Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Khaled Arouri

Maher I Almarhoon

Mahdi A AbuAli

Peng Lu

Pan Luo

Mahdi Abuali

Zhenzhu Wan

A system for identifying migration direction of natural gases is provided and may include a network ofHe gas sensors and a migration monitoring hub. The network ofHe gas sensors may be operable to identify aHe concentration in gas samples. The migration monitoring hub may be in communication with the network ofHe gas sensors and may comprise a user interface and a processor. The processor may be operable to determine a direction of increasingHe concentration and map increasingHe concentration. The user interface may be operable to display migration information. A method for identifying migration direction of natural gases is also provided and may include isolating a target portion of a petroleum exploration environment, detecting gas samples from a network ofHe gas sensors, identifying aHe concentration in the gas samples, and determining a direction of increasingHe concentration in the gas samples.

Systems and methods for identifying gas migration using helium

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for detecting seepage of hydrocarbons in subterranean zones. In one aspect, a method includes detecting hydrocarbon seepage at multiple different sampling depths from a surface in a surveyed geographic region, comparing each of the hydrocarbon seepage at the multiple different sampling depths, wherein hydrocarbon seepage at a reference depth is known, and determining hydrocarbon seepage through the surveyed geographic region based on a result of the comparison.

Sampling techniques to detect hydrocarbon seepage

Embodiments provide a method for evaluating a hydrocarbon-bearing formation. The method includes the step of identifying a hydrocarbon sweet spot. The identifying step includes determining a carbon dioxide content of a gas sample retrieved from the hydrocarbon-bearing formation. The identifying step includes determining an isotopic signature of carbon dioxide of the gas sample. The carbon dioxide content of the gas sample retrieved from the hydrocarbon sweet spot can have a mole percentage ranging from 9 percent to 20 percent. The isotopic signature of carbon dioxide of the gas sample retrieved from the hydrocarbon sweet spot can have a &#x3b4;C value greater than &#x2212;10 per mil. The identifying step can further include determining a cutoff range of the carbon dioxide content corresponding to the hydrocarbon sweet spot. The cutoff range can have a mole percentage ranging from 9 percent to 20 percent. The identifying step can further include obtaining a gas flow rate of the hydrocarbon-bearing formation. The gas flow rate can be greater than 10 million standard cubic feet per day.

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Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Khaled Arouri