The Nappamerri Trough, Cooper Basin unconventional plays: proving a hypothesis

2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie Trembath ◽  
Lindsay Elliott ◽  
Mark Pitkin
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Gas Flows ◽  
Gas System ◽  
Central Trough ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Early Exploration ◽  
Structural Closure ◽  
Cooper Basin

Beach Energy has started exploring unconventional gas in the Nappamerri Trough, the central trough within the Cooper Basin, where the Permian section has long been regarded as the primary source for most of the conventional hydrocarbons found within the basin. This extended abstract discusses the data used to identify the unconventional play and the exploration program carried out to date. Mud weights, drill stem test (DST) pressures and log data from early exploration wells identified the Permian formations as overpressured. This with geochemical and mineralogy analyses indicated that the Roseneath and Murteree Shales had potential similar to successful shale gas plays being developed in the USA. The quartz and siderite content within both shale sections indicated sufficient brittleness for successful fracture stimulation. In addition, the Nappamerri Trough Permian section showed low permeabilities, which, when combined with overpressure, suggested a basin-centred style play within the Epsilon and Patchawarra sandstones and possibly the Toolachee Formation sandstones. During 2010–11, Beach drilled two exploration wells sited outside structural closure to test both the shale gas and basin centred gas system. Both wells have now been fracture stimulated, with very encouraging gas flows from the Roseneath to Patchawarra section. The latest geological data confirms the pre-drill potential for both gas flow from the shales and the presence and production of gas from sandstones outside structural closure, resulting in a significant shale and tight gas resource booking. Ongoing exploration and development will target a potential 300 Tcf gas in place in PEL 218.

From play to production: the Cooper unconventional story—20 years in the making

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Greenstreet
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Horizontal Wells ◽  
Gas Flows ◽  
Resource Potential ◽  
Unconventional Resources ◽  
Gas Shales ◽  
Reservoir Conditions ◽  
Structural Closure ◽  
Cooper Basin

The Cooper Basin is Australia’s leading onshore producing hydrocarbon province, having produced more than 6 Tcf of natural gas since 1969. The basin is undergoing renewal 45 years later, driven by the emerging growth of east coast LNG export-driven demand. Following North America’s shale gas revolution, the Cooper Basin’s unconventional potential is now widely appreciated and it is believed to hold more than 100 Tcf of recoverable gas. This resource potential is held in four stacked target unconventional lithotypes, each having demonstrated gas flows: tight sands—heterogeneous stacked fluvial sands; deep coal—porous dry coals, oversaturated with gas; shales—thick, regionally extensive lacustrine shales; and, hybrid shales—mixed lithotype containing interbedded tight sandstones, shales and coals. Industry activity initially focused on the Nappamerri Trough, where more than 25 contemporary exploration wells have been drilled, proving up an extensive basin-centred gas play with >1,000 m of continuous overpressured gas saturated section outside of structural closure. Santos has had a team focused on unconventional resources for nearly 20 years and successful results have been quickly tied into the producing infrastructure. This has been demonstrated with the Moomba–191 REM shale success, Moomba–194 and the recent Moomba–193H connection, one of the basin’s first fracture-stimulated horizontal wells. Prospective geology, existing infrastructure and market access makes the Cooper Basin well positioned for unconventional success. Each resource play is unique and commercial success requires considered adaptation of established technologies and workflows, based on a understanding of local geological and reservoir conditions. Commercialisation activity now seeks to define play fairways, characterise and prioritise reservoir targets and determine appropriate drilling and completion approaches.

FLANK PLAYS AND FAULTED BASEMENT: NEW DIRECTIONS FOR THE COOPER BASIN

1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
S. Taylor ◽  
G. Solomon ◽  
N. Tupper ◽  
J. Evanochko ◽  
G. Horton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Flow ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Gas Flows ◽  
The South ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
South West ◽  
Basement Reservoirs ◽  
Reservoir Potential ◽  
Cooper Basin

