American Oil and Gas Reporter - September 2016 - 49

SpecialReport: Reservoir Optimization & Modeling
lithofacies with associated treating pressures applied during hydraulic stimulation demonstrates how the results are being used
to efficiently plan well penetrations to maximize production in
these heterogeneous reservoir lithofacies.
As shown in Figure 6, lower fracturing pressures are encountered in the higher-quality reservoir lithofacies (orange and yellow). Not only do these lithofacies produce better, but they require less pressure to effectively stimulate the reservoir. Increased
efficiency, reduced drilling risk, and more informed and faster decisions are enabled while engineering, planning, drilling and completing wells.
By using geostatistical inversion to quantitatively and synergistically integrate geoscience data from various disciplines, a reliable, seismically constrained subsurface model was generated
that complemented traditional well-centric geomodels and provided a clearer and more geologically realistic image of the interwell subsurface to identify reservoir sweet spots.

HAIHONG WANG is a principal geophysicist at CGG GeoConsulting. She began her career in 1995 as a petrophysicist
at Sinopec China, and then worked for the company as a geophysicist and geomodeler for seven years. In 2006, Wang joined
the ESSCA Group, representing Schlumberger in China as a geomodeling software product technical manager, serving in that
capacity until she began her assignment at CGG GeoConsulting in 2010. She holds a B.A. in geophysics and an M.S. in applied mathematics from Northeast Petroleum University.
KEVIN CHESSER is chief petrophysicist of seismic reservoir
characterization at CGG GeoConsulting in Houston. He has
more than 30 years of experience in exploration and development geology, petrophysics, and seismic reservoir characterization. Since joining CGG in 2008, Chesser has worked in a number of conventional plays as well as unconventional plays, including the Barnett, Haynesville, Marcellus, Bakken and Eagle Ford. He holds a B.Sc. in geology from Sul Ross State University and an M.S. in geology from the University of Kansas.
JEFF ZAWILA is a senior geophysicist at SM Energy Company. He began his career in 1997 as an exploration geophysicist at ARCO Alaska, and then with ConocoPhillips Alaska. Zawila joined EOG Resources as a senior geophysicist in 2002,
serving in that capacity until beginning in his assignment at SM
Energy in 2011. He holds a B.S. in geology and geophysics from
the University of Missouri-Rolla, and an M.S. in geophysics from
the University of California, Riverside.
SAMUEL FLUCKIGER is a senior petrophysicist at SM Energy, concentrating on the Powder River, Williston and other
basins in the Rocky Mountain region. Before joining SM Energy in 2012, he worked for 12 years as a petrophysicist and wireline field engineer at Schlumberger. Fluckiger holds a B.S. in
geology from Utah State University and an M.S. in geophysics
from the University of Utah.
GARY HUGHES is a senior geologist at SM Energy. He joined
the company in 2010 after a 30-year career that included 14 years
of service as an exploration geologist at Texaco, six years as a

Three-dimensional models of the five important lithofacies were
produced, along with petrophysical and geomechanical property models that incorporated all the characteristics of the reservoir
as understood from well data. The true structural shape, architecture and thickness of formation lithofacies were imaged successfully, in addition to effective porosity.
The results of this approach can be used by engineers, geophysicists, geologists and geomodelers to properly predict production and reserves, and to efficiently maximize well placement
within an asset by planning, drilling and completing wells in the
most efficient manner based on precise petrophysical volumes and
maps.
An improved stratigraphic and structural interpretation of the
horizon also was achieved. The integrated multidisciplinary study
gave the operator uncertainty measurements for probability analysis of the lithofacies or reservoir properties, and enabled prospective drilling/development areas to be ranked.
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senior geologist at North American Resources Company, and 10
years as an independent consultant at Hughes Exploration Inc.
Hughes holds a B.A. in geology from Augustana College and an
M.S. in geology from Montana State University-Bozeman.
PRESTON KERR is a geologist at SM Energy, focused on
developing Cretaceous units in the Powder River Basin. Before
joining the company in 2013, he was a geology intern for
Marathon Oil Corp.'s Bakken asset team, and operations coordinator, geologist, for Richardson Operating Company. Kerr
holds a B.S. in geology from the University of Colorado and an
M.S. in structural and petroleum geology from the University
of Oklahoma.
ANDREW HENNES is exploration manager of the Rockies
region at SM Energy. He joined the company in 2006 as a senior geologist after beginning his career as geophysical field manager at Echotech Geophysical, and then as a geologist at
Chevron. Hennes holds a B.S. in geology from the University
of Montana and an M.S. in geoscience from the University of
Arizona.
HOWARD J. TITCHMARSH formerly served as senior business development manager at CGG GeoConsulting. Now located in the United Kingdom, he is managing a property portfolio and seeking opportunities within the oil and gas sector. Titchmarsh joined Fugro-Jason (subsequently acquired by CGG) in
2004. Prior to that, he worked at Paradigm Geophysical, Landmark Graphics, and Terrasciences Inc. Titchmarsh holds a B.S.
in geology from Royal School of Mines and an M.S. in petroleum geology from the University of Aberdeen.
MICHAEL HOFMANN is founder, principal and chief executive officer of AIM GeoAnalytics and a research assistant professor in the department of geosciences at the University of Montana.
With technical expertise in sequence stratigraphy, sedimentology,
petrography and integrated basin analysis, he has worked in basins
across North America and around the world. Hofmann previously served as a senior geologist at ConocoPhillips. He holds a Ph.D.
in geology from the University of Montana.
SEPTEMBER 2016 49

American Oil and Gas Reporter - September 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Oil and Gas Reporter - September 2016