Abstract

As the oil and gas industry emerges out of the downturn, and the world energy is at balance today between supply and demand, shale gas plays have become much more resilient and efficient in delivering unprecedented expectations of hydrocarbon supply. The shale gas producers and operators experienced the great challenge of lowering the cost of drilling and fracturing through process optimization. The productivity of these formations continues to surprise the industry with its performance and sustainability of hydrocarbon production. Lowering the cost of production through innovative technologies and efficiency has validated the economic viability of shale gas plays. Recent exploration activities in Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and China by various operators went through a steep learning curve which has benefited these new players in examining all aspects of these plays. Understanding these tight reservoirs requires detailed study and analysis of the subsurface to guide exploration trends, and identify sweet spots, where basin simulation and modeling are considered critical in understanding the origin of hydrocarbon and historical maturity. Comprehensive analysis of geophysical data, drilling measurements, formation evaluation, core analysis, testing, production and geomechanics is also essential. The thermodynamic of gas flow in these ultra-low permeability formations are still being investigated by scientists and researchers in the industry and academia. Data analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and machine learning will accelerate this learning curve and provide these operators with an opportunity to improved well placement and economic productivity. This symposium is planned and organized by two international professional societies that best understand such resources: the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE). The symposium will attract world experts in exploration, characterization, drilling, fracturing and completion. Best practices and case studies of what the industry has learned on shale gas exploitation in the last few years will be presented and discussed so the attendees can greatly benefit from the exchange of knowledge and expertise of the contributors. Technical Poster presenters will also be invited to share their findings with the participants.