PETE 1010 Chapter : Conventional Reservoirs Unconventional Reservoirs
Document Summary
Conventional reservoirs wells in conventional gas reservoirs produce from sands and carbonates (limestones and dolomites) that contain the gas in interconnected pore spaces that allow flow to the wellbore. Much like a kitchen sponge, the gas in the pores can move from one pore to another through smaller pore-throats that create permeable flow through the reservoir. In conventional natural gas reservoirs, the gas is often sourced from organic-rich shales proximal to the more porous and permeable sandstone or carbonate. Unconventional reservoirs wells in unconventional reservoirs produce form low permeability (tight) formations such as tight sands and carbonates, coal, and shale. In unconventional gas reservoirs, the gas is often sourced from the reservoir rock itself (tight gas sandstone and carbonates are an exception). Because of the low permeability of these formations, it is typically necessary to stimulate the reservoir to create additional permeability. Hydraulic fracturing of a reservoir is the preferred stimulation method for gas shales.
