TIGHT GAS RESERVOIRS

What is tight gas reservoir?

 Tight gas is natural gas trapped within a rock with extremely low permeability typically
limestone or sandstone.
 This is not to be confused with shale gas, which is natural gas trapped within shale
formations. Tight gas is considered to be an unconventional source of natural gas because it
requires significant hydraulic fracturing which is a much more extensive process to access the
gas.
 This is because the low permeability of the rock (meaning the pores within the stone are poorly
connected), makes it difficult for the gas to travel through them.
 So the definition of a tight gas reservoir is one in which the expected value of permeability to
gas flow would be less than 0.1 md.
How tight gas reservoir is formed
 Tight gas reservoirs are formed when natural gas accumulates in rocks with
low permeability, making it challenge for the gas to flow freely.
 Overtime the organic materials decompose and transform into hydrocarbons
which then migrate and get trapped into the low permeable rock
i.
Characteristics of tight gas reservoir.
Tight gas reservoir characterized with low porosity and permeability, small drainage radius and require significant
well stimulation
ii. Hydraulic fracture treatment or the use of horizontal or multi-lateral wells to produce at economic rates.
iii. Tight reservoirs are characterized by large pressure gradient across reservoir, often layered and complex and high
transient decline rate.
iv. Typical lithology of tight reservoirs are sandstone/siltstone and rarely carbonate with permeability as low as
(<0.1md)
v. Tight gas reservoirs are generally gas saturated with little or no free water
Logging in tight gas reservoir
 Logging is the important process in the petroleum industry.
 This process enable to find hydrocarbon in the reservoir and find lithology below the earth surface
 Factors identified by logging in tight reservoir
1. Location of the tight reservoir
2. Lithology
3. Natural fracture
4. Permeability
5. Porosity
6. tightness
Reservoir consideration
 Normally, a tight gas reservoir can be described as a layered system. In a clastic depositional
system, the layers are composed of;
 Sandstone
 Siltstone
 Mudstone
 Shale
In non clastic systems, layers are composed of;
 Limestone
 Dolomite
 Possibly halite or anhydrite
Methods used to produce gas
from tight gas reservoir
Hydraulic fracturing
 Hydraulic fracturing is the most common mechanism to create channels( highly conductive path)
by breaking the low permeability rock to increase well productivity.
 It involves injection of fluid at high pressure into the reservoir which enable creating fractures
into the rock and helps increasing permeability of the reservoir.
 Hence allowing gas flow more easily and maximize gas recovery.
Horizontal drilling
 This method involves drilling wells horizontally through the low permeability rock formation
which exposes the wellbore to a larger section of the reservoir and thus increasing contact with
gas bearing rock.
 By horizontal drilling enhance the overall productivity of the well compared to the traditional
vertical drilling, also improves the economic viability of extracting gas from the tight formation.
Challenges in tight gas reservoir production
 Low permeability: as the tight gas formation have low permeability hence
making difficult for the gas to flow easily unless advanced technology like
hydraulic fracturing is applied.
 Complex geology: tight gas reservoirs often have complex geological
structures, which making accurate reservoir characterization and well
placement challenging.
 Water management: hydraulic fracturing as the method of producing gas in
tight reservoir involves significant water usage thus managing water
resources, treatment and disposal of produced water are crucial aspect with
environmental and logistical challenges
 Costs: the extraction methods of gas in tight gas reservoir are much expensive
in terms of initial investment and operational costs.
THE END