Can't say that I am, but then there hundreds of consultants, if not thousand.
For the most part, they are as good or bad as the data that they work with. Most were formed out of necessity after the bust in the 80's of the patch. Usually, they are also people that took an early and lucrative retirement package and struck out on there own. For the most part they are usually very expierence folks that are knowledgeable about the industry.
Yes there is many processes to enhance the recovery, but they usually are employed later after the fields have matured or in the case of heavy oils sooner.
I the ideal scenario is to get light sweet crude out via natural processes. Horizontal techniques are widely used now when structures are vertical in nature, susch as those in the Austin Chalk.
Speaking of the Chalk, this was a frustration for oilmen for years. Initial flow rates would be 1,000's only to peter out in month's time. But horizontal has made them attractive as they can pentrate at the bottom of vertical columns and more than one. This maximizes the recovery.
I not sure I understand the Vertical penetration as that is what they normally do.
Drill a vertical well, log and identify the bearing zones, case the well and then blow holes in the casing to allow whatever to come to the surface. IF you have gas and oil in the same well, you can use the gas to force more from the oil bearing area, with the gas still being there.
Dry wells can be many things. It depends on porosity and permeabilty, plus if there is a trap for the oil to collect in. You can go on location and here the geologist talk about source rock bu the hundreds of feet but no trap where it can collect. That is the trick is to find the traps. What the enhance techniques do is retrieve the oil that does come out by conventional means. Some companies are very good about doing it.
You being in NJ (do you work for Merck?) you can take 80 to Oil City PA, which was discovered in 1870's and they still have wells that trickle oil. There has been much thought that oil is actually a natural occurence. However I'd have to defer that theory to the geologist.
Who said that Hong Kong wouldn't affect US? 300 pts down on DJIA. Yep, now we'll see how the 30 YO MM's react now. |
