data analysis and petroleum engineering

1. Global Energy Network
Research Programs
Prof. Fred Aminzadeh
Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Program
Incoming Students Orientation
August 31, 2016

2. Petroleum Engineering Problems

3. An Introduction
Background
Graduated form USC 1979
Bell Laboratories 79-82
Unocal (now part of Chevron) 82-99
dGB Earth Sciences 99-09
SEG president 2007-2008
USC 2010-present
Courses at USC
Intelligent and Collaborative Oilfield Systems Characterization
& Management (PTE586)
Advanced Oilfield Operations with Remote Visualization and
Control (PTE589)

4. Relevant Initiatives
 The Global Energy Network (GEN)
 Reservoir Monitoring Consortium (RMC)
 Induced Seismicity Consortium (ISC)
 Reservoir Development and Monitoring System

5. PhD Students
1. Magdalene Ante (Nigeria)
2. Abdulrahman Bubshait (Saudi Aramco)
3. Ahmed Bubshait (Saudi Aramco)
4. Rayan Dablul (Saudi Aramco)
5. Mehran Hosseini
6. Nima Jabbari (now at Williams Associates)
7. Metin Karakas (Chevron Fellowship)
8. Debotyam Maity (now at Gas Technology Institute)
9. Noha Najem (Kuwait Oil Company)
10. Arman Nejad (now at FracGeo)
11. Mahshad Samnejad
12. Tayeb Tafti (now at Aera Energy)
13. Minh Tran (Provost Fellowship)
14. Robert Walker (Chevron Fellowship)
15. Xiaoxi Zhao
Current Graduated

6. The Global Energy Network
Focus on Critical Energy Issues
The Global Energy Network (GEN) and its
partnering institutions and USC Centers
address the critical energy issues, including:
• Fossil Energy
• Renewables
• Geothermal
• Environment and Safety
• Smart Grid
• Efficiency
• Big Data
• Revitalization of Urban Oil Fields

7. CGS Goals
• Promotes excellence in geothermal research and development by
offering a multi-disciplinary program in geothermal energy development.
• Focuses on the technical and operational challenges associated with
developing geothermal energy, from exploration and production a in safe
and cost-effective ways and conduct the necessary R&D.
• Provides high quality training and technology transfer on geothermal
technologies
The Center for Geothermal
Studies (CGS)
Main Programs
• US Department of Energy : Characterizing Fractures in Geysers
Geothermal Field by Micro-seismic Data, Using Soft Computing,
Fractals, and Shear Wave Anisotropy (With LBNL and Calpine)
• USAID, U.S. – INDONESIAN GEOTHERMAL EDUCATION CAPACITY
BUILDING (with ITB),
• Distinguished Lecture Program (DLP).

8. Reservoir Monitoring Consortium (RMC)

9. RMC Objectives
 Identify the current key technology gaps
 Focus on interfaces between different disciplines
 Integrate data, information, expertise and workflows
 Maintain a balance between the short term high impact
research and long term needs
 Develop dynamic reservoir monitoring (DRM) workflow
 Focus areas of reservoir types:
 Shale,
 Carbonate,
 Deep water
 Mature fields

10. What is RMC?
USC’s Reservoir Monitoring Consortium
brings technologies and expertise from
a wide range of disciplines to develop
new reservoir characterization and
monitoring tools.
Reservoir Monitoring Consortium

11. RMC Hybrid Structure
 RMC Base Project
 Member’s Access to general results of Base RMC
 Prioritization of Base Project Mix
 Partial Access to ISP projects (with ISP member
concurrence)
 Individually Sponsored Projects (ISP)
 Access to RMC Base Project Results
 ISP Member focused project
 Limited distribution of data and results
 Increased interaction between ISP member and USC

12. USC Reservoir Monitoring Consortium
Integrated
Geomechanics- MEQ
Modeling
Fracture Propagation
Mapping
Optimizing MS
Hydraulic Fracturing
Increasing SRV
MEQ & Seismic
Integration for Shale
Reservoirs
Time lapse Seismic &
Petrophysics for RM
Uncertainty
Assessment of
Reserves
RMCBaseProjects

