Characterizing controls on reservoir properties in unconventional shale and tight reservoirs

Abstract

Since 2014 JOGMEC has been collaborating with Natural Resources Canada （NRCan） along with industry partners in the area of unconventional reservoir characterization and technology development. Based on a June 12 2019 presentation at the JAPT Exploration Technology Symposium in Tokyo, this paper presents research from two major shale and tight unconventional reservoirs, the Upper Devonian Duvernay and Lower Triassic Montney formations in western Canada, and examines the differences between these two fundamentally different types of reservoirs. Solid bitumen strongly influences reservoir quality in both types of reservoirs but in very different ways. In tight reservoirs （i.e., Montney Formation） solid bitumen typically occludes pores and pore throats, while in shale reservoirs （i.e., Duvernay Formation） solid bitumen can be the primary host of porosity.