The Moomba and Big Lake Gas Field area has been actively explored for 25 years. However, recent drilling and field studies have identified new reservoir objectives for appraisal of established fields and for exploration in wildcat areas. Cooper Basin reserves have been increased and further additions are likely. Integration of drilling, production and pressure data for the Moomba and Big Lake Fields has resulted in the discovery of a structural-stratigraphic trap on the south-west flank of the Moomba Dome. Moomba-65 flowed gas at 9.8 MMCFD (0.27 Mm3/d) from deltaic sandstone of the Epsilon Formation (Early Permian). Similar plays are likely to be found on the flanks of other Cooper Basin fields and will become increasingly important as opportunities for conventional crestal tests of anticlines diminish.Exploration to the south-west of the Moomba Field has established the first significant gas flows from rocks beneath the conventional reservoirs of the Cooper Basin. Lycosa-1 drilled a faulted anticline and achieved a maximum gas flow of 5.0 MMCFD (0.14 Mm3/d) from fractured metasiltstone of the Dullingari Group (Ordovician). Moo- lalla-1 drilled a low-side fault terrace and flowed gas at 9.6 MMCFD (0.27 Mm3/d) from 'protoquartzite' tentatively assigned to the Dullingari Group. Consequently, structures where 'basement' reservoirs are faulted against mature Patchawarra Formation source rocks are attractive exploration targets.Petrological studies have identified 'glauconitic illite' in the Cooper Basin sequence suggesting hitherto unrecognised marine conditions. A reassessment of the source and reservoir potential of the region will be necessary if the presence of marine environments is substantiated by further studies.

Co-Current and Countercurrent Migration of Gas Kicks in “Horizontal” Wells

1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Baca ◽  
J. Smith ◽  
A. T. Bourgoyne ◽  
D. E. Nikitopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Test Section ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Gas Injection ◽  
Horizontal Wells ◽  
Gas Flows ◽  
Countercurrent Flow ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
Operating Window ◽  
Annular Pipes ◽  
Injection Rates

Results from experiments conducted in downward liquid-gas flows in inclined, eccentric annular pipes, with water and air as the working fluids, are presented. The gas was injected in the middle of the test section length. The operating window, in terms of liquid and gas superficial velocities, within which countercurrent gas flow occurs at two low-dip angles, has been determined experimentally. The countercurrent flow observed was in the slug regime, while the co-current one was stratified. Countercurrent flow fraction and void fraction measurements were carried out at various liquid superficial velocities and gas injection rates and correlated to visual observations through a full-scale transparent test section. Our results indicate that countercurrent flow can be easily generated at small downward dip angles, within the practical range of liquid superficial velocity for drilling operations. Such flow is also favored by low gas injection rates.

scholarly journals Potential of using inert gas flows for controlling the quality of as-grown silicon single crystal

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Tatyana V. Kritskaya ◽  
Vladimir N. Zhuravlev ◽  
Vladimir S. Berdnikov
Keyword(s):  
Single Crystal ◽  
Carbon Content ◽  
Single Crystals ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
Crystal Surface ◽  
Gas Flows ◽  
Reaction Products ◽  
Crystal Silicon ◽  
Argon Gas

We have improved the well-known Czochralski single crystal silicon growth method by using two argon gas flows. One flow is the main one (15–20 nl/min) and is directed from top to bottom along the growing single crystal. This flow entrains reaction products of melt and quartz crucible (mainly SiO), removes them from the growth chamber through a port in the bottom of the chamber and provides for the growth of dislocation-free single crystals from large weight charge. Similar processes are well known and have been generally used since the 1970s world over. The second additional gas flow (1.5–2 nl/min) is directed at a 45 arc deg angle to the melt surface in the form of jets emitted from circularly arranged nozzles. This second gas flow initiates the formation of a turbulent melt flow region which separates the crystallization front from oxygen-rich convective flows and accelerates carbon evaporation from the melt. It has been confirmed that oxygen evaporated from the melt (in the form of SiO) acts as transport agent for nonvolatile carbon. Commercial process implementation has shown that carbon content in as-grown single crystals can be reduced to below the carbon content in the charge. Single crystals grown with two argon gas flows have also proven to have highly macro- and micro-homogeneous oxygen distributions, with much greater lengths of single crystal portions in which the oxygen concentration is constant and below the preset limit. Carbon contents of 5–10 times lower than carbon content in the charge can be achieved with low argon gas consumption per one growth process (15–20 nl/min vs 50–80 nl/min for conventional processes). The use of an additional argon gas flow with a 10 times lower flowrate than that of the main flow does not distort the pattern of main (axial) flow circumvention around single crystal surface, does not hamper the “dislocation-free growth” of crystals and does not increase the density of microdefects. This suggests that the new method does not change temperature gradients and does not produce thermal shocks that may generate thermal stresses in single crystals.