13. Reservoir Property prediction
Velocity models from tomographic inversion
Improved p and s velocity
models as a precursor to
delineating anomalies and
structures of interest and
correlate velocity anomalies
with fracture swarms and other
reservoir properties of interest
Poisson’s ratio
Extensional Stress Hydrostatic Stress
Vp
Vs
Vp/Vs

14. Reservoir
Simulation
Seismic
Response
Rock
Properties
4D
Reservoir
Monitoring
Full-field model
prediction pressure,
saturation, Geomechanics
Pressure Response
Core analysis
Analogue data
Log Analysis
(Vp, Vs, Density)
Data Quality
S/N, Bandwidth
Repeatability
Match Processing,
Amplitude analysis
(O'Donovan, 2000)
4D Reservoir Monitoring
17

15. Cross section view of discretized reservoir
Width of fracture
Analysis of Hydraulic Fracturing
Modeling of Fracture Initiation and Propagation
Hydraulic Fracturing Simulation

16. Fracture Mapping using MEQ,
Seismic & Petrophysical Data
HYBRID FZI ATTRIBUTE MAPPING (ANN)
Maity, and Aminzadeh, 2015:
Interpretation, 3(3), T155–T167.

17. Fracture Propagation Mapping
(a) P = 1.091×106 Pa (b) P = 1.83×106 Pa (c) P = 2.197×106
Pa
Stress field distribution in a 1 m by
0.5 m rectangular plate. Distance
between two fractures is 10 cm.
Normal stress
distribution in Y
direction.
Khodabakhsh Nejad (2015)

18. RMC Individually Sponsored Projects (ISP)
RMC-ISP
Hydraulic Fracturing
Test Bed (HFTB)
DOGGR
In-situ Stresses for
hydrofacture (ISH)
Saudi Aramco
HCI with Absorption and
Anisotropic AVO
Y
Next Generation
Visualization (NGV)
Tracer Analysis for EOR/
Monitoring (TAEM)
Monitoring Kick and
Overpressure (MKO)
KOC NETL/Aramco
Saudi Aramco
Advanced CO2 Monitoring
with FOAM (ACMF)
ADNOC
Reservoir Stimulation & Vertical
fracture Propagation Using MEQ
& GM Modeling RSVP-MGM
Mobility Control with
Polymers (MCP)
Saudi Aramco
X

19. Smart Tracer Technology
A novel approach using downhole sensing and dynamic simulation is
now being developed to address challenges and aid in the identification
of pathways, improve sweep efficiency and indicate SOR.

20. Real Time Kick Detection at the Bit
In collaboration with NETL and Saudi Aramco,
the algorithms will be validated and tested by
using historical well log measurements of wells
that encountered number of kick events.
After the validation phase to ensure working
under field conditions, the algorithms will be
trail tested with real time wellbore data.

21. Determine
regional fracture
Seismic
attribute
Fracture
characterization
Well logs
Velocity
models
Cores
analysis
In-situ Stress in Hydraulic Fracturing (ISH)

22. Reservoir Stimulation and Vertical fracture
Propagation Using Microseismic and Geomechanical
Modeling (RSVP-MGM)

23.  Provide an understanding of the premature water breakthrough
in some of the wells producing from Manifa field.
 Provide possible mobility ratio adjustment options through the
use of different chemicals commonly used in the industry as a
secondary/tertiary recovery method (CO2 or Polymer)
Mobility Control Through the Use of
Polymers in EOR

24. Advanced CO2 Monitoring (ACM)

25. Induced Seismicity
Consortium
What is ISC?
The Induced Seismicity Consortium (ISC) aims
to improve our understanding of induced
seismicity and how is influenced by subsurface
fluid injection and production (SFIP).
Well Integrity Laboratory modeling of induced seismicity

26. Induced Seismicity from Energy
Development
fracture treatment / Fluid
Injection
Increase in stress and pore
Pressure
Decrease the stability of existing weak
planes (natural fractures,
flaws,bedding planes)
slip and fail, similar to
earthquakes along faults
slippages emit elastic waves
(stimulated seismicity)
Induced or Triggered

27. Integrated Evaluation of Hydraulic Fracturing at
a Field Laboratory in the San Joaquin Basin:
Efficient and Safe HC Exploitation in California