1. Spatial Variability of Free-Fluid Porosity in the
Middle Bakken Reservoir: Applying Traditional Mapping
Techniques to Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Log Data
Jon Payne1 & Peter Hook2
1 Kodiak Oil & Gas, 1625 Broadway Suite 250, Denver CO 80202 jpayne@kodiakog.com
2 Schlumberger Oilfield Services, 1675 Broadway Suite 900, Denver CO 80202 phook@slb.com
2. • Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp.
• North Dakota Industrial Commission Oil & Gas
Website (www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/)
Acknowledgements
3. • Overview of the Play (2000 – 2012)
• Limitations of Conventional Porosity Logs
• Conventional Porosity Maps (old mapping
methods with old logs)
• Tall Bear 16-15-16H Well Review
• Benefits of NMR logs
• Free-Fluid Porosity Maps (old mapping
methods with new logs)
• Summary
Outline
5. Limitations of Conventional Porosity Logs
• Conventional Porosity values are dependent upon
pre-existing knowledge of the reservoir’s lithology
and/or mineralogy(core analyses, cuttings, ect.)
• Total Porosity(TP) can be obtained, but is not
readily subdivided into porosity types (i.e., clay-
bound porosity, capillary-bound porosity, and
free-fluid porosity)
• Conventional Porosity values are not indicative of
reservoir permeability, and are not spatially
coincident with commercial production in Bakken
& Three Forks reservoir rocks
6. Middle Bakken Thickness
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
7. Middle Bakken Thickness
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
8. Middle Bakken Average Bulk Density
N
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
9. Middle Bakken Average Bulk Density
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
10. Middle Bakken Average Density Porosity
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
11. Middle Bakken Average Density Porosity
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
12. Middle Bakken Density Porosity x Feet
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
13. Middle Bakken Density Porosity x Feet
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
14. Tall Bear Prospect Area
Tall Bear 16-15-16H
BAKKEN FORMATION
STRUCTURE
Contour Interval = 25 ft
15. Tall Bear 16-15-16H
BAKKEN FORMATION
STRUCTURE
Contour Interval = 25 ft
Tall Bear Type Log
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
HOME PETROLEUM CORP
DANKS C.A. 1-15
Section 15, T147N-R91W
Dunn County, North Dakota
Middle BakkenBAKKEN
Formation
THREE FORKS
Formation
LODGEPOLE
Formation
PorGR Resis
EUR ≈ 15,000 BO
16. Results:
- Middle Bakken produces oil, albeit at low
volumes with high water cuts => very, very
low perm rocks (partially charged with oil?)
- If completed & placed on production, wells
may be marginal to non-commercial in this
part of the basin, given current oil prices…
- Existing porosity maps (from conventional
logs) are not useful for Middle Bakken play
prediction
Tall Bear 16-15-16H: Our biggest disappointment…yet
17. • Porosity values are independent of
lithology
• Total Porosity is subdivided into porosity
types (i.e., clay-bound porosity, capillary-
bound porosity, and free-fluid porosity)
• Provides multiple, separate estimates of
permeability
Benefits of NMR Logs
18. T2 Distribution - Main output of NMR Logging
T2 0.3ms 3.0ms 33ms 3000ms
Three basic porosity bins
give an indication of the
types of porosity present
CMFF (%)
CMRP_3MS (%)
TCMR (%) T2 Distribution
0.3ms 3000ms30% Porosity
Capillary Bound
Porosity
Small Pore
Porosity
Free Fluid
Porosity (Producible Fluids)
Total Porosity Area under distribution
Porosity Definitions and Field Presentation
P. Hook, Schlumberger, personal
communication, 2012
19. Porosity = 20%
Permeability = 7.5 md
Porosity = 19.5%
Permeability = 279 md
T2 time
k = 279 md
Signal
distribution
Increasing relaxation time
T2 time
k = 7.5 md
Signal
distribution
Increasing relaxation time
Pore Size Distribution & Permeability
P. Hook, Schlumberger, personal
communication, 2012
Lower
Free Fluid
Porosity Values
Higher
Free Fluid
Porosity Values
22. Middle Bakken Thickness
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
23. Middle Bakken Thickness
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
24. Middle Bakken Average Free-Fluid Porosity
N
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
25. Middle Bakken Average Free-Fluid Porosity
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
26. Middle Bakken Free-Fluid Porosity x Feet
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
27. Middle Bakken Free-Fluid Porosity x Feet
Lodgepole Fm
Upper Bakken
Lower Bakken
Three
Forks
Fm
Middle
Bakken
PorGR Resis
BAKKEN FORMATION
TYPE LOG
NOVUS OPERATING COMPANY L.P.
ANN 1 Well
Section 36, 152N-100W
McKenzie Co., N.D.
N
28. Conclusions
• Permeable porosity networks in Middle Bakken
reservoir vary both vertically and laterally.
• Conventional porosity tools do not always allow
us to identify the presence of reservoir quality
rocks.
• NMR logs allow characterization of permeable
porosity systems which influence well
productivity.
• Regional mapping of free-fluid porosity
constitutes a reliable means of identifying areas
of high-grade reservoir rocks.