Shale Gas & Oil
Integrating multiple disciplines to understand and produce shale reservoirs — from play make-up to lateral placement and concentration.
Understanding the Shale Opportunity
Shale describes a wide range of rock types. The secret to success is to understand the different characteristics and accessing the source rocks. Shale hydrocarbon systems are complex and present a broad scope of attributes.
Effective development must consider such characteristics as total organic content, maturity, mechanical properties, mineralogy, local stresses, natural fractures, fracture containment, pore pressure, reservoir fluid, and effective porosity.
Each shale characteristic bears on the asset's value and performance — and each can vary considerably between reservoirs, wells, and even wellbore intervals. The mix of these attributes further complicates the task.
The RDS Integrated Approach
Our solution integrates multiple disciplines — including shale play make-up & characteristics, geology, lateral requirements either 45 degree or horizontal, and the concentration & number of laterals — to understand and produce the reservoir. All of it is orchestrated to address the specific characteristics of the shale, to optimize shale success.
Play Make-Up & Characteristics
Deep analysis of total organic content, maturity, and mechanical properties to define the optimal development strategy.
Geology & Reservoir Analysis
Detailed geological mapping of natural fractures, pore pressure, reservoir fluid, and effective porosity across the shale interval.
Lateral Geometry
Engineering the optimal lateral angle — 45° or horizontal — and spacing to maximize contact with the productive shale interval.
Lateral Concentration
Determining the ideal number and concentration of radial laterals per horizon to optimize drainage and recovery factor.
Mineralogy & Local Stresses
Understanding mineralogy and in-situ stress orientations to guide lateral placement and avoid fracture barriers.
Fracture Containment
Evaluating fracture containment boundaries to ensure stimulation stays within the target shale interval.
Unlock Your Shale Asset
Contact RDS to discuss how our integrated shale approach can optimize your unconventional development program.