Oil and gas reservoir exploration through well profiling

Stable isotope analysis is a critical technique for upstream reservoir exploration through well profiling. Understanding the origin of oil and gas in any new reservoir is an essential requirement for determining its feasibility and suitability for exploitation. In addition to making oil-oil correlations for reservoir mapping possible, stable isotope analysis is a key function of any petrochemical service laboratory.

Beyond the exploration of conventional reservoirs, recent plays into unconventional “tight” resources, such as shale gas and coal bed methane, have a similar need for stable isotope analysis; evaluation of the carbon and hydrogen fingerprints enables petroleum geochemists further insight into this continuing drive for new opportunities.

Compound-specific isotope analysis allows highly precise isotopic profiling of oil reservoirs and therefore, evaluation of the source of the oil. Knowing the origin of the oil and the extent of its maturity allows the feasibility of any well site to be established. Combined with carbon and hydrogen isotope analysis of natural gases, our exceptional PetrovisION GC-IRMS system and lyticOS® Software Suite, you will find that these time-consuming analyses are performed quickly and rapidly, improving your return on investment.

Combining compound-specific isotope analysis of oil fractions with bulk isotope analysis is highly complementary for understanding oil origins, but also allows nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen isotope analysis of NSO fractions. Our elemental analyzers for stable isotope analysis also offer excellent performance for more refractory samples such as sediments which are able to bring greater insight into basin geochemistry.

Analyzing sedimentary carbonates from a basin brings a greater understanding of the burial processes and diagenesis environment that the oil reservoir has been subjected to. Our iso FLOW system is able to analyze sedimentary carbonates, dissolved inorganic carbonates (DIC), as well as well waters with high precision. This flexible system is also capable of analyzing dissolved nitrates, allowing complete hydrogeology of the basin to be established.