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Improving the Total Organic Carbon Estimation of the Eagle Ford Shale with Density Logs by Considering the Effect of Pyrite
Minerals
  • Shuxian Jiang
  • Mehdi Mokhtari
  • David M. Borrok, Missouri University of Science and Technology
  • Jim Lee
Abstract

Pyrite is a common mineral with a higher density than most other minerals in the Eagle Ford Shale formation. Hence, if pyrite is not considered in the total organic carbon (TOC) estimation, based on density logs, it may lead to errors. In order to improve the accuracy of the TOC estimation, we propose an updated TOC estimation method that incorporates the concentration of pyrite and organic porosity. More than 15 m of Eagle Ford Shale samples were analyzed using Rock-Eval pyrolysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). TOC, elemental concentration, and mineralogical data were analyzed for a better understanding of the relationship between the concentration of TOC and pyrite content in the Eagle Ford formation. An updated petrophysical model—including parameters such as organic pores, solid organic matter, inorganic pores, pyrite, and inorganic rock matrix without pyrite—was built using the sample data from the Eagle Ford. The model was compared with Schmoker’s model and validated with the Eagle Ford field data. The results showed that the updated model had a lower root mean square error (RMSE) than Schmoker’s model. Therefore, it could be used in the future estimation of TOC in pyrite-rich formations.

Department(s)
Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
  • TOC,
  • Eagle Ford Shale,
  • Pyrite,
  • Density log
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2018 The Authors, All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Publication Date
4-1-2018
Publication Date
01 Apr 2018
Disciplines
Citation Information
Shuxian Jiang, Mehdi Mokhtari, David M. Borrok and Jim Lee. "Improving the Total Organic Carbon Estimation of the Eagle Ford Shale with Density Logs by Considering the Effect of Pyrite" Minerals Vol. 8 Iss. 4 (2018) ISSN: 2075-163X
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/david-borrok/45/