Workflow Imaging Software analyzes shale gas reservoirs.
January 13, 2012 -
Core-to-pore petrography workflow includes automated, large-scale, high resolution imaging method for viewing and analyzing petrographic data sets with length scales from centimeters to nanometers. Used for core analysis of unconventional gas reservoirs, solution acquires grid of electron microscope images covering entire sample surface and stitches them together in coherent and correlated image data set. Image datasets can be augmented with additional information.
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Original Press release
FEI Company
5350 NE Dawson Creek Dr.
Hillsboro, OR, 97124
USA
FEI Launches New Core-to-Pore Imaging Workflow for Shale Gas Reservoirs
Workflow provides a coherent and correlated view of image data sets over a range of scales, from macro-scale features of the drill core to sub-micron-scale porosity features.
Hillsboro, Ore. - FEI's (NASDAQ: FEIC) Natural Resources Business Unit announced today a "core-to-pore" petrography workflow for core analysis of unconventional gas reservoirs in the oil & gas industry. The workflow includes a new automated, large-scale, high-resolution imaging method for viewing and analyzing petrographic data sets with length scales ranging from centimeters to nanometers. Access to information at both ends of the scale is critically important to drilling and production companies working in shale gas reservoirs.
"Core-to-pore is a dedicated solution for gas shale applications. The core-to-pore workflow provides information that is of growing importance in the exploration and production of unconventional tight reservoirs that hold enormous reserves of natural gas," said Paul Scagnetti, vice president and general manager of FEI's Natural Resources Business Unit.
In order to optimize completion of unconventional reservoirs, like Marcellus and Barnett, geologists need to relate the fracture network observed in core samples to the nanometer-scale distribution of pores, their hydrocarbon content and permeability, and the connectiveness of the pore networks allowing it to flow to the nearest fracture for production. This is "core-to-pore" analysis.
"The large data sets generated in the analysis preserve the spatial relationships between features at all scales and facilitate quick and easy navigation," said Scagnetti.
The new core-to-pore workflow solution can be implemented on a variety of FEI scanning electron microscope systems by adding MAPS (Modular Automated Processing System) imaging software, a QEMSCAN® petrographic analyzer, and a specific sample preparation method.
The workflow automatically acquires a grid of high-resolution electron microscope images covering the entire sample surface, and stitches them together in a coherent and correlated image data set. The software also includes a viewer for quick navigation through the data set.
The image datasets can be augmented with additional information, such as mineralogy data from QEMSCAN or three-dimensional structural data from a DualBeam(TM) system. The workflow also serves as a correlative solution that provides the ability to overlay and visually correlate high-resolution electron microscope images with data from other techniques commonly found in oil & gas petrology labs, such as optical microscopy, micro-CT, or cathodoluminescence (CL).
FEI's core-to-pore workflow solution is available now. For more information, please visit: www.fei-natural-resources.com/core-to-pore.
About FEI
FEI (Nasdaq: FEIC) is a leading diversified scientific instruments company. It is a premier provider of electron- and ion-beam microscopes and solutions for nanoscale applications across many industries: industrial and academic materials research, life sciences, semiconductors, data storage, natural resources and more. With more than 60 years of technological innovation and leadership, FEI has set the performance standard in transmission electron microscopes (TEM), scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and DualBeams(TM), which combine a SEM with a focused ion beam (FIB). Headquartered in Hillsboro, Ore., USA, FEI has over 2,000 employees and sales and service operations in more than 50 countries around the world. More information can be found at: www.fei-natural-resources.com.
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User comments about this story
Evaluation of core samples.
I assume evaluation is performed on whole core samples which I have found tend to fracture while the core is being cut due to relief of overburden pressure.
How do they know if the fractures are primary or secondary ?
By Ben on Jan 13, 2012 14:14
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