Geochemistry is a relatively wide discipline within geological sciences primarily known to focus on chemical aspects related to major geological cycles in the Earth’s rocks and oceans. It also spans beyond Earth, contributing to studies of geobiological cycles in outer space.

A smaller subset of this domain is organic geochemistry, which focuses on understanding the origin and transformation of organic matter in the geological timescale as well as in the recent environments. From detailed understanding of carbon or nitrogen cycles to formation of source rocks leading to hydrocarbon formation, organic geochemistry has grown in the last 40 years to become a key niche expertise supporting the petroleum industry. Integrating chemistry, biology, and geology, the expansion of this domain is tightly linked to technological advances in analytical chemistry tools in the fields of chromatography and spectroscopy.

In the last two decades, petroleum geochemistry evolved from exploration-focused to production and beyond. The classical evaluation of rocks generating hydrocarbons became secondary to analyzing fluids properties and transformation processes that led to the final composition of hydrocarbons in the reservoir. Phenomena such as biodegradation or hydrogen sulfide formation in the reservoirs are excellent examples of links between biology, biochemistry, geology, and engineering disciplines. The development of unconventional resources has led to a renaissance of classical organic geochemistry tools and the revival of organic petrology and, in effect, is leading to greater understanding of hydrocarbon origin and the evolutionary processes that took place in source beds.

The integration of various engineering and geological disciplines, including geochemistry, has led to the so-called “golden era” of geochemistry. It is now possible to create solid evolutionary chains linking hydrocarbon origin to production flow. Furthermore, the evolution of modeling tools has enabled geoscientists to take into account reservoir heterogeneity, fluid mobility, and reservoir gradients and accurately simulate various reservoir processes that have evolved over millennia.

Formerly, rock and fluid analyses were conducted in separate facilities with limited collaboration. Dynamic reservoir testing and its interpretation also were performed separately. By pulling this collective expertise together into a technological entity that integrates measurements, analyses, and interpretation, customers are offered an integrated solution that will greatly enhance the ability to manage reservoirs over their economic life.

Strategically located hub reservoir laboratories will provide the full suite of rock and fluid analysis services. In addition to performing timely and comprehensive analyses, these hubs will be responsible for training a new generation of engineers, geoscientists, and specialists in an immersive, hands-on environment. Workflows and delivered results will match with precision the ways in which operators view reservoir life cycles, thereby improving the quality and usefulness of collaboration and communication. More thorough and relevant information will increase confidence, benefiting both the effectiveness and ease of decision-making.

The integration of rock and fluid analysis has broadened the scope of critical production information now available from a single source. Such issues as heavy oil production, EOR, sand management, and flow assurance can be dealt with thoroughly. Another issue that will remain crucial is the geomechanics laboratory measurements that aid customers’ understanding of regional rock stresses that can affect drilling, perforating, or stimulation services.

In addition to these geochemistry solutions and EOR initiatives, new products and services will be introduced, including water analysis and remediation, wellsite chemistry, advanced electrical measurement of rocks, and digital rock and fluid technologies.

Petroleum production is a complex combination of dynamic physical and chemical parameters. These can vary from play to play and even from well to well and must be thoroughly understood. Only when rock and fluid analyses are combined can a reservoir be comprehensively characterized.

In the late 1990s many people perceived that seismic images provided all the information needed to discover and produce a reservoir. Today, despite major advances in seismic acquisition and processing, we know that much more information is needed. Integrated rock and fluid geochemistry is one of these fundamental links.