Production Allocation FAQs

Yes – produced fluids are dynamic. Oil, gas, and water compositions evolve over time due to pressure changes in the reservoir (drawdown), effectiveness of stimulations, and/or interaction of offset wellbores and stimulations. Defining these changes and associating potential causes can lead to impactful development decisions.

Hydraulic fracturing creates or improves pathways for target fluids to travel to the producing wellbore. The oil composition of the stimulated rock volumes (initial fractured rock) can be significantly different fromand more variable than the longer-term “steady-state” oil composition (drained rock volumes).

Produced fluids from separated target zones typically exhibit changes in geochemical parameters due to variance in their original deposition and geologic history. They can often be distinguished. Even fluids from adjacent formations typically carry unique geochemical fingerprints that allow for differentiation and allocation.

GeoMark can identify and quantify oil compositions as representing either single target (strata) contribution or mixtures based on a baseline understanding from offset and regional well data.

No – pressure communication indicates the far-reaching influence of a stimulation, but does not always result in significant fluid communication between wellbores. Although two wells may have seen or are experiencing pressure communication, the fluid composition of the two wells may be distinct. Monitoring fluid composition over time provides a tool for interpreting whether pressure and fluid communication are independent or coincident.

Tools suggesting inter-well (pressure) communication or wellbore delivery (tracers) pair extremely well with geochemical allocation. Combining these toolsets can lead to improved distinction of wells only tapping the same tank (reservoir), producing from different tanks, or if they are truly stealing fluids from the offset wells.

Fluids are produced from a distinct reservoir, but may be generated in a different strata/rock. The geochemistry of a rock and/or produced fluid can determine if the target rock is self-sourcing or if hydrocarbons are migrated. Our geochemical tools can help assess whether the formation being produced is also the original source of the hydrocarbons, or if they’ve migrated from deeper or shallower intervals.

GeoMark has characterized source rocks in basins across the globe – comparison of your rock/oils with GeoMark Studies can delineate your oil provenance.

Yes –GeoMark performs a combination of geochemical assessments to provide a robust dataset for geochemical allocation. A series of statistical assessments integrates the lab derived data to quantify the mixture of contributing sources/reservoirs.

This is the foremost question of current development teams. Geochemical production allocation provides a tool to optimize development patterns. Knowledge of an oils provenance and storage can be used to determine if there is remaining fluid per area or if wells are likely sharing fetch area.

Characterization and allocation per zone or subzone can support additional stacking/staggering, support risking for redevelopment, and provide support for drilling in new areas.

If data suggests untapped zones with remaining hydrocarbons, then yes—additional wells may be technically and economically viable. Allocation studies can help justify new drilling decisions.