Abstract: Well completion is accomplished by obtaining a sample of geological material from the subsurface and generating primary data for the sample of geological material. The primary data include textural data, chemical data and mineralogical data. The primary data are used to derive secondary data for the sample of geological material, and the primary data and the secondary data are used to generate tertiary data for the sample of geological material. The tertiary data are a quantification of physical characteristics of the sample of geological material. The primary data, secondary data and tertiary data are used to determine a location of a stage along a well and an arrangement of perforation clusters in the stage.

Abstract: An exploration method starts from cuttings associated with sampling intervals and well data for a well in a subsurface formation. The cuttings are prepared and analyzed to extract textural and chemical/mineralogical data for plural fragments in each sample that is made of the cuttings in one sampling interval. The method then includes matching lithotypes of rock defined according to the textural and chemical/mineralogical data for each fragment with segments of the well data in the corresponding sampling interval to obtain correspondences between the lithotypes and depth ranges. The correspondences between the lithotypes and the depth ranges may be used as constraints for seismic data inversion.

Abstract: An exploration method starts from cuttings associated with sampling intervals and well data for a well in a subsurface formation. The cuttings are prepared and analyzed to extract textural and chemical/mineralogical data for plural fragments in each sample that is made of the cuttings in one sampling interval. The method then includes matching lithotypes of rock defined according to the textural and chemical/mineralogical data for each fragment with segments of the well data in the corresponding sampling interval to obtain correspondences between the lithotypes and depth ranges. The correspondences between the lithotypes and the depth ranges may be used as constraints for seismic data inversion.

Abstract: A method for estimating breakdown pressure values along a wellbore starts from analyzing cuttings from locations along the wellbore to determine rock properties, including rock texture information associated with the locations. The anisotropic elastic and mechanical properties at the locations are calculated based on the rock properties and using at least one rock physics model. Rock weakness index values corresponding to the locations are then calculated based on the anisotropic elastic and mechanical properties and the rock texture information. The breakdown pressure values at the locations are estimated from the rock weakness index values.

Abstract: A seismic exploration method used lateral well data to validate lateral elastic properties values. The validated lateral elastic properties values are obtained by generating a constrained 3D rock facies model using the lateral and vertical well data and the seismic inversion results, cross-correlating synthetic lateral elastic properties values for locations along the lateral well, based on the lateral and vertical well data with the seismic inversion results to obtain calibrated synthetic lateral elastic properties values, and adjusting the calibrated synthetic lateral elastic properties values according to the constrained 3D rock facies model.

Abstract: A method for estimating breakdown pressure values along a wellbore starts from analyzing cuttings from locations along the wellbore to determine rock properties, including rock texture information associated with the locations. The anisotropic elastic and mechanical properties at the locations are calculated based on the rock properties and using at least one rock physics model. Rock weakness index values corresponding to the locations are then calculated based on the anisotropic elastic and mechanical properties and the rock texture information. The breakdown pressure values at the locations are estimated from the rock weakness index values.

Abstract: Well completion is accomplished by obtaining a sample of geological material from the subsurface and generating primary data for the sample of geological material. The primary data include textural data, chemical data and mineralogical data. The primary data are used to derive secondary data for the sample of geological material, and the primary data and the secondary data are used to generate tertiary data for the sample of geological material. The tertiary data are a quantification of physical characteristics of the sample of geological material. The primary data, secondary data and tertiary data are used to determine a location of a stage along a well and an arrangement of perforation clusters in the stage.

Abstract: Predicting and quantifying free silicon in a geological formation generates free silicon data for a physical sample obtained from within the geological formation. The free silicon data include identification of portions of the physical sample containing free silicon and a quantification of the free silicon contained in the portions of the physical sample containing free silicon. A modified petro-elastic model for the geological formation comprising rock constituents is generated that incorporates free silicon as one of the rock constituents and that quantitatively models how free silicon changes elastic properties within the geological formation. A three-dimensional model of the geological formation is created that indicates volumes of free silicon throughout the geological formation. The three-dimensional model is created using geophysical data obtained from the physical sample, seismic data covering the geological formation and the modified petro-elastic model.

Abstract: Predicting and quantifying free silicon in a geological formation generates free silicon data for a physical sample obtained from within the geological formation. The free silicon data include identification of portions of the physical sample containing free silicon and a quantification of the free silicon contained in the portions of the physical sample containing free silicon. A modified petro-elastic model for the geological formation comprising rock constituents is generated that incorporates free silicon as one of the rock constituents and that quantitatively models how free silicon changes elastic properties within the geological formation. A three-dimensional model of the geological formation is created that indicates volumes of free silicon throughout the geological formation. The three-dimensional model is created using geophysical data obtained from the physical sample, seismic data covering the geological formation and the modified petro-elastic model.

Abstract: Presented are methods and systems for analyzing geological material from a well. A device for analyzing geological samples from a well includes: at least one light source configured to emit consistent plane polarized broad spectrum light towards the geological samples; a storage media configured to hold the geological samples; at least one hyperspectral camera configured to collect spectra reflected from at least one surface of the geological samples, wherein molecular vibrations are measured; a computing device configured to receive and process the collected reflected spectra; and the computing device configured to generate an output which includes at least a bulk material composition of the geological samples, wherein the device is configured to be portable to a well site.

Abstract: A method for determining pore-space metrics for geological samples may include receiving an image of a geological sample, determining, via image processing, pore-space regions within the image of the geological sample, and measuring the pore-space regions to provide a pore-space metric for the geological sample. The method may also include determining a geo-mechanical property for the geological sample using the pore-space metric and adjusting a hydrocarbon recovery operation according to the pore-space metric or the geo-mechanical property. A corresponding system and apparatus are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Presented are methods and systems for analyzing geological material from a well. A device for analyzing geological samples from a well includes: at least one light source configured to emit consistent plane polarized broad spectrum light towards the geological samples; a storage media configured to hold the geological samples; at least one hyperspectral camera configured to collect spectra reflected from at least one surface of the geological samples, wherein molecular vibrations are measured; a computing device configured to receive and process the collected reflected spectra; and the computing device configured to generate an output which includes at least a bulk material composition of the geological samples, wherein the device is configured to be portable to a well site.

Abstract: Presented are methods and systems for tracking and assessing drilling fluid flow and performance and, accordingly, detecting drilling mud return depth. The drilling mud is injected with a mineralogical dopant in an amount that does not affect the physical or chemical properties of the drilling mud. The doped drilling mud is injected into a known mud pulse and a detector identifies the mud pulse in which the mineralogical dopant emerges from the borehole, allowing calculation of the drilling mud return depth.

Abstract: A method for determining pore-space metrics for geological samples may include receiving an image of a geological sample, determining, via image processing, pore-space regions within the image of the geological sample, and measuring the pore-space regions to provide a pore-space metric for the geological sample. The method may also include determining a geo-mechanical property for the geological sample using the pore-space metric and adjusting a hydrocarbon recovery operation according to the pore-space metric or the geo-mechanical property. A corresponding system and apparatus are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Presented are methods and systems for tracking and assessing drilling fluid flow and performance and, accordingly, detecting drilling mud return depth. The drilling mud is injected with a mineralogical dopant in an amount that does not affect the physical or chemical properties of the drilling mud. The doped drilling mud is injected into a known mud pulse and a detector identifies the mud pulse in which the mineralogical dopant emerges from the borehole, allowing calculation of the drilling mud return depth.