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Home My WebLink AboutGMC Data Report No. 0462550 49th St. ~'3 ..... -~' cons. Commission ResultS"~)f''.Shale Bulk Density Analysis (cuttings) Boulder, CO 80301 13031449-3411 Sample I.D. EXXON Alaska State A-1 12710-20 12720-30 12730-40 12480-90 *Data considered unreliable Bulk Density Ig/ccl 2.42 2.42 2.43 3.69* Sample I.D. Bulk Density i g/cci Company Alaska Rm~march Location ANWR Date 10/19/84, P9 of 2550 49thSt. #3 Boulder, CO 80301 13031449-3411 Results of Shale Bulk Density Analysis Sample I.D. Bulk Density Ig/ccl EXXON 10216 10230 10241 10264 10267 10546 10662 10710 10716 10724 10732 12431 12435 12445 12478 12489 12504 12517 12523 12556 2558 12564 12569 12654 12657 12665 12675 12691 12704 12714 52723 12727 12747 12748 13232 13958 14178 14187 14197 Alaska State A-1 2.49 2.49 2.48 2.50 2.50 2.52 2.53 2.51 2.53 2.52 2.52 2.31 2.44 2.45 2.44 2.46 2.58 2.45 2.48 2.44 2.48 2.45 2.49 2.51 2.54 2.44 2.48 2.47 2.45 2.39 2.42 2.43 2.38 2.35 2.64 2.73 2.73 2.71 2.70 Company Alaska Research Assocs. Location Sample I.D. Bulk Density Ig/cc| EXXON Alaska State F-1 12077 12608 12617 12910 12913 EXXON Duck Island Unit No. 1 11538 11542 11548 EXXON Pt. Thomson Unit No. 2 11621 11721 11843 EXXON 13569 14798 14811 HUMBLE 12213 12691 MOBIL Beli No. 1 11231-32 12224 MOBIL Mikkelsen Bay 11166-67 11606-07 11633-34 11654-55 11663-64 11664-65 MOBIL W. Staines 7748-49 7760-61 10612-13 10660-61 11168-69 11545-46 11729-30 12671-72 SOHIO Challenge Isl. 8243 8244 ANWR Pt. Thomson Unit No. 4 E. Mikkelsen Bay St. No. 1 St.# 13-9-19 St.# 18-9-23 2.45 2.43 2.46 2.48 2.49 2.62 · 2.62 2.53 2.59 2.54 - 2.57 2.49 2.49 2.50 2.52 2.61 2.59 2.56 2.53 2.54 2.57 2.52 2.51 2.57 2.38 2.36 2.50 2.49 2.54 2.46 2.52 2.49 No. I Core#1 ' 2.32 2.11 Date 9/24/84 p. ? of 2550 49th St. ~3 Boulder, CO 80301 13031449-3411 SUBJECT: Shale Bulk Density Analyses AUTHOR AND QUALITY CONTROL: Alan p. Byrnes PROCEDURE: Shale core and cuttings samples were provided by Michael D. Wilson of Alaska Research Associates for Bulk Density analysis. The samples were subsequently placed in a vacuum oven f~ one (1) week at a pressure of less than 10-4 torr and a temperature of 90C. The samples were then cooled and were weighed on a torsion balance with an accuracy of 0.002 gms. Each sample was then placed in the mercury injection capillary apparatus. Normally bulk volume is determ{~ed by displacement of mercury, at injection pressures of I to 3 inches of mercury (immersion depth pressure). However small shale partings or fractures might not permit mercury entry while art- ificially adding to surface sample bulk volumes compared to subsurface volumes. To try~and correct for this, samples were subjected to a vacuum . of less than 10-j torr and were then injected with mercury to atmospheric pressure (12.1 psia). This resulted in mercury intrusion into pores with a pore entry radius of approximately lOum (microns) and larger. The volume of mercury displaced by the sample (bulk volume) was measured to 0.005 cc. For many samples this procedure resulted in a negligible bulk volume differ- ence than the immersion method would have measured. Based on the average sample size, weights were measured with an accuracy of 0.02% and bulk volumes with an accuracy of 0.1-0.2%. Assuming these two variables are independent of each other then the overall accuracy of these measurements is approximately 0.2%. DISCUSSION: Although the theoretical accuracy of these measurements is 0.2% because samples probably have changed from subsurface conditions the degree to which these sample densities represent in-situ bulk densities is uncertain. The degree to which the samples have "decompressed" and expanded since removal from in-situ stresses is indeterminable except by performing measurements under high confining stress. Samples from the EXXON Alaska State A-1 well display significant changes in bulk density with depth. However, no major trends, are discernable except between samples below 13958 and those above 12748. A brief comparison with Density Log -derived bulk densities indicates fair agreement at the shallowest and deepest intervals but there is no correlation for the interval 12431-12748. In general, samples from shallower than 10,000 ft. exhibit bulk densities significantly less than samples from deeper than 10,000 ft.. Samples '12748, 12747, and 12431 are not consistent with this trend in EXXON Alaska State A-1. In addition,in the EXXON Alaska State A-1 well,samples below 13958 exhibit densities significantly greater than those shallower than 13958 though the EXXON Point Thomson Unit No~ 4 does not exhibit this same trend. It is uncertain without further testing what the effects of shale composition, sample retrieval and handling procedures, and storage history may have been upon laboratory measured bulk densities. Company Alaska Research Assocs. Location ANWR Date 9/24/84 lo~ 2 pg