Topic: Applied Concepts in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

2 day workshop and 1 day field trip

EORI's Distinguished Workshop Series on August 7-9, 2018 will feature John Lorenz and Scott Cooper.

The first 2 days of this workshop will be from 8am-5pm at the True River Cross Commons – 465 N Poplar, Casper, WY.

All meals will be provided by EORI. Transportation to and details of the Outcrop fieldtrip will be discussed and arranged during the 2 day workshop.

EORI is very pleased to offer this Core/Fracture Workshop and Field Trip with industry leaders John Lorenz and Scott Cooper. Pre-registration is required.  And, because of the nature of this workshop/fieldtrip, attendance is limited to 20 participants. With that said, EORI is asking that those who register are committed to attending all 3 days.  We will not be accepting walk-ins for this workshop/fieldtrip. We fully recognize that things come up, stuff happens, emergencies occur, etc. but we are asking that before registering, you organize your agenda, to the best you can, to fully commit to the full three days.

The event is free to attend, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. After pre-registration, a confirmation email will be sent. This is not an official confirmation of your participation in the workshop and fieldtrip. You will receive a separate email once pre-registration is complete with final confirmation for this event.

• Sponsored by the Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute. Contact Lon Whitman at 307-315-6450 with any questions.

• Hosted by True Oil

Download Event Brochure

Download Course Outline

Who should attend?

• Geologists who need to characterize and understand fracture systems and their effects on reservoir permeability from core and outcrops, who need to be able to differentiate between natural and induced fractures in cores, and who would like to be able to predict the effects of lithology on fracturing.
• Engineers who want to understand fracture permeability in relationship to the in situ stress system, the interaction of natural fractures with hydraulic stimulation fractures, and the important differences between extension and shear fractures in controlling individual fracture permeability and the interconnectivity of fracture networks.
• Petrophysicists who want an understanding of the significance of different fracture characteristics on image logs and the reliability of image logs in capturing the characteristics of fractures.
• Seismologists who want a better understanding of subsurface fracture systems and their potential effects on seismic signals.
• Managers who want an understanding of the technologies and methodologies required to adequately characterize a fractured reservoir.

Learning Outcomes:

• Different fracture types have different effects on reservoir permeability.
• Not all fractures are effective in enhancing reservoir permeability.
• Fracture types can vary by lithology within the same structural setting.
• Fracture types can vary by structural setting within the same lithology.
• Fracture permeability can be sensitive to changes in the in situ stress during production.
• Recognizing fracture type in the small sampling of a reservoir offered by core can provide a conceptual model differentiating radial from anisotropic drainage.
• The interaction of natural fractures with hydraulic stimulation fractures depends on fracture type and orientation relative to the in situ stresses.
• The student will obtain insights into fracture mechanics and the origins of fractures, and use those concepts in a very applied sense to instill an understanding of natural fractures and their potential effects on reservoirs.
• Students will come away from the course with an appreciation of the wide range of structures that fall under the basket term “fracture”.

Course Description:

Classroom

This is a hands-on class anchored with a 65-piece plus teaching collection of natural and induced fractures in core that students will work with during class exercises. The class provides insights into fracture mechanics and the origins of fractures, and uses those concepts in a very applied sense to instill an understanding of natural fractures and their potential effects on reservoirs.

Discussions and lectures include differentiating fractures by type and the effects of different fracture types on reservoir permeability, and the fracture types expected in different structural domains and reservoirs. Course modules also include how to differentiate natural from induced fractures in cores and the use of image logs and their calibration with core. We will also discuss the interactions between natural fractures, in situ stresses, and stimulation fractures.

Students will come away from the class with an appreciation of the wide range of structures that fall under the basket term “fracture”, and an understanding that different fracture types do not have the same effect on hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Field Trip

During the field trip, we will examine shear and extension fractures in Tensleep carbonates and eolian sandstones, fractures that are related to folding on a basement-cored, Laramide anticline. The trip includes access to the heart of the Alcova Anticline and Freemont Canyon via a pontoon-boat excursion, for a comparison of equivalent Tensleep sandstones found on and off structure. Outcrops around Alcova include examples of fractures in granites, carbonates, sandstones and shales, fractures related to faulting, and the relationship between basement fractures and fractures in the overlying strata.

