How technology and price affect US tight gas potential. Part 1. Technology of tight gas production

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983 · Pet. Eng.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6197448

Veatch, Jr, R W; Baker, O

The tight gas resource in the US currently is estimated at 900 tcf, of which 600 tcf is considered technically recoverable. This gas is found in basins that cover a prospective area of one million square miles (one million sections). Of these, ca 120,000 sections are potentially productive. The tight gas picture is composed of many different and often complex reservoirs, ranging from the shallow horizons of the Northern Great Plains to the deep formations of the Rocky Mountains. These reservoirs range from the blanket-like formations that cover wide geographical areas to the highly lenticular zones such as those common to the Mesa Verde. The one thing they have in common is microdarcy permeabilities. A good perspective of the challenge is obvious when such permeability values are realized to be similar to that of cement normally used for oil and gas well casing strings. The advanced technology presumes improved exploration knowledge, longer fractures, higher fracture conductivity, and a higher density of well development. Advanced technology is particularly necessary for lenticular reservoirs which contain ca 40% of the recoverable gas.

• OSTI ID: 6197448
• Journal Information: Pet. Eng.; (United States), Vol. 55:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS
RESERVES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
RESERVOIR ROCK
PERMEABILITY
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
USA
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
SANDSTONES
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINEERING
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
030100* - Natural Gas- Reserves- (-1989)
030900 - Natural Gas- Artificial Stimulation
Plowshare- (-1989)