Austin Chalk Study

Reservoir Characterization and Production Properties

Core Laboratories is proposing to interested companies participation in a multi-company, geo-engineering study of the Austin Chalk which should dovetail nicely with our South Texas and East Texas Eagle Ford studies.

This project consists of the characterization and evaluation of numerous conventional cores targeting the Austin Chalk. Specifically, the prospective sections of the Austin Chalk will be analyzed for geological, petrophysical, and geomechanical properties. This large and searchable database will provide operators with valuable information not only on their own wells, but also on other operator’s wells.

The primary objective of this project is to provide operators with measured geological, petrophysical, and geomechanical properties in order to improve their formation evaluation and to optimize stimulation and production.

Our work suggests that understanding the similarities and differences in resource plays on a regional basis is the key to successful exploration and exploitation. The resultant database is an invaluable tool to operators in evaluating, comparing, and designing completion and stimulation methods for the Austin Chalk. Specifically, the project objectives are as follows:

• Geologically characterize the Austin Chalk in terms of depositional facies, environment of deposition, and rock types.
• Characterize and classify the Austin Chalk in terms of lithology, mineralogy, clay content, clay types, and pore structure including macro- and micro-fractures.
• Measure the various petrophysical properties such as porosity, permeability, and grain density.
• Determine if natural fractures are necessary for commercial production
• Core-log calibration of open-hole logs for the development of petrophysical models to determine Austin Chalk formation properties.
• Geomechanically profile the Austin Chalk utilizing core plugs, high-resolution rebound hammer data, and sonic logs leading to an improved fracture closure stress
• Determine the optimal landing zone for horizontal wells to maximize production
• Provide operators with a searchable database for Austin Chalk properties that can be used as analogs to aid in the appraisal and exploitation of “unknown or newly discovered” Austin Chalk reservoirs.