Pore Styles and Horizontal Drilling Targets in Niobrara-Equivalent Mancos Shale, Northern San Juan Basin

from July 2023 Outcrop

by The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

A FRONTIER OF FOSSILS

Presenter: Walter Nelson, Integrated Energy Resources

Horizontal dry gas wells installed in the Niobrara-equivalent section of Mancos Shale in the northern San Juan Basin are now coming on at 25 million cubic feet per day. It has been 12 years since the first horizontal well in this play, yet the potential here is still being revealed. The potential for Haynesville-style consistency and volumes is very real, and those who are excited about it believe in both the Mancos and the significance of future natural gas demand. The 2 primary target units possess many characteristics of other successful unconventional reservoirs and are seen as relatively calcareous zones (marls) amidst the shale. They are equivalent to the C and B chalks of the Niobrara Formation in the DJ Basin and can be referred to as the lower calcareous unit and the upper calcareous unit, respectively (also sometimes called the olive unit and the black unit by those familiar with WPX’s early investigations with TerraTek). These Cretaceous unconventional reservoirs are classic in every way, exhibiting porosity in fractures, calcareous pellets, and within the organic matter itself.

WALTER NELSON received a B.S. in Geology from Sewanee, an M.S. in Geology from the Colorado School of Mines, and studied business analytics at the University of Denver. He is originally from Houston, TX, and lived in Nashville, TN before moving to Denver, CO where he works as a business development geologist at Integrated Energy Resources. He is primarily focused on reservoir characterization and operations projects for private clients along with various development projects. Previous employers include Triad Environmental Consultants, Antero Resources, QEP Resources, Earth Science Agency, and Kimmeridge Energy. His recent research and work involve Cretaceous unconventional reservoirs, Paleozoic conventional/unconventional reservoirs, Williston Basin development, and natural gas technology.

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