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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Bulletin

Abstract

AAPG Bulletin, V. 86, No. 11 (November 2002), P. 1891-1919.

Copyright ©2002. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

Previous HitBasinNext Hit-Previous HitcenteredNext Hit Previous HitgasNext Hit Previous HitsystemsNext Hit

Ben E. Law1

1Pangea Hydrocarbon Exploration LLC, 12343 W. Louisiana Avenue, Lakewood, Colorado, 80228; email: [email protected]

AUTHORS

Ben Law is a consultant and sole proprietor of Pangea Hydrocarbon Exploration LLC. His research interests include Previous HitbasinNext Hit-Previous HitcenteredNext Hit Previous HitgasNext Hit and coalbed methane Previous HitsystemsNext Hit. Prior to his consulting position, he was a member and chief of the U.S. Geological Survey Western Tight Previous HitGasNext Hit Sand Project and regional coordinator of South Asia for the U.S. Geological Survey World Energy Project. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees from San Diego State University, California.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am grateful to my many U.S. Geological Survey and industry colleagues for their support over the years. I am especially indebted to Charles Spencer for his insights and collaboration on aspects of Previous HitbasinNext Hit-Previous HitcenteredNext Hit Previous HitgasNext Hit Previous HitsystemsNext Hit (BCGSs). A large part of the research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy under the very capable management of Karl Frohne and William Gwilliam. The work also benefited from periodic, constructive discussions and unpublished subsurface data provided by Bill Barrett, Bill Hanson, Greg Anderson, Doug Battin, Jeff Aldrich, John McIntyre, and John Gustavson. Finally, the reviews by Charles Spencer, Dale Leckie, and Bob Ryder significantly improved the manuscript.

ABSTRACT

Previous HitBasinNext Hit-Previous HitcenteredNext Hit Previous HitgasNext Hit Previous HitsystemsNext Hit (BCGSs) are potentially one of the more economically important unconventional Previous HitgasNext Hit Previous HitsystemsNext Hit in the world; in the United States they contribute as much as 15% of the total annual Previous HitgasNext Hit production. These regionally pervasive Previous HitgasNext Hit accumula tions are different from conventionally trapped accumulations in several respects. The Previous HitbasinNext Hit-Previous HitcenteredNext Hit Previous HitgasNext Hit accumulations (BCGAs) associated with BCGSs are typically characterized by regionally pervasive accumulations that are Previous HitgasNext Hit saturated, abnormally pres sured, commonly lack a downdip water contact, and have low-permeability reservoirs. The accumulations range from single, isolated reservoirs a few feet thick to multiple, stacked reservoirs several thousand feet thick. Two types of BCGSs are recognized; a direct type, characterized by having Previous HitgasNext Hit-prone source rocks, and an indirect type, characterized by having liquid-prone source rocks. During the burial and thermal histories of these Previous HitsystemsNext Hit, the source rock differences between the two types of BCGSs result in strikingly different characteristics that impact exploration strategies. The majority of known BCGAs are the direct type. Exploration activity for BCGAs is in the early stages and thus far has been focused in North America. In other parts of the world, concepts of Previous HitbasinNext Hit-Previous HitcenteredNext Hit Previous HitgasNext Hit Previous HitsystemsNext Hit are poorly known, and exploration activity focused on Previous HitbasinNext Hit-Previous HitcenteredNext Hit Previous HitgasTop accumulations is minimal.

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