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DOI:10.1306/03052423020
Natural fractures of the Tuscaloosa marine shale
Cristina Mariana Ruse and Mehdi Mokhtari
Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, US
Ahead of Print Abstract
The Tuscaloosa marine shale is an unconventional play whose core area is located in southwestern Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana. Its significance to the energy industry stems from its large oil and gas resources of about 1.5 billion barrels of oil (238.5 million cubic meters of oil) and 4.6 trillion cubic feet of gas (1.29 billion cubic meters of gas) and proximity to existing infrastructure. Despite over 80 wells being hydraulically fractured in the formation, resulting in a total of 13.82 million barrels of oil and 9.04 billion cubic feet of gas, challenges remain due to the shale’s high clay content and diverse mineral makeup. Besides, a well-developed network of natural fractures exists across the play and its effect on hydrocarbon production is yet to be fully understood. This study uses an integrated approach to the characterization of natural fractures in the Tuscaloosa marine shale, incorporating electrical borehole image logs, shear-wave splitting data, and core descriptions from seven wells across the formation. The results show that the identified natural fractures are vertical and subvertical extension fractures, which can be fully mineralized and have heights between 1 and 3 ft (0.31 and 0.91 m). These fractures occur along the east–west direction, are associated with calcite-rich strata, and are capable of transecting the whole borehole. Smaller fractures terminate due to changes in lithology but often reactivate in parallel planes. The proposed methodology can help maximize frac performance across the shale play by identifying stress direction and optimum lateral placement with respect to fracture location. A total of 500 closed fractures are identified in the lateral section of one well. It is also shown that the maximum horizontal stress orientation is consistent throughout the formation and adheres to the general stress trend in the Gulf Coast Basin.
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