ENERGY, RESOURCES & RENEWABLES
Core & Materials Testing
Download our Rock Properties Services brochure
Rock Properties Service Overview
AGAT Laboratories has been providing an integrated geological and engineering approach to conventional core, special core analysis and unconsolidated core for 30 years. Our geologists, engineers and technicians offer comprehensive reservoir quality analysis, assisting in resolving or preventing potential reservoir quality and fluid sensitivity problems. Within the Rock Properties’ divisions, AGAT Laboratories offers a unique, combined source of geological and engineering data that is used in the development and management of petroleum reservoirs.
The following five divisions work collaboratively for our Rock Properties services:
- Routine Core: Conventional core is analyzed for the measurement of core porosity at different vertical and horizontal scales under different physiochemical conditions. The three key reservoir parameters analyzed are porosity, permeability and fluid saturations.
- Geology and Petrology: Geological and petrology data is obtained through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction analysis for drilling deposits and mineralogy studies.
- Oilsands Analysis: Heavy oil and oil sands deposits are assessed to determine the quality of the deposits. Parameters include porosity, permeability, fluid saturation and the distribution of particle size.
- Reservoir Characterization: Reservoir quality data is collected through special core analysis, Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT) studies and scale and corrosion services to efficiently explore, develop and produce petroleum resources.
- Rock Mechanics: Geomechanical testing, providing information critical to understanding in-situ stresses, ensuring borehole stability, caprock integrity and optimized fracture design.
The AGAT Advantage
In pursuit of excellence, our company maintains committed to the following initiatives to provide you with unique methods to optimize your business.
Quality: AGAT Laboratories’ Quality Management System is certified to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 for specific testing. We also maintain memberships in the American Petroleum Institute Subcommittee for Core Analysis (SCA), the Canadian Society for Petroleum Geologists (CSPG) and the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologist and Geophysics of Alberta (APEGGA).
Health, Safety and the Environment: AGAT Laboratories is committed to safeguarding the health and safety of our employees and clients and our safety systems have been rewarded by the Alberta Government. We take a “Green” approach to all of our operations to minimize our environmental footprint while still providing optimal services.
Client Project Managers: Our Client Project Managers (CPMs) are highly qualified and experienced in managing both domestic and international large-scale core programs. These personnel are available to provide you with technical advice and interpretation for the evaluation of reservoirs and oil recovery. They actively participate in the planning and coordination of client projects throughout all stages of laboratory analysis.
Technical Innovations: AGAT Laboratories has an active Research and Development Program that has contributed significantly to keeping us at the forefront of technology and innovation. We are committed to investing in new developments to continue to advance science.
Facilities: We have over 350,000 square feet of laboratory space dedicated to serving the Energy Sector. Our diversity of services allows us to offer you a full scope of analysis from the divisions of Rock Properties, Pretroleum Testing Services, Environmental Chemistry, Air Quality Monitoring and Lubricants Testing Services.
Imaging Department: AGAT Laboratories’ Imaging Department specializes in multiple types of core imaging that include the following:
- Ultra-violet and flash photography images of whole and slabbed conventional and unconventional core.
- Rotating movies and virtual objects.
- Close-up photography where images captured are individual samples or a section of core in a greater than one-to-one ratio.
- Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images.
- Thin Section Photography.
Along with specialized software programs for you to access and manipulate core images, we have an FTP server that has 100 per cent up-time for secure client access to their images through our WebOILSANDS program.
Click the Routine Core tab above to view some examples of these imaging techniques.
Routine Core
Routine core or conventional core analysis frequently emerges as the standard analysis conducted for our clients and can be considered the cornerstone upon which formation evaluation rests. Our Routine Core Division can determine petrophysical properties on both full diameter cores as well as plugs.
Our Routine Core services include:
- Porosity
- Permeability
- Fluid Saturation
- Grain Density
- Spectral Gamma Log
- Core imaging
AGAT Laboratories’ specialized team of geologists and engineers provide a customized approach to conventional testing offering additional assistance for:
- Core handling
- Describing and Depth-Correct Core
- Preparing and cleaning core for client viewing
- Sample selection for analysis
Services Description
Porosity can be determined at ambient or reservoir conditions and is an indication of the storage capacity of the reservoir.
Permeability is determined in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Engineers can use horizontal permeability data to define flow capacity, permeability distribution and the profile. Vertical permeability is used to define coning probability and gravity drainage potential.
Fluid Saturations (oil and water) can be determined by retort distillation or by Dean Stark distillation, which helps define the presence and quantity of hydrocarbons within a reservoir.
