Analysis of fluid property variations across the Barnett and Eagle Ford Shale using fuzzy logic

The objective for this study is to perform an investigation of the areal and vertical geospatial fluid property variations across the Barnett and Eagle Ford based on publicly-available PVT data (97 Barnett wells and 153 Eagle Ford wells). A modified multi-contact recombination procedure has been implemented to the PVT data of the reported well stream compositions for Barnett to improve estimates of in-situ reservoir composition. The Eagle Ford data were utilised without modifications as this shale play is known to be highly under-saturated. The results of modified multi-contact recombination procedure for Barnett are plotted on a ternary diagram and show that the majority of the wells were dry gas to retrograde gas. For Eagle Ford, ternary diagrams indicated the fluid type, vertical variations of OGR, C7+ and API gravity. Maps were created to review areal variations of these properties (API gravity, C7+, and initial OGR). The study was further speculated by applying fuzzy pattern recognition algorithms. The application of fuzzy logic provided additional insight to the reservoir fluid's PVT behaviour in understudy shale formations. [Received: August 23, 2018; Accepted: May 6, 2019]