Date:  12th - 21st Jul 2022
Start Time: 15:00 BST
Instructors:  Chris Clarkson

Business Impact: Rate-transient analysis (RTA) is a reservoir engineering method used to extract important hydraulic fracture and reservoir parameters and fluid-in-place estimates that can be used in development planning and for reserves estimation.

This course provides petroleum engineers and geoscientists with a comprehensive review of rate-transient analysis (RTA) methods as applied to unconventional reservoirs such as shale. Using the framework of a comprehensive workflow for quantitative RTA, the fundamentals of RTA, as applied to low-permeability oil and gas reservoirs exhibiting simple reservoir and fluid characteristics, are first reviewed. Next, application of RTA methods to unconventional reservoirs exhibiting complexities such as multi-phase flow and stress-dependent permeability is demonstrated. Throughout the course, practical application of RTA methods is illustrated using field cases.

Participants will learn to:

1. Identify and appraise typical flow regimes for hydraulically-fractured vertical wells and multi-fractured horizontal wells (MFHWs).
2. Develop an understanding of the origin of RTA models.
3. Perform corrections for variable operating conditions and fluid properties.
4. Perform straight-line and type-curve analysis to derive fracture/reservoir properties and fluid-in-place.
5. Develop an understanding of how unconventional reservoir properties may be incorporated into RTA models.
6. Utilize a rigorous workflow for the analysis of unconventional reservoir production data.

This course is designed for petroleum engineers and geoscientists who wish to learn the state-of-the-art in RTA as applied to unconventional reservoirs,

Chris Clarkson

Christopher R. Clarkson is a professor and the Ovitintiv/Shell Chair in Unconventional Gas and Light Oil research in the Department of Geoscience, and an adjunct professor with the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary. His work focus in the industry was on exploration for, and development of, unconventional gas (UG) and light oil (ULO) reservoirs. His research focus, since coming to the University of Calgary in 2009, has been on advanced reservoir characterization methods for UG-ULO, such as rate- and pressure-transient analysis, flowback analysis, and core analysis. He is also interested in simulation of enhanced recovery processes in UG-ULO, and how these processes can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Clarkson leads an industry-sponsored consortium called “Tight Oil Consortium," focused on these research topics for unconventional light oil reservoirs.

Clarkson is the author of numerous articles in peer-reviewed scientific and engineering journals, and the book titled “Unconventional Reservoir Rate-Transient Analysis”, published by Elsevier in 2021. He was an SPE Distinguished Lecturer for the 2009-2010 lecture season, is the recipient of the 2016 SPE Regional Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award (Canadian Region), the 2018 SPE Calgary Sections’ Technical Excellence and Achievement Award, and the 2021 SPE Regional Formation Evaluation Award (Canadian Region). He also received the 2017 ASTech award for “Outstanding Achievement in Applied Technology and Innovation” for his work on rate-transient analysis of unconventional reservoirs.

Clarkson is also a certified professional engineer with 11 years of industry experience as a petroleum (reservoir) engineer.

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