AP26104131 – Assessing the applicability of digital core analysis using field geophysical data to create a 3D geological model of a shale oil reservoir

Objective of the project – The study is expected to provide the necessary data on the structure and composition of lithotypes of oil-mother deposits, clarify their productivity and create a basis for the development of unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Criteria for digital core analysis methodology will be developed and a digital model of the unconventional reservoir will be built to substantiate its lithological and filtration properties.

Relevance: The relevance of the project is driven by the need to enhance geological knowledge and ensure the efficient development of hard-to-recover oil reserves under conditions of depletion of conventional resources. Modern complex reservoirs require a rethinking of approaches to their study and the implementation of high-precision digital technologies.

The application of digital core analysis and high-resolution modeling methods significantly improves the reliability of evaluating the reservoir’s filtration and storage properties and helps optimize field development. In this regard, the development and implementation of digital approaches represent an important scientific and technical task for increasing the efficiency of Kazakhstan’s oil and gas industry.

Scientific supervisor: Yeuylkhan Ergali Satyshuly, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor

Expected and achieved results: Сriteria for a methodology for digital core analysis will be developed;

a digital model of the core sample will be built;

the main petrophysical and lithological features of the rocks of the prospective reservoir will be determined using the scanning method;

a three-dimensional geological model of the field will be built;

will be published - at least 2 (two) articles and (or) reviews in peer-reviewed scientific editions indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded and included in the 1st (first) and (or) 2nd (second) quartile of the impact factor in the Web of Science database and (or) having a CiteScore percentile of at least 65 (sixty-five) in the Scopus database;

at least 2 (two) articles or reviews will be published in a peer-reviewed foreign or domestic publication recommended by the Science and Higher Education Quality Assurance Committee (SHEQAC);

One of the articles will correspond to the category - multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary practical application on the tasks of enterprises from the real sector of economy of Kazakhstan.

The obtained research results have high commercial potential for application at operating oil fields across Kazakhstan. The use of the “Digital Core” technology can be effective in assessing reservoir fracturing during the design and drilling of vertical and horizontal wells, as well as in conducting costly hydraulic fracturing operations.

A multiscale approach will enable more reliable determination of oil saturation, reservoir extent, and optimization of field development. This research is of particular interest both for Souths-Oil LLP and for other subsurface users.