Oil and Gas
Oil and Gas | Petrophysics
Petrophysics of Tight and Unconventional Oil Reservoirs
Format and Duration:
3 days
Next Event
Location: Houston
Date:
4 - 6 Nov. 2025
Start Time:
09:00 CST
Event Code: N528a25C
Fee From: USD $3,940
(exc. Tax)
Unconventional reservoirs are typically dual porosity and dual permeability, which often forces petrophysical modeling into two-dimensional analysis. This course explores how the physical and chemical nature of mudstones constrains our petrophysical approach and how core, log, image, and geochemical data can be integrated to develop an appropriate petrophysical evaluation workflow. The analysis can be applied to pilot wells to determine favorable zones to go horizontal, or to horizontal wells to determine optimum completion intervals.
Business Impact: Application of the learnings of this course will empower participants to understand the petrophysical concepts to allow for determination of flow units and hydrocarbons in place (HIP) in mixed or oil wet formations.
Schedule
Event Code: N528a25C
Duration: 3 days
Instructors: Katerina Yared
Dates:
4 - 6 Nov. 2025
Start Time:
09:00 CST
Location: Houston
Fee From
USD $3,940
(exc. Tax)
Good Availability
Please login to book.
Duration and Training Method
This is a classroom or virtual classroom course comprising a mixture of lectures, demonstrations, and discussions.
Course Overview
Learning Outcomes
Participants will learn to:
- Evaluate the fluid distribution in unconventional reservoirs.
- Determine how maturation affects pore distribution and connate water salinity.
- Distinguish geologic environments that require special logging tools.
- Select advanced techniques for the analysis of NMR and/or dielectric measurements.
- Formulate special core analysis techniques to calibrate or verify petrophysical models.
- Judge pore size distributions in heterogeneous formations.
- Formulate reservoir wettability from logs and core.
- Determine with accuracy the amount of clay bound water and free water.
Course Content
Part 1: The Physics of Log Measurements
- Introduction to well logging
- Principles and theories behind log measurements
- Logging tools and their applications in unconventional reservoirs
Part 2: Log Normalization, QC, and Measurement Error
- Normalization techniques for well logs
- Quality control procedures for log data
- Understanding measurement errors and their impact on resource evaluation
Part 3: Mineralogy Determination from Logs
- Log responses related to mineralogy
- Interpretation methods for mineralogical analysis from logs
- Quantitative mineralogy estimation using log and core data
Part 4: Clay Responses and Clay Bound Water
- Clay mineral identification from well logs
- Clay responses in vertical pilot holes and horizontal production wells
- Clay-bound water estimation from log and core data
Part 5: TOC Models
- Introduction to Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
- TOC estimation methods using well logs and various core measurements
- Application of TOC models
- Organic porosity in unconventional reservoirs
Part 6: Porosity Determination
- Log-based porosity calculations
- Different porosity models, their assumptions, and NMR log and core measurements
- Evaluating reservoir quality using total and effective porosity data
Part 7: Fluid Saturation Models and Measurements
- Introduction to fluid saturation and its significance
- Interpretation methods for fluid saturation using standard and specialty well logs
- Unconventional reservoir saturation models and hydrocarbon recovery
Part 8: Permeability from Core and Logs
- Core analysis techniques for permeability determination
- Log-based permeability estimation models
- Integration of core and log data for dual permeability evaluation
Part 9: Rock Mechanics
- Introduction to rock mechanics and its importance in reservoir engineering
- Logging tools for rock mechanical analysis
- Interpretation of rock mechanical properties in vertical and horizontal wells
Exercises Included
This course integrates practical exercises to complement theoretical learning. You will:
- Determine key petrophysical properties such as Kerogen Volume, PHIT, VCBW, and PHIE using Core NMR.
- Analyze log data distribution in formations through Log NMR-Dielectric exercises.
- Calibrate logs by determining PHIT and PHIE at specific depths using Core PHIE data.
