DeAnda Geo-Consulting

MWD: Real-Time Subsurface Navigation in Drilling 🛢️🧭

Measurement While Drilling (MWD) is a crucial technology in directional drilling, providing real-time data on wellbore trajectory and downhole conditions. Using advanced sensors embedded in the bottom-hole assembly (BHA), MWD transmits information on inclination, azimuth, and toolface orientation, allowing engineers to precisely steer the wellbore.

How It Works:
📡 Telemetry Systems – Data is transmitted to the surface via mud pulse, electromagnetic, or wired drill pipe systems.
🧭 Gyroscopic & Accelerometer Sensors – Measure wellbore deviation relative to the Earth's surface.
🛠️ Downhole Diagnostics – Detects vibration, pressure, and temperature variations to optimize drilling performance.

Why It’s Essential:
🔬 Enhances Wellbore Accuracy – Critical for reaching targeted reservoirs.
💡 Reduces Non-Productive Time (NPT) – Real-time adjustments prevent costly wellbore corrections.
⚡ Improves Efficiency in Horizontal & Extended Reach Drilling – Essential for maximizing hydrocarbon recovery.

AFE💵💵💵

In the oil and gas industry, AFE stands for Authorization for Expenditure. It's a document that estimates costs for drilling a well, and is used to get approval for funding.
Purpose 🔍
-To get approval for funding for drilling projects
-To control and monitor investments in capital and operational -expenditures
-To provide an overview of drilling operations
Who's involved 🔍
-The operator prepares the AFE
-The AFE is reviewed and approved by various stakeholders, including engineers, geologists, surveyors, lawyers, and leadership
Why it's important 🔍
-AFEs are critical because oil and gas projects are expensive and have high stakes
-Accurate cost estimates are essential to avoid funding gaps and stalled operations
-A well-managed AFE process can improve allocations and minimize cost overruns

In the pictures down below can find attached an example of the AFE document with the budget of a typical oil well (The costs can vary depending on the project).

Reservoir rock

Oil and gas accumulations occur in underground traps formed by structural and/or stratigraphic features. Fortunately, the hydrocarbon accumulations usually occur in the more porous and permeable portion of beds, which are mainly sands, sandstones, limestones, and dolomites; in the intergranular openings; or in pore spaces caused by joints, fractures, and solution activity. A reservoir is that portion of the trapped formation that contains oil and/or gas as a single hydraulically connected system. In some cases the entire trap is filled with oil or gas, and in these instances the trap and the reservoir are the same. Often the hydrocarbon reservoir is hydraulically connected to a volume of water-bearing rock called an aquifer. Many reservoirs are located in large sedimentary basins and share a common aquifer. When this occurs, the production of fluid from one reservoir will cause the pressure to decline in other reservoirs by fluid communication through the aquifer. Hydrocarbon fluids are mixtures of molecules containing carbon and hydrogen. Under initial reservoir conditions, the hydrocarbon fluids are in either a single-phase or a two-phase state.

Cuenca Tampico-Misantla: Un gigante dormido 🔍

El termino"super cuenca" es promocionado recientemente por IHS Markit, una compañía de analisis financiero para recursos petroleros. Ellos definieron una super cuenca como una cuenca establecida con al menos 5 mil millones de barriles de petróleo equivalente (BOE) producidos y al menos el mismo volumen de reservas recuperables restantes, con dos o más sistemas petroleros o rocas generadoras, múltiples reservorios apilados, infraestructura existente, un ecosistema bien establecido de servicios de campo y buen acceso a los mercados. Ellos han encontrado al menos 48 cuencas en todo el mundo que tienen características que podrían apoyar su revitalización. Una cuenca se destacó como un ejemplo principal con condiciones muy favorables: la Cuenca de Tampico-Misantla en el centro-este de México, la cual tiene tiene condiciones muy similares a las de la Cuenca Pérmica en el Oeste de Texas.

La Cuenca Tampico-Misantla tiene varios yacimientos de petróleo tradicionales que producen desde principios del siglo XX, y dos no convencionales no desarrollados: petróleo de formaciones compactas y petróleo de esquisto, que permitirían multiplicar su producción de petróleo por seis en menos de 10 años. Los dos yacimientos no convencionales son el petróleo de formaciones compactas de Chicontepec y el petróleo de esquisto; juntos, tienen recursos potenciales de más de 100 mil millones de BOE(barrel of oil equivalent) en el lugar, pero desafortunadamente no se están desarrollando.