Excellent outcrops exist of the Mancos, Frontier and Mowry shales and allow for hands-on characterizations and comparisons of the different fracture types in these lithologically and mechanically dissimilar shales. Discussions on the outcrop will include the effects of the observed fractures and their distribution on reservoir permeability, effective vs non-effective fracture systems, and the effect of lithology on determining both fracture type and intensity.

Both the course and field trip serve as the background for discussions on mechanical stratigraphic controls of fracturing and production in conventional and unconventional reservoirs.

About the Presenters:

John C. Lorenz

John earned an undergraduate B.A., with a double major in geology and in anthropology from Oberlin College in 1972. After serving in the Peace Corps, Morocco, he earned on his M.S., with a thesis on a Moroccan Triassic rift basin, at the University of South Carolina (1975), and Ph.D., studying the Nubian Sandstone in Libya and Cretaceous strata in Montana, at Princeton University (1981). John has worked for the U.S. Geological Survey in Louisiana and New Mexico, and for Sandia National Laboratories where he was the geologist for the tight-gas Multiwell Experiment in the Piceance basin. John has been a consultant since 2007, partnering with Scott Cooper in 2008 to form FractureStudies LLC which specializes in fractured reservoir characterization and effects. FractureStudies has counted over 50 companies as clients, working on fractured reservoir projects around the world.

John served as the Elected Editor (2001-2004) and President (2009-2010) of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. As president he supported the advancement of the geosciences and their applications to hydrocarbon-related problems. His published papers and presentations on natural and induced fractures in reservoirs range geographically from the Lisburne Limestone in Alaska to the Spraberry Formation in Texas to the carbonates of northern Iraq. These papers and presentations have been awarded the AAPG Levorsen (twice) and Jules Braunstein awards. In 2018 he and Scott Cooper authored the “Atlas of Natural and Induced Fractures in Core.” He has worked closely with the oil and gas industry on problems involving reservoir dimensions and in situ permeability, gaining extensive hands-on experience with core analysis and fieldwork. He has led field trips, presented core workshops, and taught short courses for the industry-oriented geological community in numerous places around the world.

Scott P. Cooper

Scott Cooper is a partner with Dr. John Lorenz at FractureStudies LLC, working on naturally fractured reservoir characterization issues in sandstones, carbonates and shales around the world from Alaska throughout the continental USA to Brazil, North Africa and Iraq. In 2018 Scott and John co-authored the “Atlas of Natural and Induced Fractures in Core”. Earlier in his career as a Senior Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories (a U.S. Department of Energy facility) Scott worked on numerous government and industry-supported energy-related research projects. Scott received a B.S. in geology from the South Dakota School of Mines and a M.S. in geology from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. His thesis work involved characterization and modeling of natural fractures in strata at Teapot Dome, a basement-cored anticline in central Wyoming, the database developed from that work continues to be used as a teaching tool in various industry fracture-modeling programs. Detailed descriptions and links to projects, published papers, open-file reports, short courses, core workshops, fieldtrips, webinars and the new Atlas are available at www.fracturestudies.com.

Topic: Understanding and Using WYRIT – The Wyoming Reservoir Information Tool

Lunch & Learn on July 11, 2018 will feature Nick Jones of EORI.

Join us from 11:30am-1pm on Wednesday, July 11th at the True River Cross Commons – 465 N Poplar, Casper, WY.

The event is free to attend, but registration is required as space is limited. After registration, a confirmation email will be sent. Lunch will be provided.

• Sponsored by the Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute

• Hosted by True Oil

Register Online

Event Brochure

About the Presenter:

Nick Jones, EORI

Mr. Jones is a geologist with 17 years of experience in energy minerals and natural resources. He is a licensed Professional Geologist with the Wyoming Board of Professional Geologists. His focus is the subsurface mapping and resource assessment of oil, gas, and coal. In addition to this Mr. Jones is a subject matter expert on Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) in clastic and carbonate reservoirs. His work includes creating the Wyoming Reservoir Information Tool (WyRIT) – an online geospatial information and engineering tool focused on Wyoming oil and gas reservoirs, collaboratively developing and conducting single well pilot tests in Minnelusa and Muddy reservoirs, creating the Wyoming Resource Integration Model (WyRIM) (Copyright © 2017 by Nick R. Jones) – a statewide 3D-geospatial subsurface model that integrates energy development data with reservoir data, field studies and characterizations of eolian sandstones, clastic fluvial and marginal marine sediments, palustrine and paludal depositional systems, technical assessment, training, project management, education, and public speaking.