Grain Density is calculated from the measured dry weight divided by the grain volume of a core sample and can be used to confirm the mineralogy of the core.
Spectral Gamma Log measures the natural gamma radiation of the sample which provides information about the composition and lithology of the formation. The total gamma ray is broken down into the thorium, potassium and uranium components. The gamma ray can be used to help depth correct the core to field logs as well.
Core Imaging provides you with vivid and detailed images of your core in a variety of formats ranging from slabbed core to whole core images, from rotating movies to virtual objects. Core photography is available in flash photography and ultraviolet light and can be used to identify the presence of hydrocarbons.
Following are examples of some of these image types.
Geology and Petrology
The Geological Services group provides data that is used by both exploration and completion engineers. We offer both interpretation and rock-based analytical programs that are designed to accurately evaluate depositional environments, mineralogy, reservoir quality, sensitivity to drilling and completion fluids, as well as the potential and possible mechanisms for formation damage. Geological studies include sedimentology, biostratigraphy, petrographic analysis and fracture analysis.
QEMSCAN® is a fully-automated microanalysis system that provides rapid and reliable mineralogical, petrographic and metallurgical data from any inorganic, and some organic, materials. This state-of-the-art technology is used in the mining sector for mineral exploration, ore characterization, and mineral process optimization applications. It is also utilized by the oil and gas industry to reduce risk and improve extraction, based on data derived from the microanalysis of drill cuttings and cores. Drawing from the back-scattered electron (BSE) signal intensity and an Energy Dispersive Spectra (ED) Signal, mineral identities are assigned to each measurement point by comparing the BSE signal and EDS spectrum against a mineral species database or species identification program.
A comprehensive understanding of fracture characteristics that exist within the reservoir. This is not only limited to fracture orientation but also includes origin, density, fracture pattern and potential influence on hydrocarbon migration. The core structure data obtained can be utilized by explorationists for basin analysis and individual prospect delineation as well as by explorationists during reservoir modeling, designing well drainage patterns, well completion programs and well stimulation programs.
The most accurate and repeatable means of evaluating the mineralogy and pore system of reservoir rock samples (core, sidewall core, drill cuttings and outcrop). Two types of epoxy, normal blue or rhodamine-B for fluorescence under ultra-violet light, are impregnated into the rock to highlight the pore system. Carbonate stains (alizarin Red-S for calcite and potassium ferricyanade for ferroan carbonate) and/or feldspar stain is applied to mounted thin section ground down to 30μm. The finished thin section is viewed under plane-polarized, cross-polarized and/or ultra-violet light to examine by point counting or image analysis the mineralogy, texture, diagenesis, pore system and reservoir quality of the sample. Also any sedimentary structures, morphology, bioclasts, crystals habit, textures and fabric of the thin section are noted. From the calculated mineralogy and pore system estimation, the reservoir quality can be estimated with references to potential reservoir problems (acid, fines migration and fresh water sensitivity). Thin sections can also helpful in regards to environmental interpretation (especially carbonates).
This provides precise identification of mineralogic composition for petrographic correlations. It is a semi quantitative analysis of a rock composition (bulk fraction) and an analysis of the clay fraction. It can provide identification of interstitial clays, control porosity and permeability, and can assist in understanding and evaluating well log data, stratigraphic logs and core logs.
Used to determine and identify the structure of substances and to identify individual clay minerals and their physical locations in the pore system or as a pore lining. Our SEM technology also has backscatter capabilities to measure density differences that can highlight textures and micro-pores in very fine rocks such as shales and siltstones. This data coupled with the XRD data is used by geologists and reservoir completion engineers to take engineering precautions to avoid adverse effects on the reservoir during the drilling, completion and production phases of reservoir development. Additionally we have an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) detector which is used to confirm clays and other minerals in the SEM.
Scale and corrosion inhibitor products can be evaluated to minimize the problems associated with the identified scale formation or equipment corrosion. This can be utilized to evaluate potential production problems associated with handling and produce and/or make-up water in both the surface facilities and injection into the reservoir.
Field Consulting Services are available utilizing highly trained and experienced technical staff to evaluate production facilities and to implement recommended scale and/or corrosion inhibitor processes.
Physical Compatibility Tests confirm the types of scales that form and the rates at which they form. XRD and SEM/XES analysis are used to identify the scales formed. Water Compatibility Simulation Modeling conducted by the Slomeneq.88 thermodynamic computer program will identify any potential scale formation in produced waters or associated with the mixing of injection brines from differing formations.
