherein the gas shale formation is classified as one of the following types: siliceous, siliceous cherty, elastic, hybrid hyperpycnal, hybrid hypopycnal, or hybrid homopycnal.   
   
   
       14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the computer-readable instructions further comprise instructions for causing the workstation to further classify the gas shale formation as one of the following classes: thermogenic shale with generally mature clay, biogenic shale with mature clay, and biogenic shale with immature clay. 
   
   
       15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the computer-readable instructions further comprise instructions for causing the workstation to determine that the gas shale formation is a productive type of gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as thermogenic with generally mature clay and siliceous, siliceous cherty, clastic, hybrid hyperpycnal, hybrid hypopycnal, or hybrid homopycnal type. 
   
   
       16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the computer-readable instructions further comprise instructions for causing the workstation to determine that the gas shale formation is a productive type of gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as biogenic with mature clay and siliceous or clastic type. 
   
   
       17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the computer-readable instructions further comprise instructions for causing the workstation to determine that the gas shale formation is a productive type of gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as biogenic with immature clay and elastic type. 
   
   
       18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the formation properties include one or more of: depth, bulk and grain density, pore pressure, effective and gas-filled porosity, matrix permeability, mobile oil saturation, water saturation, percent bound hydrocarbons, percent bound clay water, total organic carbon, clay content, type, and/or maturity, Kerogen content, type, and/or maturity, mineral and/or chemical composition, gas composition, isotope studies. 
   
   
       19 . An article of manufacture for use in identifying potentially productive gas shale formations, comprising:
 a processor; and   computer-readable medium connected to the processor, the computer-readable medium encoded with computer-readable instructions for causing the processor to:
 receive data representing formation properties for a gas shale formation from a database; 
 classify the gas shale formation based on the formation properties; and 
 determine whether the gas shale formation is a potentially productive gas shale formation according to one or more predefined criteria; 
 wherein the gas shale formation is classified as one of the following types: 
   siliceous, siliceous cherty, elastic, hybrid hyperpycnal, hybrid hypopycnal, or hybrid homopycnal.   
   
   
       20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19 , wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to classify the gas shale formation as one of the following classes: thermogenic shale with generally mature clay, biogenic shale with mature clay, or biogenic shale with immature clay. 
   
   
       21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19 , wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to determine that the gas shale formation is a productive type of gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as thermogenic with mature clay and siliceous, siliceous cherty, elastic, hybrid hyperpycnal, hybrid hypopycnal, or hybrid homopycnal type. 
   
   
       22 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19 , wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to determine that the gas shale formation is a productive type of gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as biogenic with mature clay and siliceous or clastic type. 
   
   
       23 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19 , wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to determine that the gas shale formation is a productive type of gas shale formation in response to the gas shale formation being classified as biogenic with immature clay and clastic type. 
   
   
       24 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19 , wherein the formation properties include one or more of: depth, bulk and grain density, pore pressure, effective and gas-filled porosity, matrix permeability, mobile oil saturation, water saturation, percent bound hydrocarbons, percent bound clay water, total organic carbon, clay content, type, and/or maturity, Kerogen content, type, and/or maturity, mineral, and/or chemical composition, gas composition, isotope studies.