- Calculate water saturation and effective porosity (SWT and SWE) under various conditions in Core SWE Determination exercises.
- Determine initial water saturation (BVWi) using XRD & GRI core data in Core BVWi Determination exercises.
These hands-on activities will enhance your understanding and application of theoretical concepts in petrophysics.
Who Should Attend and Prerequisites
Anyone involved in the petrophysical evaluation of shale reservoirs, including geologists, geophysicists, petrophysicists and engineers.
Instructors
Dick Merkel
Background
Dick Merkel is President of Denver Petrophysics LLC, which is a consulting firm dedicated to developing logging analytical techniques for petrophysical models tied to core, completion, and production data in complex reservoirs. For the past thirty years, the emphasis of his work has been on the rock physics of NMR and dielectric log combined with core measurements.
Previously, Dick worked at Encana and Newfield where he worked on teams that developed reservoir models for conventional and unconventional oil and gas reservoirs in the Rocky Mountains. Prior to its closing in 2000, Dick was a Senior Technical Consultant at Marathon Oil Company’s Petroleum Technology Center in Littleton, CO where he worked on evaluating new logging tools and technology and developing techniques for their application in Marathon’s reservoirs worldwide.
Dick Merkel has been on the faculty at The Pennsylvania State University and the Colorado School of Mines where he has taught courses in petrophysics, signal processing, and earth physics. He is a past president of SPWLA, the SPWLA Foundation, and DWLS.
Affiliations & Accreditation
PhD Penn State - Geophysics
MS Penn State - Geophysics
BS St. Lawrence University - Physics
SPWLA - Member
SPE - Member
SCA - Member
Courses Taught
N250: Evaluation Methods for Shale Reservoirs
N528: Petrophysics of Tight and Unconventional Oil Reservoirs
Katerina Yared
Background
As the Global Energy Portfolio Leader at 3M for Oil and Gas, Carbon Capture, and Geothermal, she drives innovation and strategic development of future energy solutions through material science. She is actively involved in the technical programming for various renowned events, including the SPE, SEG, and AAPG Unconventional Reservoir Technology conferences. She is the 63rd president and an honorary member of the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA). Additionally, she is an active member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Geothermal Rising, and a director-at-large for the Energy Leadership Institute. She holds lifetime memberships in the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA).
Katerina received her Master of Science degrees in Sustainable Management from the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, and in Geology from RWTH Aachen University, Germany. She began her career in the oil and gas industry nearly 20 years ago as an LWD field engineer, working on both offshore and onshore wellsites. Her early career focused on logging and formation evaluation. This dedication to the petrophysical community led her to get involved with the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA). She volunteered for local chapters and later was elected to the international board of directors.
Her diverse career in the energy sector includes roles ranging from field and applications engineer to geoscience manager at Baker Hughes, geoscientist at NEOS GeoSolutions, and petrophysicist at Apache Corporation, QEP Resources, and SM Energy. She also served as a Project Manager for Projeo Corporation, leading Class VI well permitting and operations efforts. Katerina consulted for new energy ventures in the geothermal, hydrogen, and carbon management space.
Outside of her professional endeavours she serves as co-CEO of her family in Colorado, raising three boys with her husband. Katerina Yared’s blend of career success and personal dedication showcases her as a leader with a visionary approach to promoting inclusive energy solutions for the future.
Affiliations and Accreditation
MSc University of Wisconsin - Sustainable Management
MSc RWTH Aachen University - Geology
Courses Taught
N528: Petrophysics of Tight and Unconventional Oil Reservoirs
Accreditation and Certification
CEU: 2.1 Continuing Education Units
PDH: 21 Professional Development Hours
Certificate: Certificate Issued Upon Completion
RPS is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU. We comply with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognised internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices.
We issue a Certificate of Attendance which verifies the number of training hours attended. Our courses are generally accepted by most professional licensing boards/associations towards continuing education credits. Please check with your licensing board to determine if the courses and certificate of attendance meet their specific criteria.