The full value chain sweet spot in the Mowry Shale: A cross-disciplinary research initiative at the University of Wyoming

Abstract

The School of Energy Resources (SER) at the University of Wyoming (UW) is focused on the advancement of energy-driven economic development for the state of Wyoming. As part of that mission, SER leads UW talent and resources for interdisciplinary research and outreach in many facets of the energy industry. Through its Centers of Excellence, SER seeks to bridge the gap between industry and academia and ensure deployment of technology and policy solutions across the energy spectrum. An example of this research is an SER-led initiative on the Mowry Shale Petroleum System in the Powder River Basin, the vast potential of which remains relatively unexploited. This is due to several challenges that include, among other things, the depth of the formation, geomechanical complexity affecting drilling and stimulation, and the lack of Mowry-specific economic models for forecasting. To assist industry partners in Wyoming in unlocking the value of this resource SER initiated this research in 2023, through a state-funded program that consists of thirteen research projects with more than 35 faculty, research scientists, and graduate students who are building broad expertise by working across six departments.

This presentation will summarize the research results to date in four key areas that encompass a large part of the value chain for oil and gas production and economic development: Reservoir Characterization and Definition (RCD), Drilling and Completions (D&C), Production and Fluid Flow (PFF), and Economics and Forecasting (E&F).

               The RCD group has developed laboratory and petrophysical tools to better characterize the formation and increase the sparse dataset using machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML-AI) tools. In D&C, we are testing drilling fluid compatibility with Mowry bentonites, while modeling and testing the interfaces between bentonites and the shale reservoir rock. The PFF group focuses on measuring permeability changes during drawdown and uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to test models of pore and fracture networks to optimize fluid flow. The E&F team has developed novel forecasting economic models and decline curve analyses specific to Mowry production potential.

We aspire to build a “sweet spot” definition of the Mowry shale that contains not just geological opportunity, but identifies where that combines with drilling, completions, production, and economics to ensure success for the Wyoming oil and gas industry. The next crucial step in the program is to begin closer engagements with industry partners to confirm we are working on appropriately applied problems that can deliver both short- and long-term benefits to  Wyoming’s energy industry.

Bio

Dr. Fischer recently joined the Center for Economic Development in the School of Energy Resources as the Oil & Gas Program Manager after a 12-year career at Chevron in Houston, TX. As a member of the Chevron Technology Center, he worked as a senior research scientist and petrophysicist with a focus on  core-to-log integration and the petrophysics of unconventional reservoirs. He has studied and analyzed rocks and logs from unconventional plays worldwide and led major research projects on pore structure characterization and how variability in rock properties alters wireline log responses.

Prior to joining Chevron, he worked at Miami University on electron microscopy of clay-bacteria interactions, a continuation of his graduate work at Penn State on the crystallographic evolution of oxide minerals in near-surface environments. He also conducted undergraduate research at the University of Arizona on the carbon isotope disequilibrium in cave air and soils.