Predicting Reservoir Fluid Properties from Advanced Mud Gas Data

SummaryIn a recent paper, we published a machine learning method to quantitatively predict reservoir fluid gas/oil ratio (GOR) from advanced mud gas (AMG) data. The significant increase of the model accuracy compared to traditional modeling approaches makes it possible to estimate reservoir fluid GOR based on AMG data while drilling, before the wireline operation. This approach has clear advantages because of early access, low cost, and a continuous reservoir fluid GOR for all reservoir zones. This paper releases further study results to predict other reservoir fluid properties in addition to GOR, which is essential for geo-operations, field development plans, and production optimization.Two approaches were selected to predict other reservoir fluid properties. As illustrated by the reservoir fluid density example, we developed machine learning models for individual reservoir fluid properties for the first approach, similar to the GOR prediction approach in the previous paper. As for the second approach, instead of developing many machine learning models for individual reservoir fluid property, we investigated the essential properties for equation of state (EOS) fluid characterization: C6 and C7+ composition and the molecular weight and density of the C7+ fraction. Once these properties are in place, the entire spectrum of reservoir fluid properties can be calculated with the EOS model.The results of reservoir fluid property prediction are satisfactory with both approaches. The reservoir oil density prediction has a mean average error (MAE) of 0.039 g/cm3. The accuracy is similar to the typical density derived from the pressure gradient from wireline logging data. For the essential fluid properties required for EOS model prediction, the overall accuracy is less than the laboratory measurements but acceptable as the early phase estimations. The reservoir fluid properties predicted from the EOS model are similar to the predictions from individual machine learning models. We applied the field measured AMG data into the reservoir fluid property models and achieved good results, as illustrated by the reservoir fluid density example.The previous paper completed the methodology to predict all reservoir fluid properties based on AMG data. This work paves the way to generate a complete reservoir fluid log for all relevant reservoir fluid properties while drilling. The method has a significant business impact, providing full coverage of reservoir fluid properties along the well path in the early drilling phase. The advantage of providing reservoir fluid properties in all reservoir zones while drilling far outweighs the limitation of somewhat reduced reservoir fluid property accuracy.