scholarly journals NMR Analysis Method of Gas Flow Pattern in the Process of Shale Gas Depletion Development

Geofluids ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 2022 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Rui Shen ◽  
Zhiming Hu ◽  
Xianggang Duan ◽  
Wei Sun ◽  
Wei Xiong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Pattern ◽  
Pore Pressure ◽  
Shale Gas ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Continuous Medium ◽  
Slip Flow ◽  
Flow Patterns ◽  
Transitional Flow ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Adsorbed Gas

Shale gas reservoirs have pores of various sizes, in which gas flows in different patterns. The coexistence of multiple gas flow patterns is common. In order to quantitatively characterize the flow pattern in the process of shale gas depletion development, a physical simulation experiment of shale gas depletion development was designed, and a high-pressure on-line NMR analysis method of gas flow pattern in this process was proposed. The signal amplitudes of methane in pores of various sizes at different pressure levels were calculated according to the conversion relationship between the NMR T 2 relaxation time and pore radius, and then, the flow patterns of methane in pores of various sizes under different pore pressure conditions were analyzed as per the flow pattern determination criteria. It is found that there are three flow patterns in the process of shale gas depletion development, i.e., continuous medium flow, slip flow, and transitional flow, which account for 73.5%, 25.8%, and 0.7% of total gas flow, respectively. When the pore pressure is high, the continuous medium flow is dominant. With the gas production in shale reservoir, the pore pressure decreases, the Knudsen number increases, and the pore size range of slip flow zone and transitional flow zone expands. When the reservoir pressure is higher than the critical desorption pressure, the adsorbed gas is not desorbed intensively, and the produced gas is mainly free gas. When the reservoir pressure is lower than the critical desorption pressure, the adsorbed gas is gradually desorbed, and the proportion of desorbed gas in the produced gas gradually increases.

scholarly journals Gas System for the ATLAS NSW Micromegas Detectors: Design Aspects and Advanced Validation Methods for their QA/QC

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Alexopoulos ◽  
E. Gazis ◽  
S. Maltezos ◽  
A. Antoniou ◽  
V. Gika ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Distribution System ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Test Methods ◽  
Gas Leak ◽  
Gas System ◽  
Medical Needles ◽  
Flow Pressure ◽  
Loss Method ◽  
Lock In ◽  
Rate Loss

In this work we present the design aspects of the Gas Distribution System of NSW Micromegas detectors, simulation results and gas flow / pressure uniformity. We also describe the appropriate gas leak test methods, a conventional and an alternative one, being used in the Quality Assurance and Quality Control of the detectors. For the performance studies we used emulated leak branches based on medical needles. We also describe proposed upgrade stages combining the proposed competitive Flow Rate Loss method with the Lock-in Amplifier technique. Further, we describe the baseline setup for the Gas Tightness Station at BB5/CERN.

scholarly journals The gas flow pattern through small size Resistive Plate Chambers with 2 mm gap

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. P11022
Author(s):  
Y. Pezeshkian ◽  
A. Kiyoumarsioskouei ◽  
M. Ahmadpouri ◽  
G. Ghorbani
Keyword(s):  
Gas Flow ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Gas Flow Rate ◽  
Argon Gas ◽  
Dynamic Methods ◽  
Gas System ◽  
Gas Molecules ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Resistive Plate Chambers ◽  
The Difference

Abstract A prototype of a single-gap glass Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) is constructed by the authors. To find the requirements for better operation of the detector's gas system, we have simulated the flow of the Argon gas through the detector by using computational fluid dynamic methods. Simulations show that the pressure inside the chamber linearly depends on the gas flow rate and the chamber's output hose length. The simulation results were compatible with experiments. We have found that the pressure-driven speed of the gas molecules is two orders of magnitude larger in the inlet and outlet regions than the blocked corners of a 14 × 14 cm2 chamber, and most likely the difference in speed is higher for larger detectors and different geometries.

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