The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $1.5 million contract to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology at Socorro to determine the best way to boost San Juan basin gas production.
DOE said that natural fracturing can cause wells to drain gas in irregular, elongated patterns that effectively seal off major sections of the reservoir. Its prior research has focused on how to detect and map the complex web of natural fractures in dense rock formations, the agency said.
The New Mexico Tech project will translate data from various fracture detection techniques to a "best practices" approach for producing the gas. It will acquire well records, production information, and pressure data supplied by Amoco Oil Co., Conoco Inc., and Burlington Resources Co. from at least 500 wells in the Mesaverde and Dakota formations of New Mexico's San Juan basin.
From the data, New Mexico Tech will develop maps of the basin's gas reservoirs and fracture systems, showing the best prospects for infill drilling. The initial phase of the project will last 18 months. If the work appears promising, DOE will authorize a second, 30-month phase to concentrate on another gas basin.
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