Abstract
A holistic approach has been developed to assist in determining the remaining gas in-place in a source rock reservoir (SRR) that can be produced by drilling horizontal wells and hydraulically fracturing. SRR analysis helps identify locations in a basin where source rocks have sufficient total organic carbon (TOC) and maturity to have production potential. The conditions under which the rock was deposited determines the TOC and the richness of a SRR. The maturity depends on the geologic burial and temperature history of the rock since deposition.
To identify the boundaries of a play area that meets these conditions, 1D modeling and mapping of analysis can be used. In addition to production potential, the SRR needs to have sufficient thickness and brittleness to be able to hold a hydraulic fracture and remain open after the fracturing job has been completed. Rocks in the subsurface cannot be too complexly folded and faulted. This complexity prevents the construction of a long horizontal well.
