Publication Date
2012
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
David Dominic (Committee Member), Ernest Hauser (Committee Chair), Doyle Watts (Committee Member)
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
In northeastern Ohio, an interval of interbedded sandstone and shale between the Queenston Shale and the Dayton Formation (both in the Silurian System) has long been referred to as the "Clinton interval". The Clinton interval has produced oil and gas for over a century, but has been converted locally to gas storage. Within the Clinton interval, reservoirs are commonly compartmentalized, in part because the sandstones are discontinuous but also because fractures enhance permeability in portions of otherwise continuous sandstones. The goal of this study is to characterize the Clinton interval within the Gabor gas storage field of Dominion East Ohio near Canton, Ohio, using existing geophysical well logs and recently acquired 2D vibroseis reflection data (courtesy of Precision Geophysical).
Gamma ray logs were used to construct isopach, net sand maps and cross-sections throughout the study area. The entire Clinton interval ranges between 85 and 116 ft thick and contains significantly less clean sand with less continuity than the Stark-Summit field to the east. The White Clinton ranges between 15-48 ft thick and contains a greater amount of clean sand compared to the Red and Stray Clinton. The Red Clinton ranges between 20-66 ft thick in the Gabor field and tends to have fairly continuous thick sandstone bodies towards the top and becomes more shaly at the base. The uppermost subunit, the Stray Clinton ranges between 18-50 ft thick and contains the least amount of sand but has thin sand beds that show possible continuity throughout the field. The new 2D vibroseis seismic lines reveal variations within the Clinton interval expressed as laterally varying interference of seismic wavelets apparently associated with changes in the composition and thickness of sandstone and shale layers. Variable area displays of the seismic data reveal specific areas with large attenuation of seismic energy that also appear as bright spots in displays of various seismic attributes. These features can be correlated directly to an area of high production that appears on the map of initial production values.
This research shows that seismic reflection data and its derived seismic attributes are likely underutilized in the explorations and development of the Clinton interval in Ohio.
Page Count
100
Department or Program
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Year Degree Awarded
2012
Copyright
Copyright 2012, all rights reserved. This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.