Referencias:
--Guzmán, A. E. (2022). Tampico-Misantla: A premier super basin in waiting. AAPG Bulletin, 106(3), 495-516.

--Exploración, P., & Producción, S. D. E. (2013). Provincia Petrolera Tampico-Misantla. México, 2013.[Consulta: 10 de septiembre de 2018].

https://explorer.aapg.org/story/articleid/50461/the-permian-lookalike-tampico-misantla

https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2015/1112/pdf/ofr2015-1112.pdf

https://naturalgasintel.com/news/renaissance-heads-back-to-the-future-to-crack-code-in-mexicos-tampico-mislanta-basin/

https://explorer.aapg.org/story/articleid/67551/the-permian-basin-of-mexico-could-revive-countrys-oil-production?utm_medium=website&utm_source=2

https://hidrocarburos.gob.mx/media/3091/atlas_geologico_cuenca_tampico-misantla_v3.pdf

Hydrocarbon Traps🔍
Hydrocarbon traps are essential structures in oil and gas exploration. They consist of porous reservoir rocks overlain by impermeable rocks, creating a barrier that prevents the upward migration of oil and gas. These traps must form closed structures to collect hydrocarbons, which are lighter than water. Effective seals are necessary to maintain trap integrity and prevent vertical petroleum migration. Shales and evaporites are common seals, with shales being porous but having high capillary forces, while evaporites are the most effective seals.

Types of Hydrocarbon Traps:
Structural Traps: Formed by tectonic processes such as folding and faulting after the deposition of reservoir beds.
Stratigraphic Traps: Formed by variations in rock layers and their properties.
Combination Traps: Result from a mix of structural and stratigraphic processes.
Diapiric Traps:Created by the upward movement of salt or mud, causing the overlying strata to dome and form various types of traps. These are considered a subtype of structural traps but are differentiated due to their local lithostatic movement.

Field and Pool Definitions:
A field is the surface area above one or more producing reservoirs within the same trap.
Pools are reservoirs within a field, each with its own fluid contact. Despite the term’s origin in journalistic fantasies of vast underground lakes of oil, it is still widely used.

Understanding these complex structures is crucial for identifying and developing economically viable oil and gas resources. Effective exploration and development hinge on accurately mapping and evaluating these various types of hydrocarbon traps.



Sources: Bjorlykke, K. (2010). Petroleum geoscience: From sedimentary environments to rock physics. Springer Science & Business Media.

Selley, R. C. (1998). Elements of petroleum geology. Gulf Professional Publishing.

Hyne, N. J. (2001). Nontechnical guide to petroleum geology, exploration, drilling, and production (p. 724). Tulsa, OK: Penn Well Corporation.

Understanding Hydrocarbon Exploration: A Step-by-Step Guide 🔍

Investigating sedimentary basins, petroleum systems, plays, and prospects are essential steps in understanding hydrocarbon genesis and habitat. Each level of investigation offers unique insights and plays a crucial role in the exploration process.
-Sedimentary Basins: These investigations focus on the stratigraphic sequence and structural style of sedimentary rocks, providing the foundational understanding of where hydrocarbons might be found.
-Petroleum Systems: This level of study examines the genetic relationship between a specific source rock and the petroleum it generates. It helps identify the presence and distribution of hydrocarbons within a basin.

Plays and Prospects:
-Plays The play is one or more prospects.
-Prospects are individual traps that need to be evaluated to determine their economic viability and potential for exploitation with current technology and tools. The presence of reservoir rock, seal rock, trap volume, hydrocarbon charge, and timing are usually involved in this evaluation.



Sources: Magoon, L. B., & Dow, W. G. (1991). The petroleum system-from source to trap. AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists);(United States), 75(CONF-910403-).

The Permian Basin: A Key Player in U.S. Energy 🔍

The Permian Basin has produced 28.9 billion barrels of oil and 203 trillion cubic feet of gas (63 billion barrels of oil equivalent) from 1920 to 2019. Technological advancements in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have reversed production declines, surpassing the early 1970s peak.

In 2021, the basin accounted for over 41% of U.S. crude oil and more than 15% of natural gas production. Estimates suggest it holds 120-137 billion barrels of oil equivalent in reserves. Spanning 57,500 square miles across West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, By the end of the last decade, unconventional resource reservoir oil production accounted for nearly 90% of the basin's total liquid production .

