USING HMPA IN CONJUNCTION WITH 3D
HMPA technology does not look for structure; it identifies where the thickest oil columns exist at depth. Red represents the strongest areas while blue and purple areas are least prospective. Where structure is the trapping mechanism in play, the HMPA map (left) should correlate with 3-D (right). However, where oil is trapped by mechanisms 3-D can't see, the HMPA map may have red where 3-D shows nothing structural happening. Also, a 3-D high that is either barren or depleted will show little or no color on HMPA maps.
This is a text book example of how we find oil on the flanks of 3-D highs. In the middle of this tract is a Lansing-KC formation 3-D High. Highs like this drilled around this tract have yielded dry holes because the formation was too high and “tight”. This operator took a chance on this tract and drilled on the flank and got a fantastic well.
They hired us to come in and confirm the presence of the same reservoir at their second location, which we did, in addition to identifying additional oil reservoir all the way around the feature.
Some structural highs produce at their highest points while others produce on the flanks. We look for oil not structure.
DEPLETION AND RESIDUAL RESERVES
HMPA technology is not just used for locating new drill sites. Because HMPA shows depletion and where the thickest oil columns are located, it can be used to survey existing or shut in fields to determine where residual reserves remain on a lease. This information can be useful in making decisions on plugging, stimulating, directional drilling and injection projects.
This map is of an actual survey conducted over an old field. The red areas show where the most residual oil exists. Based on this study, HMPA results indicated a possible frac job on the #1 and #4 wells, or laterals going north of #4 and east of #1. Results also suggested a possible new location west of the #10 well.
This is the study of a Mississippian pool east of Wichita, Kansas. The objective of the study was to define areas where residual reserves remain. Depletion or barren areas show up in blue and purple. Areas where the thickest oil columns remain show up in red. The following were accomplished with this study:
*Confirmed the Sommers 1 as BARREN (the previous operator could have avoided drilling this dry hole using HMPA).
*Identified considerable RESIDUAL OIL near the borehole of the #1 well (a small frac could economically add barrels to this lease).
*Identified a potential NEW DRILL SITE on a previously unknown trend (originally thought was the reservoir boundary terminated west of the Sommers 2).
DETERMINING OFFSET LOCATIONS
This example of a quarter section survey we conducted shows the probable depletion of a hydrocarbon reservoir. HMPA is useful in determining an offset location to an existing well
*(legal description and well names have been blocked to preserve confidentiality).
high resolution scans
The more data you acquire, the better the results, regardless of what technology you are using. With HMPA, we are able to take hundreds of data samples across your acreage tract, giving us the best resolution possible when identifying areas of interest on a prospect
HMPA surveys are typically conducted in a grid pattern with scans taken every 200 feet. At each data point, a 120 second scan is performed while the system looks for the HMPA signal. Each scan is recorded with GPS. The data generated by the software helps to determine reservoir size, thickness of the oil column within the reservoir and other characteristics used to establish suggested drill site locations. If the HMPA survey over a given tract does not detect the presence of the HMPA signal under any data point, this is called a “barren” tract and would likely yield a negative drill test. Not every scan will detect the HMPA signal as it is not constantly occurring. It occurs at irregular intervals but will most likely occur within the 120 second scan time. When positive areas are detected, spacing is usually tightened to 100 feet. The more data points that are recorded and the closer the spacing between these points, the more accurate the system will be at detecting an anomalous feature.
color contour mapping
The HMPA instrument responds in real time and once field data is gathered, a color contour map representing the results of the study is generated. Unlike 3-D studies where you have multiple map sets looking at time, depth, Isochrons, etc., the HMPA map set consists of one map as we are looking for oil or no oil, simply put. As you view our maps remember that HMPA technology does not look for structure; it identifies where the thickest oil columns exist at depth. Red represents the strongest areas while blue and purple areas are least prospective.
chasing sands
The lone well you see here has made over 125,000 barrels out of the Tannehill Sand but the operator hasn’t offset the well because the productive part of these reefs can be very narrow. On another lease 5 dry holes were drilled trying to offset such a well. As you can see HMPA identified the reef and this operator now has multiple offset locations to exploit.
The objective of this KS study was to lock onto the productive part of a Morrow Sand Channel, trace it across the tract shown and locate a potential offset to the existing producer. As you can see, the productive part of this channel is very narrow but HMPA had the resolution to identify reservoir boundaries.
drill site evaluations
This is an example of a drill site evaluation we performed over a predetermined 3-D seismic location in NW Kansas. Red represents the strongest areas while blue and purple areas are least prospective. Our suggested drill site is shown as “RRT LOC”. The operator chose to go against our advice and drill the 3-D pick as shown. It was reported as a dry hole.
HMPA technology, particularly when coupled with 3-D, increases the likelihood of getting a commercial well and decreases your risk of drilling a dry hole.
save exploration dollars
In conjunction with conventional exploration tools, HMPA technology reduces exploration risk by avoiding “barren” tracts since it can effectively indicate areas where no oil accumulation exists, even when other geophysical tools might indicate an area as prospective. The HMPA tool could provide a more direct means of assessing the oil potential of large exploratory areas, even before other geophysical investigations are conducted. This could shorten the exploration cycle, reduce costs and allow resource development in frontier regions where conventional exploratory efforts may not be as likely.
(Indicated by the blue on this map, the HMPA signal was not detected, and therefore deemed “barren” and not worthy of further exploration.)
Use HMPA to evaluate your current lease inventory, allowing you not to renew expensive acreage tracts that have no chance of ever producing. Have us survey leases you plan to shoot or ones that may be expiring soon. Don’t spend your exploration dollars drilling areas we show are barren.
road studies
This is a great reconnaissance oil exploration tool in that we can explore many square miles without leasing so much as one acre. The objective is to identify oil reservoirs that cross the roads, or run parallel to the roads. While we can’t see what is going on in the middle of the section, if you look at an oil map, most decent sized features do cross a road at some point or are within 600’ of one side or the other. So for example, if we study 50 square miles from the roads we are still getting a look at 25 square miles in terms of acreage, as the technology can see sizable reservoirs as far away as 600’ from the road.
In the township map shown, HMPA would have identified the majority of these existing oil pools from the roads. Note how portions of each oil pool lie within the yellow shaded "detection area" of a road survey. Assuming the road studies detected the main producing features on this map, about 14 sections would be required to lease. HMPA evaluations would then be conducted infield to confirm road features and identify drill sites. With this approach, only acreage that is prospective is leased and tested in-field (no wasted acreage costs). Now, if using 3D, you are only shooting prospective areas that HMPA has already identified as "oil bearing".
We discovered the probable LKC feature shown on this map and it started with a road study. We picked up on the anomaly crossing the road along the east line and also along the south line of the 1/4 section as shown. After confirming our road results, the operator proceeded to lease the 1/4 and we conducted an in field HMPA study. We started on the east side of the 1/4 and worked to the west. At the very beginning of the infield study, we locked onto a reservoir anomaly and as we worked to the west we discovered it led right up to the borehole of a LKC well that has made over 160,000 barrels of oil.
This study not only demonstrated how road studies can detect oil reservoirs from the road but it also demonstrates our ability to "lock on” to the reservoir of a prolific oil producer and determine where that reservoir goes and where the strongest places are to drill along the extending trend.