Reservoir Characterization

Integrated reservoir characterization services can help energy companies and investors minimize development risks and optimize value from new and existing projects. As the industry transitions to brownfield, unconventional, CCUS and deeper prospects, a strong understanding of reservoirs becomes even more critical to maximizing value.

Reservoir characterization integrates critical subsurface analyses to develop a comprehensive picture of a reservoir’s potential, as well as its challenges. It helps identify how it will likely behave in different circumstances. Detailed models provide guidance that enables the comparison of opportunities, optimizes design and management decisions, and creates a field development plan that can mitigate risk and drive value. Sproule’s geophysical, petrophysical, geological and reservoir engineering experts work collaboratively to conduct integrated reservoir studies for their clients .

150+ projects completed since 2013

30+ gas storage reservoirs modelled or reviewed

20+ countries

65+ clients

Featured Case Study

Investigating Enhanced Oil Recovery in a Complex Reservoir in Colombia, South America

Experts assess the technical feasibility of various secondary and tertiary recovery schemes in order to increase the ultimate recovery factor of a field

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Geophysical Interpretation: Our advanced geophysical skills and tools ensure that you receive the most complete and accurate assessment of your resources. Sproule’s geophysicists conduct seismic studies in close collaboration with other geoscience and reservoir engineering disciplines to enhance resource/reserve assessments and evaluation work or to provide independent interpretive services.

Custom studies and evaluations can be undertaken, from large-scale basin analysis to detailed reservoir mapping. These are enhanced through advanced Mistie and grid balancing, well log calibration to seismic data, integrated 2D/multiple-3D interpretation, advanced 3D visualization, complex structural mapping, seismic trace, and horizon and interval-based attribute analysis.

We use seismic technology that can help reduce E&P risks through:

Identification of exploration targets
Selection of drilling locations
Better reservoir imaging
Improved reservoir characterization
Reservoir monitoring

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Petrophysical Interpretation: From single well to field-wide studies, Sproule’s technology, experience and expertise extract maximum value from data to optimize your understanding of the reservoir. Our petrophysical knowledge stems from the analysis of thousands of wells in the majority of the sedimentary basins in the world. Our flexible and comprehensive interpretation system can process and integrate logs, test results, core data, and other inputs. We work with you to acquire new data and collate existing data in a single well, multi-well, and field-wide studies.

Our petrophysicists, geologists, and engineers collaborate to deliver comprehensive and integrated analysis and interpretation including, but not limited to, routine parameters such as effective porosity and water saturation, or unified petrophysical models containing flow unit characterization, permeability and saturation models.

We provide solutions in challenging freshwater sands, perched water reservoirs, low permeability rocks, low resistivity, and low contrast formations and oil sands.

Sproule’s experts evaluate rock and fluid properties to:

Quantify reserves and reservoir producibility
Identify the best locations for completions and laterals
Identify areas of missed pay
Determine how to stimulate the reservoir
Design field development plans

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Basin Modelling: Sproule’s geoscience team has unique skills in basin-modelling which tells a more holistic story. Hydrocarbon generation history is the product of the complex interplay between several variables such as lithology, sedimentation/burial rate, erosion, heat flow, and organic matter kinetics. A burial history simulation that includes these parameters can reveal the net effect of their interactions to predict the timing and extent of petroleum generation and entrapment in sedimentary basins.

Applications include:

Exploration prospect ranking and risking with different petroleum system scenarios
Hydrocarbon phase prediction
Unconventional resource volume estimation (e.g. shale oil/gas, etcetera)

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Geological Modelling: When an accurate, high-resolution geological model of reservoir structure and stratigraphy is needed, our geo-modelling team works with our geological, petrophysical and geophysical experts to integrate all aspects of the reservoir into one static model or multiple geo-statistical realizations of a model. We can create a digital snapshot of the reservoir's architecture.

Tools and products include:

Variogram analysis: used to understand and describe the spatial variation of a property
Surface prediction and error-modelling: stochastic time-depth conversions provide realistic estimates for the depth conversion uncertainty
Threshold mapping: probability maps are generated to predict where mapped property values exceed critical thresholds

From the simple to the complex, conventional to unconventional, in-situ thermal recovery to oil sands mining, our static models can be input into reservoir simulations or mine models to help clients understand and develop their reservoirs more efficiently.

Sproule builds geological models for:

Integration of seismic, petrophysical, and geological data
Estimates of in-place hydrocarbons
Oil sands mine planning or auditing
Reservoir development planning and optimization
Local and global uncertainty assessment

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Reservoir Simulation: Reservoir simulation is complex and must be implemented and monitored by an experienced, multi-disciplinary team. Sproule experts use numerical reservoir simulation to build a dynamic model to predict how liquids and gases will flow through a reservoir once production starts and how this will change over time.

By integrating geological models, flow models, and well models, Sproule can forecast production and identify when and where stimulation might be necessary. Sophisticated simulations help determine the optimum development plan for a reservoir—whether it is already developed or yet to produce.

