SAGE Record 052, Smith et al.
Smith, C. M., C. Conrad, Z. Spath, K. Johnson, T. M. Smith, P. S. Gordon, S. Bhattacharya, A. Holba, and M. P. Smith, 2022, Tar mapping using low molecular weight volatiles signatures: Case studies from the Alaskan North Slope: SAGE Record 052, 3 p. + supplemental material, <http://sagetech.org/sage_record_052_smith_et_al/>. Oral presentation at SAGE 2022, 23–25 March, Lafayette, Louisiana, and Virtual.
Tar Mapping Using Low Molecular Weight Volatiles Signatures: Case Studies from the Alaskan North Slope
Smith, Christopher M. (Advanced Hydrocarbon Stratigraphy, Tulsa, OK), Caleb Conrad (Baker Hughes, Anchorage, AK), Zachary Spath (University of Alaska at Anchorage, Anchorage, AK), Kurt Johnson (Alaska Geological Materials Center, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Anchorage, AK), Timothy M. Smith (AHS), Patrick S. Gordon (AHS), Shuvajit Bhattacharya (Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX), Albert Holba (Albert Holba Geochemical Consulting, Houston, TX), and Michael P. Smith (AHS)
The volatile chemistries (<150 daltons) from legacy geological materials, core chips and cuttings, with known tar from the Kuparuk River and Prudhoe Bay fields from the North Slope of Alaska were analyzed with rock volatile stratigraphy (RVStrat). Core chips and drilling cuttings were analyzed from multiple wells with known tar zones in the Kuparuk River C and A sands and the Ivishak sandstone. Previous studies involving detailed lithology descriptions, petrography, saturates aromatics resins and asphaltenes MPLC analysis (SARA), and/or rock eval pyrolysis on these wells were used to identify the tar zones. These identified tar zones were correlated to enhanced small molecule signatures in the RVStrat data. The ability to map tar based on small molecule geochemical signatures has significant applications in laterals, especially coiled tubing drilled laterals, where other tools, or the collection of cores/side wall cores, that could traditionally be used are not possible. Such information can be crucial for planning EOR activities and evaluating the petroleum system.