Topic: Waterflooding: Screening and Surveillance

EORI's Distinguished Workshop Series on May 16, 2018 will feature Dr. Michael Wiggins of Wm. Cobb and Associates, Dallas.

Join us from 9am-4pm on Wednesday, May 16th at the True River Cross Commons – 465 N Poplar, Casper, WY.

The event is free to attend, but registration is required as space is limited. After registration, a confirmation email will be sent. Lunch will be provided by EORI.

• Sponsored by the Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute

• Hosted by True Oil

Download Event Brochure

About the Presenter:

Dr. Michael Wiggins, Wm. Cobb and Associates, Dallas

Dr. Michael L. Wiggins currently serves as Director of Technology and Training and Senior Vice President of William M. Cobb & Associates, Inc. (Cobb & Associates). He has over 35 years of professional experience in academia and the upstream oil and gas industry including drilling, production, and reservoir engineering. His industry experience includes employment with major and independent E&P companies and he has been offering petroleum engineering consulting services to the industry for over 20 years. His technical interests include reservoir management and engineering, production operations, well performance, and production optimization.

He has co-authored numerous papers in his areas of expertise and received research funding from various governmental agencies, international oil companies, and national oil companies. In addition, he has conducted numerous short courses in the areas of reservoir management, reservoir engineering, waterflood design and evaluation, well completions, production operations, and petroleum project evaluation.

The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources presents the Spring Faculty Speaker Series:

The Spring 2018 SER Faculty Speaker Series will focus on the activities and research of the School of Energy Resources.

Events take place on Fridays from 12:10 - 1pm and are held at the Encana Auditorium in the Energy Innovation Center.

April 27th Speaker - Center for Excellence for Produced Water Management; Dr. Jonathon Brant, Director

Lunch is provided.

This semester's faculty speaker series will focus on the School of Energy Resources Centers of Excellence and the activities and research that is currently happening within each center. If you want to learn and understand more about the ever-changing energy industry and all the new research that is going on at UW, these presentations will be extremely valuable and informative.

Centers of Excellence Open House from 3pm-6pm

2nd Floor, EIC

PROGRAM: Leo A. Giangiacomo, P.E. – Extreme Petroleum Technology – Understanding Oil Price Trends

Date: Wednesday, April 25, 2018.  9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Two-hour Technical Presentation followed by lunch.

Registration: Registration will start at 8:30 am with coffee, beverages and light snacks.

Location: Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Meeting Room, 2211 King Boulevard, Casper, WY. This meeting will be video conferenced to select locations.

Cost: $20.00/person.  Online registration is recommended to guarantee seating and lunch. Register by Wednesday, April 17, 2018 at 5:00 pm. Onsite registration may be available on first come basis for cash or check only. Membership in SPEE is not required to attend this meeting. 

Lunch: BBQ Lunch following the presentation, provided by Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI) in the Bighorn Room at the Wyoming Technology Business Center (WTBC), 2435 King Blvd, next door to the WOGCC.

Continuing Education Credit: 2.0 hours continuing education credit for attendees as requested prior to the meeting.

Register Online

Download Event Brochure

Questions? Contact us: 

Rick Vine 307-234-3571 (office) or 307-752-0701 (cell) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Leo Giangiacomo 307-224-5021 (office) or 307-259-1496 (cell) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Rob Hurless 307-315-6443 (office) or 307-259-0494 (cell) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Presentation Abstract:

Oil and gas prices affect everything that we do in the oil industry. They seem impossible to predict. Yet, there are some elements that can be better understood and greatly improve our outlook. By dividing up the price environment and looking at all of the factors separately, we find that they can be digested more easily piece by piece, and then adding them all up to get a tighter look at the future. There will always be some pieces that cannot be evaluated with any certainty, but knowing what they are helps us to deal with the uncertainty better.

Supply and demand forms the basis for market pricing, but demand is the most important influence on markets. Geopolitical factors layer upon supply and demand and have a higher frequency effect. Finally, analysts and market psychology form the uppermost and highest frequency response to pricing. We will examine how this system works to form the pricing environment we experience.