Sproule experts have practical experience conducting simulation studies for many types of reservoirs and fluids, operated under various types of recovery schemes, including:

Vast reservoirs with a high well count
Conventional and unconventional oil and gas fields
Complex reservoir geology
On-shore and off-shore fields
Dry and liquid rich gas (gas condensates)
Waterflooding (IOR)
Enhanced oil recovery (polymer flooding, ASP flooding, miscible flooding, water alternating gas (WAG) and thermal (SAGD, CSS, steam flooding and in-situ combustion).

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Pipeline Modelling: The efficiency of delivery is essential; our pipeline modelling involves the construction of a computer model that incorporates many factors along the flow path of the fluids, from the wellhead, through to facilities and ultimately to the sales delivery point(s). Once built, the model is calibrated to match a snapshot of recently measured flows and pressures in the system. It is a predictive tool that can be used to locate and alleviate bottlenecks in the system.

Sproule can combine the pipeline and reservoir models to determine the optimal way to ease bottlenecks, such as pigging, pipeline twinning, the addition of compression, etc. The model can also be used to study backout effects in the system when new wells come on stream.

Our pipeline study projects include:

8000+ wells
Complex compressor configurations
Multiple sales delivery points
Injection and withdrawal scenarios (e.g. gas storage)

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Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage: Sproule’s expertise in screening, subsurface characterization, geological modelling, and reservoir simulation allows us to support energy companies in all critical components of CCUS assessments. Sproule’s experience stretches from natural gas storage for midstream operators to waste gas disposal at processing facilities to CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations. Our commercial team is also experienced in assessing the economics and the emerging market of CCUS.

Gas Storage: Our firm has extensive experience screening and evaluating underground gas storage reservoirs. Expertise includes investigating the feasibility of developing new gas storage projects and evaluating the critical operating parameters necessary to achieve optimum field performance from existing underground gas storage reservoirs. We have been involved in the follow-up projects that take the design specifications from the feasibility studies, reservoir simulation models, and surface facility evaluations and implement these recommendations to actual field operations.

Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR): Our experts have significant experience screening and evaluating enhanced recovery projects, including waterflooding, CO2 injection, miscible flooding, chemical flooding and thermal recovery projects. We build numerical simulation models calibrated to reservoir performance, which are used to optimize and predict recovery from these types of projects. In most cases, projects include the creation of detailed static geological models of the subsurface geology.

Unitization and Redetermination: Sproule’s expert team provides global unitization and equity redetermination services. We have a proven history of collaborating with clients to resolve uncertainty over ownership of petroleum assets. Unitization and equity redetermination are wide-ranging and may hold significant value for stakeholders. Sproule assigns its most senior and experienced consultants to this demanding work.

Covering all Angles

Sproule’s Reservoir Characterization team provides services for clients involved in all aspects of oil and gas exploration and exploitation, along with CO2 sequestration, around the world.

Our expertise extends from petrophysical and geophysical evaluations, through reservoir-specific and regional studies, to reservoir scoping, geological modelling, reservoir simulations, field development plans (FDP), prospect generation and evaluations. It also includes to conventional and unconventional resource assessments for areas ranging from small land parcels to entire concessions. We can offer opinions and advice with regards to property sales or acquisitions, as well as assess the merits of large-scale exploration programs in new areas. We also can plan and direct complete exploration and field development programs. Our expertise in integrated projects allows us to offer full-service support.

Covering all Angles

Sproule’s Reservoir Characterization team provides services for clients involved in all aspects of oil and gas exploration and exploitation, along with CO2 sequestration, around the world.

Our integrated multidisciplinary approach produces robust analysis; Sproule’s petrophysical, geophysical, geological and reservoir engineering experts work closely together to offer diverse perspectives and collaborate to provide out-of-the-box solutions to some of today’s most challenging technical problems.

Services include:

Exploration and basin assessment
Resource play assessment
Integrated reservoir studies, involving some or all of Sproule’s expert disciplines
Field development planning (FDP) studies on greenfield and brownfield type projects, including enhanced oil recovery (EOR)
Gas storage scoping, modelling and development, including natural gas and CCUS type projects (eg. CO2 EOR and pure CO2 sequestration)

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Focus on Gas Storage

Sproule’s experts work extensively with oil and gas companies and utilities to plan and evaluate underground gas storage (UGS) projects. Our analysis can determine the capacity of reservoirs and their suitability for gas storage.

Sproule has extensive experience in the development and modelling of UGS and, as a result, are uniquely positioned to provide unparalleled expertise in this regard. The scope of the work may include:

Scoping of new reservoirs for gas storage
Scoping and implementation of storage schemes
Due diligence
Reservoir and surface network simulation

Focus on Gas Storage

Sproule has extensive experience in the development and modelling of UGS and, as a result, are uniquely positioned to provide unparalleled expertise in this regard. The scope of the work may include:

Scoping of new reservoirs for gas storage
Scoping and implementation of storage schemes
Due diligence
Reservoir and surface network simulation

Our experts have extensive experience with gas storage projects and conduct optimizations via reservoir simulation which includes facilities modelling. We consider many above- and below-ground factors including ownership, proximity to markets, pipeline access, and reservoir quality, size, depth and the absence of H2S.

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