Oil Sands Analysis
Our Oil Sands Analysis Division provides analytical services for the mining, cold production and in-situ production of oil from heavy oil and oil sand reservoirs. Data generated from our heavy oil services is used by geologists, engineers and petro-physicists to calibrate wire line logs, identify potentially productive intervals, estimate reserves and evaluate reservoir quality for description.
Services
SAGD Simulation Technology for oilsands studies provides total oil analysis for heavy oil and bitumen properties. Industry-leading stimulation recovery tests are conducted in-house at temperatures up to 300 Cº, providing solutions for VAPEX and SAGD applications.
AGAT Laboratories’ was the first to engineer the largest lab-scale SAGD simulator to provide important data on parameters such as steam-oil ratios and recovery factors as well as investigating the influence of solvent injection on the overall production potential. Our SAGD simulator replicates all elements in the well system during SAGD, ESSAGD and VAPEX recovery processes. Data produced from this advanced instrumentation provides vital information when making final decisions for performance optimization and increasing economic return. Our SAGD simulator can be completely customized based on project needs.
Tailing Ponds Analysis – Batch Extraction and Process-ability Testing
AGAT Laboratories has an extensive Research and Development Program that enables us to work collaboratively with clients in creating innovative, environmentally-focused solutions for SAGD and mining extraction operations. Our Petrologists, Geologists and Engineers specialize in Tailing Ponds analysis and characterization, helping us provide green studies for our petroleum production clients. Our state-of-the-art instrumentation enables us to offer several analytical services that can be customized to the clients’ project needs. These services include the following:
- API and Specific Gravity
- Bitumen cleaning and extraction
- Complete water analysis
- Dean Stark analysis
- Froth extraction using a flotation unit
- Overall mass balance
- Monitoring and graphing
- pH adjustment
- Photography
- Sand Fines Ratio
- Settling tests
- Total suspended solids
Digital Colour Photography: A permanent recovery of the cored interval including hydrocarbon stained intervals. Digital capture of the image facilitates enhancement of the more subtle features in the core.
Fluid Saturations (oil and water): Are determined by Dean Stark distillation. Saturation profile data helps define the presence of hydrocarbons, relative richness and the type of hydrocarbon that may be produced. Saturation data as a fraction of the bulk mass helps identify preferred deposits to be exploited in surface mining operations.
Particle (grain) Size Distribution: Is determined by laser diffraction or by the mechanical sieve shaker method. This data has engineering applications in well completion programs in friable and unconsolidated sediments. It’s geological applications include assessing sand heterogeneity and depositional environment interpretation in both consolidated and unconsolidated clastic sediments. For petrophysical applications in various phases of formation, this includes the evaluation effects and understanding of log responses.
A key factor affecting the profitability of waterflooding heavy oil unconsolidated sand reservoirs is the ability to achieve effective sand control completions in response and injection wells. Effective sand control reduces line failures, simplifies individual well operating problems and protects expensive pumping equipment required for high producing rates. Particle size data is used to design an effective gravel flow pack, which is then used to meet these objectives.
Permeability: This can be determined in both the horizontal and vertical directions on cryogenically prepared samples encased in Teflon or lead sleeves. Engineers can use horizontal permeability data to define flow capacity, permeability distribution and profile. Vertical permeability is used to define coning probability and gravity drainage potential.
Porosity: Is determined at net overburden pressure on cryogenically prepared samples encased in Teflon or lead sleeves. Porosity is an indication of the storage capacity of the reservoir. Core porosities are used to calibrate logs and for reserves calculation.
X-radiography Techniques: These are used to examine the internal character of a core without cutting it. In this process it is possible to obtain two images (0° and 90°) of the same piece of core and display them side-by-side. The process enables detection and evaluation of internal geological structures such as bedding planes, fractures and nodules, lithological changes, porosity distribution (porous areas and tight streaks), areas of mining core and the depth of planar features. This technique is used for identifying sections of core recovered in plastic sleeves and for preservation for future engineering studies, prior to cutting and slabbing.
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Additional Services
- Core handling
- Core storage (short and long term)
- Slabbing
- V-notch sampling
Oil Sands Science Centre
AGAT Laboratories’ competitive advantage includes two full-service laboratory facilities with over 90,000 square feet of laboratory space dedicated to oil sands operations. Our Oil Sands Science Centre consolidates our 30 years of industry innovations and experience to offer highly efficient, technologically advanced laboratories with a client-focused approach.
