DOE - Fossil Energy Techline - Issued on:  August 15, 1997

DOE Offers National Database Software on Natural Gas Reservoirs

"GASIS" Provides Data on 9,014 U.S. Gas Reservoirs

The U.S. Department of Energy has begun distributing a new CD-ROM that provides one of the most comprehensive national databases to date on the nation's natural gas reservoirs.

Release 1 of the Gas Information System - or GASIS - provides geologic, engineering, production and ultimate recovery data on 9,014 U.S. reservoirs, representing the majority of historical gas production in 21 of the top gas-producing states. For each reservoir, 179 individual data elements, ranging from depth to estimates of remaining reserves are specified.

The CD-ROM is the product of a 4-year development effort by Energy & Environmental Analysis, Inc., Arlington, VA. DOE's Federal Energy Technology Center, which sponsored the project, is distributing the CD-ROM free-of-charge to producers and others in the natural gas industry.

"The database is designed for two principal purposes," said Rodney Malone, who managed the project for the DOE-FETC. "It can serve as a stand-alone database or it can provide the data input to various simulation, modeling and forecasting models that are currently available. GASIS offers natural gas producers, particularly the smaller operators that are rapidly assuming ownership of marginal gas resources in the lower-48 States, information that can help them develop their reservoirs more efficiently, extend their field limits, and better assess intrafield opportunities for producing gas. GASIS is also a valuable exploration tool, allowing operators to evaluate reservoir properties and discovery histories by play or formation."

Malone said that in addition to the "Reservoir Data System" of geologic and engineering data, GASIS also contains a "Source Directory" documenting natural gas supply-related databases and information centers.

"The need for this type of database has increased as exploration in the lower-48 States has shifted from frontier areas to extended development of more mature natural gas provinces," Malone said. "With the nation increasing its use of natural gas, it is important that we provide our gas producers with a systematic, organized synthesis of resource information. Few individual companies would have the capability or incentive to create this type of national data system, yet it could be key to the continued success of many producers who are looking to field extension or infill drilling as ways to prolong the productive life of their gas reservoirs."

GASIS draws much of its data from a series of "gas atlases" developed jointly by Federal, State and private organizations. The Gas Research Institute has developed the Texas, Central and Eastern Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent, and Rocky Mountain Gas Atlases. The DOE has developed the Appalachian Gas Atlas and has cooperated with GRI and the Minerals Management Service in developing the Offshore Gulf of Mexico atlas series. The information compiled in these gas atlas projects has been combined with data from other reservoirs meeting specific cumulative gas production levels. GASIS also includes new reservoir property data for approximately 800 reservoirs. This information was collected through a series of geological reservoir studies in the major producing regions.

In general, GASIS reservoirs are those with at least 10 billion cubic feet of cumulative gas production, except in the Rocky Mountain region where reservoirs with five billion cubic feet of cumulative production are also included.

The GASIS software allows users to query, display, print and export information from the database. Users can obtain data by basin, state or field name with user-friendly scrolling pick lists. A more advanced query module allows more precise data searches. Reports can be printed or written to a text file. Data can be exported into ASCII text, .dbf (dBASE), and .wk1 (Lotus) file formats. A second release of GASIS, scheduled for late 1998, will include updated production information and reservoir data for the Gulf of Mexico.

To order the CD-ROM - Call Maria Hall at 304/285-4700, fax 304/285-4188, or e-mail: mhall@fetc.doe.gov

For more information about GASIS - Call Rodney Malone at 304/599-1968, fax: 304/285-4469 or e-mail: rmalon@fetc.doe.gov

For technical support about using the CD-ROM - Call Pete Springer at 703/528-1900, fax 703/528-5106 or e-mail: ngsupply@eea-inc.com

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