Unconventional Reservoirs · Module U8
Brittleness, screening and the capstone
Reservoir quality is half of a shale decision; completion quality is the other half. The module recaps the elastic and mineralogical brittleness indices, shows what soft, low-modulus kerogen does to each and how the kerogen volume reaches the index, and frames screening as a list of stated cut-offs on TOC, porosity, saturation and brittleness. The capstone then runs the whole evaluation on the course wells, from logs to calibrated TOC, net pay and gas in place in Volumetrics, with the record a reviewer needs.
- Level
- Advanced
- Position
- Module 8 of 8
- Video
- About 18 minutes, narrated
- Format
- Narrated video lesson with captions and slide reading view; with the certified option, a quiz whose pass unlocks the next module.
What the module covers
- Completion quality beside reservoir quality
- Elastic and mineralogical brittleness
- What kerogen does to each index
- Screening with every cut-off stated
- Capstone: from logs to gas in place
- What the course leaves outside the app
Learning outcomes
After the module you should be able to:
- Deliver a source-rock evaluation a reviewer can follow, with its range, its cut-offs and its limits.
- Name the brittleness index behind a number and what kerogen did to it
- Assemble a source-rock evaluation a reviewer can check step by step
A short preview
Brittleness indices count kerogen as a ductile component, and for good reason: it is soft, with a Young's modulus a small fraction of that of quartz or calcite. On a mineral index, kerogen sits in the denominator beside clay. On an elastic index, it lowers Young's modulus, one of the two terms the index reads. A rich source rock can therefore look less brittle than the lean shale above it, with the same quartz content. Screening holds up when it names the index, the kerogen volume that fed it and every cut-off applied.
Who it is for
Petrophysicists, geoscientists and reservoir engineers who evaluate organic shales and source rocks from logs and core, and carry TOC, net pay and gas in place into appraisal and development decisions.
Prerequisites: The Intermediate track, or working experience with shale volume, porosity and water saturation; the Geomechanics course is recommended before U8. The hands-on steps use the Organic Matter workspace in Formation Evaluation, and the brittleness steps in U8 use the Geomechanics workspace, available from the Professional plan.
Take the module in the Learning Hub
Unconventional Reservoirs: Specialty course, sold separately: eight modules that evaluate an organic shale from logs and core, from TOC methods fused and calibrated to core, through kerogen-corrected porosity and net pay, to free and adsorbed gas in place and brittleness. The lesson opens in the Learning Hub once the track is purchased; graded quizzes and the certificate come with the certified option.