Current Abstract
January 10th, 2023 Meeting Abstract
“Laboratory Analysis—Beyond Oil and Gas”
Presented by: Barbara Hill, SLB Reservoir Laboratories
ABSTRACT:
Carbon storage, whether as sequestration or utilization, has risen to prominence as governments,
communities, and industries have begun to address the need for a carbon neutral future. Currently,
the most common method of carbon storage involves CO2 injection into either depleted oil and gas
reservoirs where the CO2 is used to prolong the life of a field’s hydrocarbon production or into
existing brine aquifers where it is presumed to be sequestered far into the future. Effective and
efficient subsurface carbon storage and / or utilization requires a thorough understanding of the
reservoir in which carbon will be injected. This understanding begins with appropriate
measurements that assist in the evaluation of a reservoir’s storage capacity, containment within the
subsurface, the integrity of caprock, potential interactions between the injected fluid, rock, and in situ
subsurface fluids, as well as future monitoring of subsurface plumes. This talk will define the role of
the laboratory in an integrated CCS workflow which includes seismic, subsurface log measurements,
laboratory analysis, and modeling. The talk will then focus on essential laboratory analyses that
characterize the reservoir rock, analyze potential CO2 interactions with target reservoirs, and assess
the sensitivity of caprock to CO2-rich fluids. The presentation will also include an introduction to the
importance of digital twins in assessing potential long-term impacts of CO2. These analyses provide
insights into subsurface storage, containment within the reservoir (seal integrity), well integrity,
injectivity, and monitoring. Having appropriate laboratory analysis during the earliest phases of any
CO2 project also provides a proactive approach to predicting future conformance of a plume as it
migrates in the subsurface over time and in addressing how to mitigate unexpected events.
Biography:
Barbara Hill is a Rock Domain Champion for the SLB Reservoir Labs, Reservoir
Performance, Barbara is based out of Houston and is the technical representative for
the rock labs for the western hemisphere.
Prior to joining SLB in 2013, Barbara was a college professor of geology for 25 years,
a uranium exploration consulting geologist, a hydrogeologist, and a production
geologist for a major oil company.
Barbara holds a Ph.D. degree in geology from Syracuse University where her
research centered around inorganic geochemistry and radiogenic isotope
geochemistry, a M.S. degree in geology from California State University, Long
Beach, with research in the hydro- and biogeochemistry of peat, and a B.S. in
geology from Oklahoma State University. Barbara has been a member of AAPG and
GSA for over 35 years and is also a member of SPE, SPWLA, and Houston
Geological Society, where she is a past-Director. In her spare time, she tutors high
school math and builds bunk beds for charity. In addition, she is one cat shy of being
the ‘crazy cat lady.’