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Understanding Oil and Gas Shows and Seals in the Search for Hydrocarbons

  • Book
  • © 2016

Overview

Authors:
  1. John Dolson

    1. DSP Geosciences and Associates, Coconut Grove, USA

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  • A unique guide to how to use currently available oil and gas show information
  • Closes the gap between interpretive understanding of hydrocarbon shows by computer applications and seismic interpretation, and rigorous testing with fundamental information from the wells themselves
  • Examples of spreadsheets used to facilitate quantitative analysis are included
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xix
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction to the Oil Industry and Oil Show Evaluation: A Personal Retrospective

    • John Dolson
    Pages 1-45

  3. The Basics of Traps, Seals, Reservoirs and Shows

    • John Dolson
    Pages 47-90

  4. Drilling, Mud-Logging, Wireline Logs and Cores

    • John Dolson
    Pages 91-143

  5. Understanding Seals, Pressures and Hydrodynamics

    • John Dolson
    Pages 145-232

  6. Quantifying Seals and Saturations: Capillary Pressure, Pseudo-capillary Pressure and Quantitative Show Assessment

    • John Dolson
    Pages 233-314

  7. Basic Log Analysis, Quick-Look Techniques, Pitfalls and Volumetrics

    • John Dolson
    Pages 315-347

  8. Using Fluid Inclusion Data in Exploration

    • John Dolson
    Pages 349-383

  9. Shows and Geochemistry: Extracting More Information from Source Rocks and Hydrocarbons

    • John Dolson
    Pages 385-449

  10. Building and Testing Migration Models

    • John Dolson
    Pages 451-464

  11. Back Matter

    Pages 465-486
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Keywords

About this book

This book explains in detail how to use oil and gas show information to find hydrocarbons.  It covers the basics of exploration methodologies, drilling and mud systems, cuttings and mud gas show evaluation, fundamental log analysis, the pitfalls of log-calculated water saturations, and a complete overview of the use of pressures to understand traps and migration, hydrodynamics, and seal and reservoir quantification using capillary pressure.  Also included are techniques for quickly generating pseudo-capillary pressure curves from simple porosity/permeability data, with examples of how to build spreadsheets in Excel, and a complete treatment of fluid inclusion analysis and fluid inclusion stratigraphy to map migration pathways. In addition, petroleum systems modeling and fundamental source rock geochemistry are discussed in depth, particularly in the context of unconventional source rock evaluation and screening tools for entering new plays.  The book is heavily illustratedwith numerous examples and case histories from the author’s 37 years of exploration experience. The topics covered in this book will give any young geoscientist a quick start on a successful career and serve as a refresher for the more experienced explorer.

 

 


Reviews

“It becomes an easy reference guide for earth scientists who have practiced their “art” for many years as well as the industry newcomer. … the book is a map on how to improve the search for hydrocarbons. The content of this book will be invaluable to our industry for years to come. The author has done us a great service.” (John B. Thomas, AAPG Bulletin, Vol. 101 (8), August, 2017)

“Mr. Dolson’s book is a long overdue work, filling a critical knowledge gap that has spanned decades of exploration and has resulted in billions of dollars in dry holes. … His years of experience with major oil companies, as well as teaching and consulting, provide an exceptional perspective on this critically important subject. … this book is an absolute must read and keep for explorationists at all levels as well as managers and engineers. … this book is highly recommended.” (David Blanchard, GEOExPro, Vol. 14 (3), May, 2017)


“This is intended as a text for professional geologists beginning a career in oil and gas exploration. The work is based on the author’s more than three decades of experience, mostly in Egypt, India, and Russia. … book is divided into nine chapters, each leading with an abstract and ending with a summary and references. Chapters are profusely illustrated with charts, diagrams, and occasional photos, mostly clear and easily readable … . Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; professionals.” (P. Larsen, Choice, Vol. 54 (6), February, 2017)

Authors and Affiliations

  • DSP Geosciences and Associates, Coconut Grove, USA

    John Dolson

About the author

John C. Dolson, Director, DSP Geosciences and Associates, LLC and Senior Geological Advisor, Delonex Energy (London). He has 35+ year’s oil and gas exploration both domestic and international. He has served as Vice President of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (2006/2007), and was Senior Geological Advisor for TNK-BP (Russia), Amoco/BP before starting DSP Geosciences in 2008. Mr. Dolson has  supervised hundreds of geoscientists and has been responsible for prospect generation as well as training and development, with 15 years spent living abroad (Egypt, London, and Moscow).  He has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Miami (Fla), Colorado State University, Royal Holloway University (London) and geological advisor to Moscow State University and Tyumen State University (Russia). He has an extensive publications list including several landmark papers for AAPG dealing with stratigraphic traps and regional petroleum potential assessmentand has authored books on Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument in 1982 and on unconformity analysis with the Rock Mountain Association of Geologists in 1994.  

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