An Innovative Technique to Grade and Scale Shale Sweetspots

Abstract

Abstract The Sweetspot Quality Index (SSQI) is a single index that represents the quality of a shale sweetspot. Four indices are used to calculate the SSQI: the Reservoir Quality Index (RQI), Completion Quality Index (CQI), Conventional Behavior Index (CBI), and Operation Index (OI). The RQI is calculated from porosities (rock porosity, organic porosity, and natural fractures), saturation, TOC, Ro, and reservoir pressure, and the CQI is calculated from shale brittleness, and the existence of micro fractures and laminations. The CBI is calculated from porosity, permeability, saturations, reservoir pressure, viscosity, and residual oil, and the OI is estimated from hydrocarbon market price, source rock depth, and cost of operations. These four indices include all the approaches that compare and evaluate shale plays and together offer a more complete view of grading and scaling shale sweetspots. The proposed technique has been applied to different data sets from North American shale plays, and the final results are very consistent with best practices. Due to this consistency, this approach has the potential to become a standard evaluation technique for E&P and service companies.