Thursday, December 15, 2005
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Cost: Free
Houston
Research Center, 11611 West Little York Street, Houston, TX 77041
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Description
The
Bureau of Economic Geology is conducting an industry-sponsored
study of the deep shelf gas play in Texas state waters, where
target reservoirs occur at depths from 15,000 to 30,000+ ft
beneath the shallow waters of the inner shelf. An experienced
team is conducting a multidisciplinary study of stratigraphic
architecture, structural styles, and reservoir quality that
includes (1) mapping of deep stratigraphic architecture from
seismic data, (2) isochron mapping of deep sedimentary packages,
(3) seismic facies analysis of these packages, (4) petrographic
and geochemical analysis of rock samples, (5) statistical
analysis of porosity/permeability relationships to controlling
parameters, and (6) wireline-log analysis for complete vertical
data coverage in selected areas. Samples are placed into a
sequence-stratigraphic systems-tract framework to evaluate
the influence of stratigraphic setting on texture, grain size,
and detrital mineral composition. Data sources include cores
and wireline logs from deep wells and seismic data on a loaned
proprietary basis.
Focus
of Year One
During the first year of this two-year study, the focus was
on the northern half of the Texas coast. The second year of
the study begins on January 1, 2006, and the project will
investigate the southern half of the Texas coast (Calhoun
County area south to Cameron County). Our past work has shown
that the deep reservoir quality is much more questionable
in the southern half of the Texas GOM. We believe this is
an area where a critical understanding of burial diagenesis
is essential to estimating risk associated with reservoir
quality. Additional industrial sponsors are invited to join
Year 2 of the project at a cost of $50,000.
Major
Goal
Our major goal is to stimulate participation in the deep-shelf
gas play by reducing risk in the key technical areas of stratigraphic
architecture and reservoir quality. Our project should decrease
uncertainty by focusing exploration on lower risk areas and
avoiding drilling below economic reservoir basement. You are
invited to attend a short seminar where the research team
will present the Year 2 proposal as well as presentations
on approaches to reservoir-quality prediction and a review
of the BEG’s past work on reservoir-quality studies
of the Texas onshore Tertiary sandstones. For
a copy of the proposal or more detailed information, please contact co-principal investigators of the project:
Dr.
Shirley P. Dutton, shirley.dutton@beg.utexas.edu; (512) 471-0329
Dr.
Robert G. Loucks, bob.loucks@beg.utexas.edu; (512) 471-0366
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