SPE-185664-MS

Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the

Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field, Williston
Basin, North Dakota

Alan Alexeyev, University of North Dakota

 Slide 2

Location and Geology

Williston Basin is located

in the center of North
America
Most production is in the
North Dakota portion of
the basin
Bakken Formation is
around 10,000 ft
2 shale members and 1
mixed lithology middle
member

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 3

Core Analysis

Core observations:
fractures
stylolites
reaction with HCl

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 4

XRD
Component,
in %
#2820 - #2820 - #16433 - #16433 - #16652 - #16653
10592.5 10598' 10612' 10638' 10663' - 10678'
Quartz is the most
' abundant mineral
dolomite 33 13 40.5 13.3 11.1 15.3 Dolomite is the 2nd largest
calcite
(limestone)
8.6 14.9 9 10.2 6.2 10.7 Calcite is ~10%
quartz 31.3 60.8 50.5 41.6 45.45 50.9 Feldspar minerals are
(sandstone)
abundant also, up to 30%
Muscovite 13.3 11.8 11.3
Sanidine, 12.8 22.6 25.9
ferrain
pyrite 1 10 0.5
K (potassium) 1.2

Illite 23.1

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 5

Permeability to Core Data

Depth, ft Porosity, % air, mD
10665.6 5.66 0.004
10666.25 5.49 0.004 Core measurements from
10674.1 6.68 0.034
10675.2 6.18 0.014
well #16652
10676 7.4 0.005
10676.9 6.58 0.004 Porosity range: 3.5 - 7.5%
10678.2 6.09 0.008
10679.1
10680.1
6.18
6.2
0.004
0.004
Permeability range:
10681 6.27 0.004
10682 6.32 0.004 0.001-0.03 mD
10683.2 6.82 0.006
10684.1 5.68 0.003
10685.2 4.36 0.001
10686.1 3.44 0.001
10687.1 5.96 0.003
10688.1 3.33 0.021
10689.1 5.89 0.002
10690 5.96 0.002
10691.1 6.81 0.032

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 6

Reservoir Properties

Permeability
Porosity
Water Saturation
Shale Volume
Mineralogy
Lithology

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 7

Permeability

2 methods by Wyllie-Rose and

Coates
Comparison with core
measurements

Wyllie Rose:

=

Coates:

= (
)2

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 8

Permeability

Irreducible water saturation at

35%
Coates coefficients need to be
adjusted
Comparing with core
measurements, Coates formula
produces more accurate
calculations

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 9

Porosity

Neutron-Density method
Porosity 4-8%
Effective porosity is 3-5%
Calculations are very close to
core lab measurements from the
field

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 10

Shale Volume

GR index with appropriate min

and max values
Non-linear Vsh calculation

Larionov formula for older rocks:

1
= 3 (2 2 1)

Vsh is in the range of 10-20%

and consistent throughout the
reservoir

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 11

Water Saturation

2 methods by Archie and

Simandoux
m, n coefficients were adjusted
to be 1.75

Archie:
1

=

Simandoux:

1
+ = 0

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 12

Lithology

Quartz, dolomite, calcite, K-

feldspar, muscovite, illite
Quanti.Elan-calculated results are
close to and consistent with XRD
results
As in the XRD, quartz, sandstone,
and feldspar represent the largest
portions in the mineral composition

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 13

Lithology, more examples

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 14

Conclusions

Water saturations shown to be 40% and less

Mixed lithology with sandstone and dolomite being the largest
components
Dolomitic sandstone
Permeability in the range of 0.001-0.01 mD
Porosity 4-8%
Shale volume at 10-20%

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 15

Future work and recommendations

Geological modelling
Simulation

Obtain spectral GR, core measurements for better model calibration

Paper #185664 Integrated Reservoir Characterization of the Middle Bakken in the Blue Buttes Field Alan Alexeyev
 Slide 16

Thank You!

Questions?