A Combined Workflow of Stochastic and Rock Physics Modelling for Determining Brittle Zones in Unconventional Resources

Production from unconventional resources is typically very complex and expensive due to the geological constrains and required enhanced oil recovery methods which should be implemented during their production. One of the efficient production methods is fracture stimulation along the horizontal wells within for instance shale gases. Providing brittle zones information along the well can help to improve the efficiency of the method as well as reduce the costs. Therefore, locating the brittle zones for fracture stimulation is vey important for the effectiveness of such methods. Here, we propose a combination workflow for prediction of the brittle zones using stochastic and rock physics modelling. We use a production well in the Permian Basin of West Texas to implement this combined workflow using only provided wire-line logs. Then, the stochastic modelling outputs are used to model mechanical properties using an appropriate rock physics model. Our results show that stochastic modelling can provide an accurate and cost-effective input for our rock physics model which in turn will be used to model the elastic constants along the well path. Furthermore, these results for the most brittle zone are confirmed by production data from the same well.