WebOILSANDS
WebOILSANDS is a customized, web-based software package designed for oil sands data management. This program has the ability to recognize trends and anomalies and to ensure repeatability and quality of data. This secure online database interacts with our laboratory Oil Sands Reporting System (OSRS) to provide real-time project and sample progress reports, photo capture, preliminary analytical results, work flow processing, and standard and custom report generation with data quality reviews.
To login to WebOILSANDS click here.
Reservoir Characterization
AGAT Laboratories Reservoir Characterization Division offers one integrated source for complete formation and reservoir evaluation through a combination of Special Core Analysis (SCAL), Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT), Scale and Corrosion Services and Rock Mechanics studies.
AGAT Laboratories has over 30 years of engineering and geological experience in designing and implementing solutions to effectively resolve issues in all facets of drilling, completion and production.
Services
SCAL is used for reservoir characterization and provides better predictions of reservoir performance from core samples, as well as in evaluating any detrimental effects of subjecting a reservoir to foreign fluids to avoid or eliminate production problems. SCAL enables more accurate predictions for reservoir conditions and performance leading to informed drilling and casing decisions, correcting reserve estimates and enhancing production.
Capillary Pressure Measurements are conducted using heated ultra-centrifuge or mercury injection. This measurement provides air/brine or oil/brine capillary curves for the valuation of reservoir hydrocarbon saturations. AGAT Laboratories has the expertise to work with both consolidated and unconsolidated core.
Drilling Mud Leak-off Analysis performed to evaluate drilling fluid systems for horizontal and vertical applications. AGAT Laboratories will custom-design projects to accurately simulate any drilling application to counter-act fluid loss, wall collapse and to determine the appropriate use of drilling fluids.
Electrical Properties tests provide high-quality data that relates the electrical properties of reservoir rock to porosity. This is one of the most meaningful ways to obtain reservoir fluid saturations by means of down-hole, wire-hole and electrical resistivity measurements. In this technique, the electrical resistivity of the formation is directly measured by means of a down-hole logging tool. Electrical properties of fluid saturation in rock have always been fundamental in quantitative formation evaluation.
Fluid Sensitivity and Fines Migration tests measure reservoir sensitivity in a three-stage program to determine fluid-fluid and fluid-matrix compatibility as well as to determine the critical velocity for core flood applications.
Project applications include the following:
- CO2 /Nitrogen Floods
- Water Floods
- Miscible Floods
- Polymer Floods
Liquid Permeability Recovery Tests provide the most accurate evaluation for any detrimental effects of subjecting a reservoir to foreign fluids such as drilling mud, completion or workover fluids, or injection water for water flood implementation.
Permeability is a measure of the ability of a reservoir rock to transmit petroleum fluids and is a critical parameter in the evaluation of the production potential of a hydrocarbon reserve. There are different types of permeability measurements that can be made including:
- Absolute Permeability: When a reservoir rock contains only one single fluid. Analysis conducted at reservoir conditions and subjected to formation brine will provide a baseline liquid permeability.
- Effective Permeability: When a reservoir contains more than one fluid. AGAT Laboratories offers measurements of this method to provide permeability values that are closely related to the actual reservoir conditions.
Permeability Regain is a method that ignores the influence of a reservoir fluid and strictly evaluates the test fluid/rock interaction. AGAT Laboratories’ engineers will provide a comparison between different proposed drilling/completion fluids and predict what damage mechanisms may occur. Permeability Regain is often used for evaluating acid stimulation fluids. Our Permeability Regain services include:
- Gas permeability regain at reservoir condition.
- Oil permeability regain at reservoir condition.
- Routine gas permeability regain.
Relative Permeability is a dimensionless term used to adapt Darcy’s Law to multi-phase flow conditions. Relative permeability data is used to design, optimize and analyze oil displacement processes to maximize the economic recovery of oil. Relative permeability parameters, measured at full reservoir conditions of pressure and temperature, are essential for reservoir simulations to predict recoverable reserves and to evaluate the economic impact of water floods or other enhanced recovery schemes.
AGAT Laboratories offers two methods for obtaining relative permeability data including steady-state and unsteady-state, both in a core plug or core plug stack system. This is available for a two or three fluid system at ambient and reservoir conditions up to 10,000psi and 200C for the following:
- Water-Oil Relative Permeability
- Gas-Water Relative Permeability
- Gas-Oil Relative Permeability
Customized Core Floods; Along with the above studies, AGAT Laboratories can customize core floods to meet our client’s needs and suite their specific type of application. Some examples of this include the following:
- CO2 / Nitrogen Floods
- Water Flood
- Miscible Flood
- Polymer Flood
- Expanding Solvent Flood
- Gas Flood
- Steam Flood
- Surfactant Flood
Wettability Evaluation is the tendency of a fluid to spread over a surface of a solid. For reservoir rocks, this depends on affinity of the surface for water and oil. AGAT Laboratories utilizes a combined AMOTT/USBM test procedure that effectively differentiates between mixed and neutral wettabilities in addition to basic oil versus water wet conditions.
