Major Low-Permeability-Sandstone Gas Reservoirs in the Continental United States

RI0211. Major Low-Permeability-Sandstone Gas Reservoirs in the Continental United States, by S. P. Dutton, S. J., Clift D. S. Hamilton, H. S. Hamlin, T. F. Hentz, W. E. Howard, M. S. Akhter, and S. E. Laubach. 221 p., 171 figs., 33 tables, 1993. Print.

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About This Publication
This report summarizes geologic, engineering, and production information on 24 low-permeability, gas-bearing sandstone reservoirs in 13 basins in the United States. The information compiled in this report comes from publicly available sources: Gas Research Institute and Department of Energy project reports, applications by gas producers to state regulatory agencies for tight formation designation, and published literature. The formations included in this volume were selected because they contain abundant natural gas resources or because detailed information is known about them that is applicable to other, similar formations. Assessment of these sandstone reservoirs indicates that geological controls play a critical role in gas producibility and that many of these reservoirs share a number of key geological attributes.

As it does in conventional oil and gas fields, reservoir genesis clearly influences gas accumulation and recovery in tight gas fields. The major tight gas sandstone reservoirs surveyed herein were deposited in 10 barrier/strandplain and 7 deltaic depositional systems. Four fluvial, three shelf, and one slope and basin, and fan-delta depositional system make up the remainder. Production characteristics of low-permeability gas reservoirs are, however, in large part controlled by the diagenesis of the sediment. In these 24 formations, authigenic quartz and clays have the greatest effect on reducing permeability, quartz by occluding intergranular pores and clays by increasing water saturation because of their high surface-to-volume ratio. Calcite cement destroys porosity and permeability in particular beds or layers in some formations, but its distribution is not as uniform or widespread as that of quartz cement.

Natural fractures are common features of tight gas sandstones, but because most are vertical extension fractures that are easily missed by vertical cores, detailed information on natural fracture attributes is rarely available. Fractures can enhance production, and in some formations they need to be taken into account in drilling, completion, and stimulation design. Information on stress directions and stress contrasts in low-permeability sandstone reservoirs is also important for designing engineering operations in these rocks. Available data on natural fractures, stress directions, and stress-magnitude contrasts are summarized for each formation.

Twenty-one of the 24 low-permeability formations discussed in this volume have produced 22.3 Tcf of gas through 1988; this figure does not include production from the '*Clinton"-Medina and Berea Sandstones in the Appalachian Basin or the Davis sandstone in the Fort Worth Basin. Estimated ultimate recovery from existing wells in the 21 formations for which compiled production data are available is 47.1 Tcf.

Keywords: hydraulic-fracture treatment, maximum horizontal stress, natural fractures, natural gas resources, production history, reservoir engineering, reservoir quality, stratigraphy, tight gas sandstones

CONTENTS

Abstract

Introduction

Data Sources

Production Data

Selection of Formations

Report Structure

Geologic Controls on Tight Gas Sandstone Productivity

Stratigraphy and Depositional Systems

Reservoir Composition and Diagenesis

Petrographic Analysis

Diagenetic Types of Low-Permeability Sandstones

Clay Minerals

Natural Fractures in Low-Permeability Sandstone
Incidence of Natural Fractures in Tight Gas Sandstones

Implications of Natural Fractures for Efficient Gas Production

Anticipating Natural Fracture Attributes

Stress Directions and Stress Contrasts

Stress Directions

Stress Contrasts

Engineering Characteristics of Tight Gas Sandstones

Capillary Pressure Formation Evaluation in Tight Gas Sandstones

Appalachian Basin

"Clinton" -Medina Sandstone

Introduction Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Berea Sandstone
Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics
Production History

East Texas and North Louisiana Basins

Cotton Valley Sandstone

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures
Stress
Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Travis Peak Formation

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Stress
Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Maverick Basin

Olmos Formation

Introduction
.Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Catarina Delta System

Rocky Creek Barrier/Strandplain System

Olmos "A" and "B” Sandstones
Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Texas Gulf Coast Basin

Wilcox Group

Introduction
Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies
Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics
Production History

Vicksburg Formation

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Stress
Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Fort Worth Basin

Davis Sandstone

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies
Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures
Engineering Characteristics
Production History

Anadarko Basin

Granite Wash

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Cherokee Group (Red Fork Formation)

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Stress

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Cleveland Formation

Introduction
Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Permian Basin

Morrow Formation

Introduction
Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies
Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Abo Formation

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies
Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Val Verde Basin

Canyon Sandstone

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies
Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

San Juan Basin

Dakota Sandstone

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics
Production History

Mesaverde Group and the Chacra Formation

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Point Lookout Sandstone

Cliff House Sandstone

Chacra Formation

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Point Lookout Sandstone

Cliff House Sandstone
Chacra Formation

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Pictured Cliffs Sandstone

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Denver Basin

J Sandstone

Introduction
Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Piceance Basin

Introduction

Dakota Sandstone

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Mancos "B" Shale

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures
Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Mesaverde Group

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Corcoran and Cozzette Sandstones

Rollins Sandstone

Undifferentiated Williams Fork Sandstones

Composition of Reservoir Facies
Corcoran and Cozzette Sandstones

Rollins Sandstone

Undifferentiated Williams Fork Sandstones

Natural Fractures

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Green River Basin

Frontier Formation

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures

Stress Information

Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Upper Almond and Blair Formations

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Blair Formation

Almond Formation

Composition of Reservoir Facies

Natural Fractures
Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Wind River Basin

Frontier Formation

Introduction

Depositional Systems and Reservoir Facies

Composition of Reservoir Eacies

Natural Fractures Engineering Characteristics

Production History

Acknowledgments
References

171 Figures
33 Tables


Citation
Dutton, S. P., Clift, S. J., Hamilton, D. S., Hamlin, H. S., Hentz, T. F., Howard, W. E., Akhter, M. S., and Laubach, S. E., 1993, Major Low-Permeability-Sandstone Gas Reservoirs in the Continental United States: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, Report of Investigations No. 211, 221 p.