Author

Chad Larsen

ORCID Identifier(s)

0000-0003-4915-4943

Graduation Semester and Year

2020

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Earth and Environmental Science

Department

Earth and Environmental Sciences

First Advisor

Qinhong Hu

Abstract

Eagle Ford Shale and the overlying Austin Chalk are the main producing plays throughout Central Texas. Due to the high clastic nature of Eagle Ford Shale and its ability to produce and maintain fractures from hydraulic fracturing, this formation quickly became the favored target over Austin Chalk for unconventional hydrocarbon production. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of nano-petrophysical properties of Eagle Ford Shale, which is still lacking. Drilling cores from three wells within the oil window of Eagle Ford Shale were examined at the Bureau of Economic Geology in Austin, TX. Multiple plug samples were taken of three wells and analyzed using various tests of XRD, pyrolysis, TOC, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), pycnometry, (DI water and n-decane) vacuum saturation, low-pressure nitrogen gas physisorption, and fluid (DI water and n-decane) imbibition. These experiments will shed light on the nano-petrophysical properties of the reservoir regarding porosity, pore throat distribution, permeability, and flow patterns. MIP results from this study show that Eagle Ford Shale has a wide range of pore structure parameters with porosity values varying from 0.11 to 7.25% and permeability from 0.005 to 11.6 mD; all samples are dominated by two pore types: micro fractures (1-50 µm) and inter-granular (0.01-1 uµ) pores. TOC % showed an increase when quartz % increased as minerology has a direct influence on TOC %. Bulk density averages 2.54% while the grain density is slightly increased with an average of 2.64%. Kerogen values plot between group II and III indicating a hydrocarbon potential. Based on the nano-petrophysical analysis of Eagle Ford Shale, the results of this thesis are beneficial to further the understanding of the pore structure and fluid migration within the shale, and to better facilitate increased production.

Keywords

Eagle Ford Shale, Nano-petrophysics

Disciplines

Earth Sciences | Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

29402-2.zip (35069 kB)

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