Petrophysical Integration to

Approach Tight Gas Sand

Reservoir Characterization
Problems in Cuervito Surfield,
Mexico

L Muñoz and A Ochoa, Petrobras, M Acosta, PEMEX E&P, F Brito, Fugro-Jason

 Project Objective

To characterize tight gas reservoir using an integral

petrophysical analysis (core, production, geology and
seismic).

Identified the existing lithologic factors and its

influence in the rocks’ properties and well production.

Classification of a reservoir as a function of its fluid

capacity quality to improve the stimulation method and
a better exploitation strategy.
 Location

7
MEXICO EEUU

Gas and condesate producing

Gulf of México Gas producing
8
EEUU

MEXICO 4
2
1

Escala 1: 400.000
1 20 km.
3 GOM
Cuervito Surfield, CAMPOS
TD
POZOS
Sin D ato

2
B H_FORM

G as and condensate D iscovery (no currentactivity)

located in the Burgos

TD
Gas
G as and condensate Pr oducing
B H_FORM
G as and condensate Temporarily shut-in
TD
G as D iscovery Oil
B H_FORM
G as Producing
TD
G as T emporarily shut-in Junked - Gas
G as, condens ate and oil Pr oduc ing ( improvedrecovery) B H_FORM

O il D iscovery TD
Junked - Oil shows
O il, gas and c ondensate Abandoned B H_FORM

O il, gas and c ondensate Producing TD

Basin, North of Mexico.

Multiple completion - Gas andcond
B H_FORM

TD Plugged & abandoned

B H_FORM

TD
Suspended
B H_FORM
 Geology Cuervito SurField
km
2
0
-2
-4
-6
-8
-10
-12

Extension : 30 km.
Anticlinal system, limited by normal faults.

This fault has 450 m package of siliciclastic

sediments in its downthrown block.
 Geology Cuervito SurField
Formation:
Oligoc

L Vicksburg
Sedimentary Cenozoic column and ranges in age
from the Paleocene to the Pleistocene.
L Jackson
Period: Tertiary

QC3A sand is the main producer, It has low

Permeability (<0.01 mD) and regular porosity (7 to
Eocene

15%).
M Yegua
Requires hydraulic fracturing for commercial gas
production.
Queen
U City
QC3A
 Background

Well - 1 Well - 2
•Relationship between gas sand
thickness and well production

•Wells with similar net gas

thicknesses but different production
Qg= ~ 0 mmpcd
behaviors.
Qa= 107 bpd
Qg= ~1.9mmpcd •Available petrophysical studies at the
Qc= 60 bpd time did not explain these differences

Resistividad
Resistividad

Saturación

Volumetría
Saturación

Volumetría

Porosidad
Porosidad

Densidad
Densidad

Neutron
Neutron

Gamma
Gamma

Sonico
Sonico

Rayos
Rayos

Agua
Agua
 Conclusion

An integrated petrophysical analysis allows improved the

characteristics and behavior of the QC3A reservoir.

The Winland technique helps to classify the QC3A reservoir

by flow units.

The well productivity is related to the rock quality and

thickness.
 Conclusion

The integration of different information (geology, geophysics

and production information) allows us to define a better
relationship between well analysis and production.

This analysis is reliable while the formation is not highly

fractured.

Based on these characterizations, a better exploitation

strategy can be defined for the reservoir.