Course 2. Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd November

“Petroleum System Evaluation: Fluid Compositional Prediction”

Brian Horsfield and Rolando di Primio

GeoS4 GmbH, Germany

Gas-oil ratio is a controlling economic variable in petroleum exploration and production. In-situ gas-oil ratio is strongly governed by phase behavior in carrier systems, and this in turn is tuned by source facies and maturity of the drainage area over geological time. This course teaches how gas an oil charge volumes may be predicted in time and space by integrating the latest advances in kinetics, phase behavior and basin modeling. It is designed for explorationist and academics alike, and is taught via lectures, discussions and hands-on computer time. We present numerous case histories from marine and non-marine setting from around the world. We teach old dogs new tricks, and ask old dogs to teach us some of their tricks.

Course Contents Summary:

Concept/Outline

– Gas versus oil occurrence

– Economics

– Factors affecting Gas-oil ratio (GOR)

– The task at hand

1. Processes and Tools

– Deposition, maturation, generation, migration

– Numerical models and pyrolysis methods

2. Kinetic models

– Theoretical background

– Practical insights; Ea and A determination

– Asphaltenes, coals, extended kinetics

3. PVT field observations

- Introduction to petroleum phase behaviour

- PVT simulation

- Interpretation of PVT data

4. PyGC screening for modelling applications

– Molecular kerogen typing concepts

– Petroleum type organofacies

– Anomalous behaviour

5. Input to PVT Models

– MSSV pyrolysis

- Simulating maturation: facts and myths

- Calibration by compositional mass balance

- GOR prediction

6. PVT from experiments

- Predicting GOR and hydrocarbon phase in exploration

7. Phase Kinetics approach

- Assumptions

- Compositional kinetics

- Liquid composition and physical properties

- Gas composition tuning

- Norway, Brazil and Mexico

8. Biodegradation and PVT

- Effects of alteration on phase behaviour

- Case studies – North Sea, BioPetS RISK

9. Early gas generation

- Deep biogenic gas

- Nankai Trough, Japan and Waikato coals, New Zealand -

 Shallow thermal gas

- Mackenzie Delta, Canada

10. Late gas generation

- In-reservoir oil cracking kinetics

- In-source cracking kinetics

- Case history – Central Graben

11. Wrap-Up

Cost: US $475 (Coffe Breaks and course material included)