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SPE 35742
Possible Sources of Gas from the 31S C/D Shale Reservoirs, Monterey Formation, Elk
Hills Field, California
Thomas J. Hampton, SPE, Stephen A. Reid, and Jana L. McIntyre, Bechtel Petroleum Operations, Inc.; and E. Mark
Querin, U. S. Department of Energy

100 to 300 feet thick and consists of basin floor deposits of organic
shale and thin, od saturated turbidite sandstone in multiple upwardfinmg cycles. The upper D interval is about 200 feet thick and
consists mostly of porous biogenic chert. Highly porous and oil
saturated laminae alternate with less porous, orgamc nch Iaminae.
The lower D interval is also about 200 feet thick and contains a
more chaotic composition of oil-stained chert, sandstone and
dolomite. Permeability measured from core for the C interval
ranges from O.I md for organic shales to over 60 md for thicker
turbidite sandstone beds. For the D interval chert, measured matrix
permeability is consistently about O 1 md.
Unlike most Monterey shale resemoirs, the most productive
intervals of the C/D Reservoir exhibit little evidence of large scale,
widespread fracturing. However, small scale and microscopic
fractures are common and occur parallel and perpendicular to
laminations Lothe upper D Shale, core is commonly broken along
bedding planes, which md]cates that bedding-plane fractures are
open in the formation and help accommodate gravity drainage
Only the lower D interval exhibits classic Monterey fracture
characteristics, with a large scale permeable and intercomected
fracture system

Tiwspapa was prepared for presentatmn at the Western Regmnal Meeting held (n Anchorage,
Alaska 22.24 May 1S96
Thos paper was sel~cted for presentatmn by the SPE Prqiram Cmmmee f.allwwmg revwvv of
Inform at Ion contained m an abstract submlfted by the author(s) Contents of the paper as
presented, have not been rewevmd by the Soaety of Petroleum Engineers and afe subject to
cnnet?.wnby tie alhcf (s) The material, as presented, does not neces$arlly reflect any pawtton
of Petroleum Engtneers or Its members Papers presented at SPE meetmgs are
d
subject to publ(catjon rwlew by Edltor!al Ccmmmee of the Sc-sIety of Petroleum Engineers
Pwmusnn to cwpyISmstr!cted to an abstract of not more than XXI words Illustratmns may not
tw cc$d
The absbact should contmn conspicuous acknowledgement of where and by wiwrn
the paper was presented Wr!te L(brarlan, SPE. P O 8333836, Richardson TX 75083.3836
USA, filX 01 .214.952+ 435

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Sawty

Abstract

Cumulative gas production from the C/D Shale Reservoir slgniticantly cxods expected gas production as estimated from pressure
decline data. Reservoir studies indicate three possible sources
leakage from other reservoirs, unconventional gas resources, and
underestimation of original oil in place. Each of these three
sources are discussed.
Introduction

Cumulative gas production from the C/D Shale Reservoir significantly exceeds expected gas production as estimated from pressure
decline data,The original oil in place is estimated at 250 MMSTB
and the original gas in place is calculated at 238 BCF based on
PVT analysis. Estimated total released gas from pressure decline
data is much less than the actual production of 170.5 BCF (through
Deeember, 1994) Therefore, other sources of gas must be present
to provide additional gas production, Reservoir stud]es indica[e
three possible sources: leakage from other reservoirs, unconventional gas resources} and underestimation of original oil in place.
Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of a conceptual model of the three
possible sources.

Reservoir

Investigation

of Fluid Conductive

Faults

Production and pressure evidence indicates gas enters the C/D

from adjacent, higher pressure reservoirs most likely along a
significant fault that connects the 26R secondary gas cap with the
CID Reservoir. Gas injection surveys veri~ that gas enters the fault
from the 26R Reservoir and establishes that the fault zone is
permeable. The degree of this communication was recently
demonstrated with a blowout of a 26R well, which rapidly lowered
26R pressures and also immediately affected C/D reservoir
pressure. An estimate of gas intlux from full field simulation
studies3 shows an influx of 66. I BCF primarily from the 26R
Reservoir.

Descriptionz

The C/D Reservoir is in the Monterey Formation and is

stratigraphically below the prolific Stevens sand reservoirs on the
31S anticline, such as the 26R Sand Reservotr Although the C and
D intervals have diverse Iithologies, both intervals are in pressure
communication and are considered one reservoir. The reservoir is
produced by depletion drive, locally assisted by a strong gravity
component, with well spacing at 10 to 40 acres. The C interval is

Shale Gas Desorption

A possible significant unconventional gas source in the Monterey

Formation is the desorption of gas from organic material Organic
material, such as unrnature kerogen, is common in the Monterey
and may be as much as 10 percent of the rock volume. As pressure
is redueed in the formation, gas may evolve from organic matter in

719

T.J. HAMPTON,

a mechanism similar to Ras desorption in coal-bed methane

reservoirs, Desorption te;s4 of shale samples from the C/D
(believed to be the first performed on the Monterey Formation)
gave total gas yields of 40 to 120 scflton, with the highest yields
fi-om the organic shales of the C interval. The measured methane
adsorption isotherms indicates that at least 10 percent of the
additional gas produced in the C/D Reservoir maybe desorbed gas.
The extrapolated yield for the nearly 1 million acre-ii volume of the
more organic-rich shale intervals results in an additional gas
resource for the CID Reservoir, with ultimate recovery a fimction
of the degee of pressure depletion obtainable. This unconventional
gas source may have large implications for gas reserves in other
Elk Hills shale reservoirs as well as other California fields with
significant organic shales
Original

References

1 Zuber, M.D., Frantz Jr., J.H., and Gatens III, J,M. S,A.
Holditch & Assocs. Inc., Resemoir Characterization and
Production Forecasting for Antrim Shale Wells: An Integrated Reservoir Analysis Methodology, paper SPE 28606
presented at the 1994 Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition, New Orleans, Sept. 25-28.
2

Reid, S.A., McIntyre, J.L. Hampton, T.J.: A Reservoir

Description of the C and D Reservoirs, Based on Analysis of
Core From 315X-3 1S, Prepared for U.S. Department of
Energy, NPR# 1, Elk Hills, Kern County, California (1 995).

Resemes Evaluation and Strategy Team: 3 I S Structure Full

Field Simulation Study, Prepared for U.S. Department of
Energy, NPR#l, Elk Hills, Kern County, California (1995),

TerraTek, Inc.: Monterey Shale Desorption,Bechtel315X31 S Well, Kern County, California, Prepared for Bechtel
Petroleum Operations, Inc. (1995).

011 In Place Estimate

Some portion of the additional gas maybe due to the underestimation of the oil-in-place of 250 MMSTB. Although the highly
porous chert matrix may contain more oil in place, the poor
permeability system may result in less oil recovery. Pore throats
which restrict oil production may permit gas movement and result
in higher gas yields. A new attempt to estimate the original oil in
place with modem log suites and core data is underway.

5 TerraTek, Inc.: Monterey Shale Methane Adsorption Isotherm Study, Bechtel 3 15X-31 S Well, Kern County, California, Prepared for Bechtel Petroleum Operations, Inc.
( 1996).

()
Ob

Free Gas

SPE 35742

S.A. REID, J.L. MCINTYRE

Solution Gas

. Flow in
Matrix

Flow in
Natural Fractures

Desorbed Gas
from Organic Carbon
Fig. 1 - Sources of Gas
(Modified from Fig. 3 in Ref. 1)
720