Applied Reservoir Characterization for Maximizing Reserve Growth and Profitability in Tight Gas Sands: A Paradigm Shift in Development Strategies for Low-Permeability Gas Reservoirs

Abstract

Abstract This paper proposes an alternative tight gas sand reservoir development strategy that allows operators to maximize gas recovery and net present value while minimizing capital expenditures. Our approach employs a "parallel" development technique where many reservoir performance evaluation and field development activities are performed almost concurrently, thus allowing an operator to identify the optimum well spacing early in the field's life. Successful application of this "parallel" development approach requires a coordinated reservoir description and characterization plan, reservoir modeling, and reservoir monitoring and surveillance. We also illustrate the economic advantages of our strategy with examples from a hypothetical tight gas sand reservoir.