<p> The Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk Formation has been a prolific oil and gas producer in Louisiana, with cumulative production greater than 57 million barrels of oil (MMBO) and 246 billion cubic feet (BCF) of gas. Production was previously limited to areas containing natural fractures that provided permeability to the formation. Recently, there has been interest in fracture stimulating the formation in order to produce hydrocarbons from new areas. In this study we evaluated the Austin Chalk Formation as a potential reservoir for hydrocarbons and attempted to locate areas with the greatest production potential within our study area. We used available well logs across Louisiana to map rock properties associated with potential hydrocarbon production. Log measurements from 116 wells were used to create maps of structure, thickness, resistivity, water saturation, and porosity. Historical production and mud weights were used to map oil, gas, and water production as well as estimated pore pressure. From these maps, we generated composite maps of hydrocarbon-foot and original oil in place, as well as a composite risk map. The risk map was based on the primary components of oil in place: thickness, porosity, and water saturation. The thickness was greater in the eastern portion of the study area than the western portion. We also found that porosity was greatest in the southern, deeper portion of the study area. Water saturation followed an arcuate trend and was found to be the highest in the northern portion of the study area and lowest in the central portion of the study area. The composite risk map illustrates three areas with high likelihood for hydrocarbon production, one of which correlates to past production. We conclude that these mapped areas with significant thickness, high porosity, and low water saturation have the lowest risk and the greatest production potential.</p><p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:13427965 |
| Date | 12 April 2019 |
| Creators | Teter, David |
| Publisher | University of Louisiana at Lafayette |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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