Shale Gas and Oil Play Screening Criteria

This chapter introduces a new approach for shale gas and oil play screening criteria. The proposed approach takes into consideration a total of 15 parameters consisting of geomechanical, geochemical, and petrophysical properties in order to assess similarity with the 12 most common shale plays in North America. Statistical similarity and clustering analysis techniques reveal previously unknown relationships among the 12 shales. The proposed approach functions as a metric for quantifying degrees of similarity among the 12 shale plays and identifies operationally approved methods from analogous reservoir development in order to increase the potential recovery of existing shale natural gas and oil accumulations. The findings from this study have important implications for evaluating new shale plays and suggesting future development strategies. This chapter introduces a new approach for shale gas and oil play screening criteria. It evaluates new shale reservoirs relative to existing successful shale reservoirs based on the main geomechanical, petrophysical, and geochemical parameters. The chapter provides a database for the major productive shale plays in North America by building a metric that projects the various shale characteristics into one parameter. It discusses the statistical analysis to produce a similarity analysis of the studied shale. The chapter also focuses on a comprehensive predictive model to evaluate the key success of completion strategies for the major successful shale plays and guide future selective completion for each shale play. It utilizes primary stages to build an algorithm such as including mineralogical, mechanical, and petrophysical properties, along with the production indicators. These phases are the most important factors affecting the success of shale plays and feasibility of development.