THE FULL VALUE CHAIN SWEET SPOT IN THE MOWRY SHALE: A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH INITIATIVE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING

The Mowry Shale Petroleum System in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming contains up to 300 million barrels of oil and gas. That vast potential remains relatively unexploited due to several challenges that include, among other things, the depth of the formation, geomechanical complexity affecting drilling and stimulation, and the lack of Mowry-specific economic models for forecasting. To assist industry partners in Wyoming in unlocking the value of this resource, the School of Energy Resources (SER) at the University of Wyoming funded a university-wide program on the Mowry Shale. Initiated in 2023, the program consists of thirteen research projects with more than 35 faculty, research scientists, and graduate students who are building broad expertise by working across six departments.

This presentation will summarize the research results to date in four key areas that encompass a large part of the value chain for oil and gas production and economic development: Reservoir Characterization and Definition (RCD), Drilling and Completions (D&C), Production and Fluid Flow (PFF), and Economics and Forecasting (E&F).

The RCD group has developed laboratory and petrophysical tools to better characterize the formation and increase the sparse dataset using machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML-AI) tools. In D&C, we are testing drilling fluid compatibility with Mowry bentonites, while modeling and testing the interfaces between bentonites and the shale reservoir rock. The PFF group focuses on measuring permeability changes during drawdown and uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to test models of pore and fracture networks to optimize fluid flow. The E&F team has developed novel forecasting economic models and decline curve analyses specific to Mowry production potential.

We aspire to build a “sweet spot” definition of the Mowry shale that contains not just geological opportunity, but identifies where that combines with drilling, completions, production, and economics to ensure success for the Wyoming oil and gas industry. The next crucial step in the program is to begin closer engagements with industry partners to confirm we are working on appropriately applied problems that can deliver both short- and long-term benefits to Wyoming’s energy industry.