The basin's complex petroleum systems feature multiple source rocks throughout its 25,000-foot sedimentary section, sealed by layers of evaporites. This super basin remains vital to the U.S. energy landscape, showcasing the importance of ongoing drilling and completions of technological innovation.



Sources: Fairhurst, B., Ewing, T., & Lindsay, B. (2021). West Texas (Permian) Super Basin, United States: Tectonics, structural development, sedimentation, petroleum systems, and hydrocarbon reserves. AAPG Bulletin, 105(6), 1099-1147.

https://www.eia.gov/maps/pdf/EIA-Permian-Part-II.pdf

Accumulations of Organic Matter

It is well documented that oil accumulations are of organic origin and formed from organic matter in sediments. The organic matter from which petroleum is derived originated through photosynthesis. Most organic materials that occur in source rocks for petroleum are algae, formed by photosynthesis. The supply of nutrients is therefore greatest in coastal areas, particularly where sediment-laden rivers discharge into the sea. Biological production is greatest in the uppermost 20–30 m of the ocean and most of the phytoplankton growth occurs in this zone. Basins with restricted water circulation will preserve more organic matter and produce good source rocks that may mature to generate oil and gas.

Sources: Bjorlykke, K. (2010). Petroleum geoscience: From sedimentary environments to rock physics. Springer Science & Business Media.

What makes the Eagle Ford shale so interesting? (Part 2)

The Eagle Ford shale covers a vast area that spans approximately 7 million ac (2,832,799 ha) of continuous prospective reservoir and therefore should be considered as one oil and gas accumulation, or field. As a result of the aerial extent of the field occurring at depths ranging from approximately 5000 ft (1524 m) to the north to approximately 13,000 ft (3962 m) to the south, the product mix covers the entire spectrum from low gravity–low gas oil-ratio oil to dry gas, and everything in between. The Eagle Ford Formation lies above the Buda limestone and beneath the Austin chalk over the entire field area. The formation varies in thickness from approximately 250 ft (76 m) to as much as 600 ft (183 m) and is composed of a variety of facies. The primary reservoir facies, herein referred to as the Hawkville facies, is the primary reservoir and is located near the base of the formation. The Hawkville facies, named for the field area located in LaSalle and McMullen Counties where the net reservoir thickness is found to be in excess of 300 ft (91 m), is a calcareous mudstone that was deposited in an anoxic environment as part of the Cretaceous seaway that traversed north to south through west-central United States and Canada.

Sources: Stoneburner, R. K. (2017). The Eagle Ford Shale field in the Gulf Coast Basin of South Texas, USA: A “perfect” unconventional giant oil field.

What makes the Eagle Ford shale so interesting? (Part 1)

The Eagle Ford shale play in South Texas emerged as a leading unconventional prospect even as oil and gas prices crumbled, first commercially produced in 2008 and has since achieved production and reserve growth that is virtually unprecedented in the history of onshore North American oil and gas development. Through December 2014, the field had cumulative production of approximately 1.1 billion bbl of oil and condensate and 4.8 trillion cubic ft of natural gas (TCFG). Average daily production during 2014 was approximately 1.3 million bbl of oil and condensate per day and 4.9 billion cubic ft per day of natural gas (BCFGD). The horizontal rig count in October 2014 was approximately 200, resulting in approximately 300 wells drilled per month (RigData). While the entire resource potential of the Eagle Ford is still quite subjective, it has been estimated to be as high 25 to 30 billion bbl of oil equivalent (BBOE).

Sources: Stoneburner, R. K. (2017). The Eagle Ford Shale field in the Gulf Coast Basin of South Texas, USA: A “perfect” unconventional giant oil field.

World largest oil reserves by country 2024

Oil reserves refer to the estimated amount of crude oil that can be economically recovered from known oil fields using existing technology under current economic conditions. These reserves represent the portion of oil resources that can be technically and economically extracted at a given time. Oil reserves are typically categorized into proved reserves (which are highly certain to be recoverable), probable reserves (which are likely to be recovered with some degree of certainty), and possible reserves (which are less certain but potentially recoverable under favorable conditions). To assess the largest reserves that exist in 2024, data for this ranking was received primarily from EIA most recent report.

Source: https://www.eia.gov/international/rankings/world?pa=12&u=0&f=A&v=none&y=01%2F01%2F2022