Abstract: A New Tool for Reservoir Characterization

Chandra Rai, Carl H. Sondergeld, Steven A. Morris

Economic development of existing hydrocarbon resources demands that the reservoir description be as accurate as possible. This means that for meaningful reservoir characterization quantitative assignment of reservoir properties is critical. This necessitates obtaining accurate rock properties and integrating this information with production data and geologic description of the reservoir.

We describe here a state-of-the-art quantitative core characterization system. The system allows to obtain the following properties on either whole core or discrete plugs: natural gamma ray log, density, porosity, permeability, compressional and shear wave velocities, shear wave velocity anisotropy, mineralogy. The system also allows to perform plug cleaning, slabbing, thin section preparation geologic core description, video photography, and quantitative image analysis of the thin section.

The system is designed to be stand alone and mobile. These features allow the system to be deployed at well sites in remote locations or at core storage facilities. The system has advantages over the existing measurement laboratories in that it is mobile, cost effective and make large number of measurements on the same volume of rock. Additionally, a comprehensive data set, such as obtained in the present system, provide insight into understanding subtle changes in reservoir properties. Permeability changes may not be completely understood just from knowing the depositional environment but when supplemented with mineralogical information and thin section description the underlying reason for permeability heterogeneity may become apparent. We will present an example of reservoir descri tion which demonstrates the utility of this system.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90986©1994 AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado, June 12-15, 1994