Presenter Leo A. Giangiacomo, PE

Leo Giangiacomo is the president of Extreme Petroleum Technology. He holds a BS degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from Penn State in 1978. He is a registered Professional Engineer (Petroleum) in Wyoming.

He started his career with Texaco in South Louisiana. They transferred him to Casper in 1981, where he has remained. He worked for a series of contractors at the Naval Petroleum Reserve #3 until 1998, when he started Extreme Petroleum Technology, with his spouse Kathleen.

He has worked on CO2 floods, steamfloods, ASP floods, tight gas development, multilateral well and LWD technology development, field redevelopment, integrated reservoir description and simulation studies, drilling well programs, wellsite supervision, horizontal well fracture completion design, stimulation optimization, reserves evaluations, property acquisitions and divestment, and economics. He has experience in the Rockies, MidContinent, Gulf Coast, Alaska, Hungary, Australia, Kazakhstan, and Nigeria.

He is a current member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers, Wyoming Geological Association, and American Association of Professional Geologists. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Northern Rockies Section of SPEE and on the Technical Review Committee for SPE’s Reservoir Engineering and Evaluation Journal and Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, where he was named Outstanding Technical Editor in 2006. He publishes a weekly newsletter on the oil and gas industry and joins Chuck Gray’s Wyoming Mornings show on KVOC 1230 AM Tuesday mornings for an oil and gas industry update.

The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources presents the Spring Faculty Speaker Series:

The Spring 2018 SER Faculty Speaker Series will focus on the activities and research of the School of Energy Resources.

Events take place on Fridays from 12:10 - 1pm and are held at the Encana Auditorium in the Energy Innovation Center.

April 20th Speaker - Center for Air Quality; Shane Murphy, Director

Lunch is provided.

This semester's faculty speaker series will focus on the School of Energy Resources Centers of Excellence and the activities and research that is currently happening within each center. If you want to learn and understand more about the ever-changing energy industry and all the new research that is going on at UW, these presentations will be extremely valuable and informative.

The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources presents the Spring Faculty Speaker Series:

The Spring 2018 SER Faculty Speaker Series will focus on the activities and research of the School of Energy Resources.

Events take place on Fridays from 12:10 - 1pm and are held at the Encana Auditorium in the Energy Innovation Center.

April 13th Speaker - Center for Photoconversion and Catalysis; Dr Bruce Parkinson, Director

Lunch is provided.

This semester's faculty speaker series will focus on the School of Energy Resources Centers of Excellence and the activities and research that is currently happening within each center. If you want to learn and understand more about the ever-changing energy industry and all the new research that is going on at UW, these presentations will be extremely valuable and informative.

The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources presents the Spring Faculty Speaker Series:

The Spring 2018 SER Faculty Speaker Series will focus on the activities and research of the School of Energy Resources.

Events take place on Fridays from 12:10 - 1pm and are held at the Encana Auditorium in the Energy Innovation Center.

March 23rd Speaker - Center for Energy Economics and Public Policy; Dr Rob Godby, Director

Lunch is provided.

This semester's faculty speaker series will focus on the School of Energy Resources Centers of Excellence and the activities and research that is currently happening within each center. If you want to learn and understand more about the ever-changing energy industry and all the new research that is going on at UW, these presentations will be extremely valuable and informative.

Topic: Inter-Well Tracers, Understanding Inter-Well Connectivity Within Your Reservoir

Lunch & Learn on March 22, 2018 will feature Stephen Whitaker of EORI.

Join us from 11am-1pm on Thursday, March 22nd at the True River Cross Commons – 465 N Poplar, Casper, WY.

The event is free to attend, but registration is required as space is limited. After registration, a confirmation email will be sent. Lunch will be provided.

• Sponsored by the Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute

• Hosted by True Oil

Download Event Brochure

About the Presenter:

Stephen Whitaker, EORI

Steve has over 39 years of extensive, multidisciplinary experience with both major and independent oil companies encompassing numerous aspects of exploration for, and development of, clastic, carbonate, and unconventional reservoirs. He ran is own oil company for 16 years where he conducted programs involving exploration, development, and enhancing production. He has a well-earned reputation for using proven methods and developing innovative concepts to improve production through EOR/IOR programs and through exploration projects. He has authored several publications on hydrocarbon exploration and on enhancing production in existing fields and has given numerous presentations at national and international conferences. Steve joined EORI in January 2017.