Core in Action: Advancing Unconventional Reservoir Understanding

Core in Action: Advancing Unconventional Reservoir Understanding

March 26, 2026

As operators push into increasingly complex unconventional plays, the need for precise, high-resolution reservoir characterization has never been greater. Traditional evaluation methods often fall short when dealing with the intricate pore structures, variable mineralogy, and ultra-low permeability that define these reservoirs. To make confident development decisions, operators rely on advanced laboratory workflows that can illuminate the true nature of reservoir quality and long-term producibility.

Core Lab recently completed phase one of a comprehensive unconventional reservoir study, advancing the evaluation of complex reservoir rock properties and long-term production potential. This phase of the analytical program leveraged Core Lab's proprietary and internally developed technologies, including:

• Shale Matrix Permeameter
• High-frequency nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
• NANOk™ 100 Nano Permeametry

"Our high-frequency NMR, NANOk™ 100 Nano Permeametry and Shale Matrix Permeameter systems deliver high-precision characterization of pore structures, ultra-low permeability and fluid saturations. The resulting high-resolution, repeatable datasets strengthen saturation modeling, refine flow unit definition, and enhance production forecasting, enabling more confident reservoir development decisions."

-Alastair Craig, Operations Director, Core Lab

Unconventional reservoirs require highly specialized laboratory workflows to accurately assess reservoir quality and producibility. High-resolution laboratory data helps operators reduce subsurface uncertainty and strengthen reservoir models used for development planning and forecasting.

These complementary technologies delivered the precision and scalability required to meet the operator's technical objectives.
The next phase of the program will focus on correlating newly generated laboratory data with legacy datasets and downhole log responses, enabling a more robust reservoir model and improved production forecasting.