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Title: Computed Tomography Scanning and Geophysical Measurements of the Rogersville Shale from the Smith #1 Well

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1488441· OSTI ID:1488441
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4]
  1. National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education (ORISE), Morgantown, WV (United States)
  2. National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); AECOM, Morgantown, WV (United States)
  3. National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States)
  4. West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, (WVGES), Morgantown, WV (United States)

The computed tomography (CT) facilities and the Multi-Sensor Core Logger (MSCL) at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Morgantown, West Virginia site were used to characterize a core from the Rogersville Shale. This sample was taken from a vertical well, the Jay P. Smith #1 well (47-099-1572), drilled in Wayne County, West Virginia by the Exxon Company in the Elmwood Prospect. The core is comprised primarily of the Rogersville Shale from depths of 11,135 to 11,200.5 ft. This unit is a potential Cambrian oil/gas target, making it of recent interest to multiple groups. The core was provided by the West Virginia Geologic and Economic Survey (WVGES). The primary impetus of this work is a collaboration between WVGES and NETL to characterize core from multiple wells to better understand the structure and variation of key formations in West Virginia (e.g. Crandall et al., 2018a,b). As part of this effort, bulk scans of core were obtained from the Smith #1 well. This report, and the associated scans, provide detailed datasets not typically available from unconventional shales for analysis. The resultant datasets are presented in this report, and can be accessed from NETL's Energy Data eXchange (EDX) online system using the following link: https://edx.netl.doe.gov/dataset/roger-well. All equipment and techniques used were non-destructive, enabling future examinations to be performed on these cores. None of the equipment used was suitable for direct visualization of the shale pore space, although fractures and discontinuities were detectable with the methods tested. Low resolution CT imagery with the NETL medical CT scanner was performed on the entire core. Qualitative analysis of the medical CT images, coupled with X-ray fluorescence (XRF), P-wave, and magnetic susceptibility measurements from the MSCL were useful in identifying zones of interest for more detailed analysis as well as fractured zones. The ability to quickly identify key areas for more detailed study with higher resolution will save time and resources in future studies. The combination of methods used provided a multi-scale analysis of this core and provides both a macro and micro description of the core that is relevant for many subsurface energy-related examinations that have traditionally been performed at NETL.

Research Organization:
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
DOE Contract Number:
FE0004000
OSTI ID:
1488441
Report Number(s):
NETL-PUB-21996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English