Net Overburden Petrophysical Measurements includes routine and net overburden (NOB) porosity and permeability.
Klinkenberg Permeability or equivalent liquid permeabilityis determined by measuring the gas permeability of a core plug sample at a series of increasing pressures while held at a specific confining stress. The Klinkenberg effect is the observation that the absolute gas permeability is always greater than the absolute liquid permeability as a result of “slip flow” between gas molecules and the solid walls of the porous medium.
Pore Volume Compressibility is used to evaluate the pore volume compressibility, which is the fractional change in pore volume per unit pressure change. The porosity of a core sample is measured at a series of different confining pressures to evaluate the changes in the pore volume as a function of pressure.
Mercury Injection Porosimetry involves the high-pressure injection of liquid mercury into a core sample in order to evaluate the capillary pressure. Advantages of this test are that it can be performed quickly, low permeability samples can be analyzed and uniform sample shapes or sizes not required. The resulting data can also be used to evaluate the pore throat size distribution of the core sample, affording a break-down into micro and macro pores.
Reservoir fluid studies are conducted on reservoir hydrocarbons acquired through down-hole sampling or the recombination of surface separator samples. AGAT Laboratories’ advanced mercury-free PVT units offer a cleaner and safer alternative to traditional PVT analysis while reducing testing time. Results obtained through PVT are essential for the predication of reservoir performance and product mix throughout the producing life of the reservoir.
Differential Liberation simulates the pressure depletion process, which occurs during production and predicts the changes in fluid properties associated with the evolution of gas from the oil or the condensation of liquids from a rich gas system.
Field Sampling Services are provided by our trained personnel to ensure representative hydrocarbon fluid samples are collected from surface separators or with our downhole sampling tools.
Live Oil Viscosity Tests evaluate the effects on the fluid viscosity both above and below the saturation pressure of the hydrocarbon system to predict any decline in production rates.
Pressure-Volume Relationship Tests document the volumetric changes to the fluid system as the reservoir pressure declines during fluid production.
Single Stage or Multiple Stage Flash Tests are utilized to determine oil and gas ratios along with the multiphase stages that occur during formation pressure, separator pressure and pipeline pressure changes. Multiple incremental reductions in pressure are controlled to determine target gasses that are released.
Rock mechanics testing provides key information on the strength and stability of reservoir rocks with respect to drilling, fracturing and production.
- Acoustic Velocity is a non-destructive analysis to determine the Young’s Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio of a rock sample. Utilizing ultrasonic waves through the core samples, compression and shear wave velocities can be determined.
- Compressive Strength Testing is a destructive analysis that is used to evaluate the ultimate strength of a core plug sample.
- Elastic Modulus is a destructive analysis that is used to determine the Young’s Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio of a rock sample.
- Mohr’s Circle is a destructive analysis used to obtain Coulomb’s Failure Envelope, which represents the strength of the rock at various in-situ confining pressures.
- Splitting Tensile Strength is used to evaluate the tensile strength of a core sample by indirect means.
Rock Mechanics
Geomechanical testing, providing information critical to understanding in-situ stresses, ensuring borehole stability, caprock integrity and optimized fracture design.
Reservoir access is essential to the exploitation of unconventional oil and gas, and rock mechanics play a fundamental role in unlocking these resources. Our rock mechanics play a fundamental role in unlocking these resources. Our rock mechanics and geomechanical testing give you information critical to understanding in-situ stresses, ensuring borehole stability, caprock integrity, and optimized fracture design.
- Rock core profiling – combining fabric and fracture characterization with non-destructive mechanical hardness testing on whole core or slabbed surfaces.
- Triaxial tests carried out under reservoir conditions with state-of-the-art servo controlled testing systems, using a range of sample sizes from sidewall core plugs to full diameter core
- Acoustic properties measurement during triaxial testing for dynamic mechanical properties and sonic log calibration
- Direct shear testing
- Rock-fluid interactions with fracture conductivity, permeability, and proppant embedment testing under reservoir conditions with formation or completion fluids
- Analytical and numerical modeling from pore-scale to full-field multi-well models.
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