Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on May 1, 2014 at 3:40am

Been wondering if ethane dilution / ethane fracturing would enhance migration out of the shale and even up into the Clinton sandstone and perhaps even stimulating the existing / any new Clinton wells ? ?

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Permalink Reply by Steven A Joliat on May 1, 2014 at 3:59am

The separation of the Clinton and Utica is too great to have any practical effective method for migrating gas or fluids between them.  Gas injection where the injected gas displaces and mobilizes a desired hydrocarbon has been used effectively in many reservoirs.  I would suspect it is a subject of investigation somewhere with respect to the Utica or other shales.  It imposes an additional cost to production, so it would be in line for future development when less expensively produced areas begin to be depleted.

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Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on May 1, 2014 at 4:05am

That makes perfect sense to me the layman.

Love to see it happen soon.

Thank you Steven.

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on May 1, 2014 at 5:07am

Steven,
What about 5500' of cover / overburden ?
Wouldn't that generate enough pressure ro raise the oil ?
That's the reported depth to the top of the Utica in southwest Ashtabula County and it's also reported as about 350' thick with
about an 85' thickness of Point Pleasant at it's bottom.

Permalink Reply by Steven A Joliat on May 1, 2014 at 4:53am

The key is the density of fractures in the well and the fact that oil is relatively incompressible like water.  Since the wellbore intersected open natural fractures, it can easily produce fluid contained within the fractures.  Even though the Utica in the west is relatively shallow, I'm not sure how deep offhand in Fairfield county, I'll assume a couple thousand feet, the pressure at that depth from the weight of the overlying rock and fluids could be a couple thousand PSI.  This is what drives the oil to the surface where the pressure is atmospheric, 14 psi.  If the difference in pressure is greater than the weight of the column of oil in the wellbore, the oil will flow to the surface until either the reservoir pressure is sufficiently reduced to balance the weight of the oil column or the oil in the fractures has run out.  This is a simplification of the overall conditions, but you get the idea.  Fractured rocks have a much greater permeability, or lack of resistance to fluid flow than the unfractured Utica.  The well is a pipe and if the pressure at one end is lower than the other end, fluids will move from the high pressure side to the lower pressure side.

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on May 1, 2014 at 4:02am

U. S. :

Seems to me that would mean that shale is played out; and that seems to me to be contrary to everything else I've read about it.

I've read that at the Morrison well the Queenston formation (just below the Utica) was fractured and some oil was even recovered there. Never understood why they fractured the Queenston and not the PP there.

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Permalink Reply by 0i7okn54zwbdo on May 1, 2014 at 4:27am

Queenston is above the Utica.

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on May 1, 2014 at 4:48am

Correct Marcus.
They frac'd. the Trenton (not the Queenston) at the Morrison.
Had my 'tons screwed up.
Sorry about that all.
That's what I get for trusting ny memory too much.
It's the Trenton that's just below the Utica PP that was frac'd. at the Morrison - not the Queenston.
Still don't know why however.
Good catch Mr. Grayson - my bad.

J-O

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on May 1, 2014 at 4:54am

I didn't think it was played out but I thought that was what you were implying.
Guess you weren't.
That's a good thing

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on May 1, 2014 at 5:24am

Marcus,
Thanks again for catching my error (Trenton not Queenston).
You see - that's always the way it's been with me - never a chance at 'plausible deniability).
My miscues are always right there in my face.
Thanks once again.
J-O

Permalink Reply by 0i7okn54zwbdo on May 1, 2014 at 5:41am

We all make mistakes.

Permalink Reply by Philip Brutz on May 1, 2014 at 5:43am

Generalized Geology and Profile of a Utica Shale Well Prototype in ...

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