--> Quantitative Fine-Scale Reservoir Modeling of Thin-Bedded Turbidites, by W. J. Schweller, M. Levy, D. S. McCormick, D. J. Goggin, E. F. Grace, and J. T. Thorne; #90986 (1994).

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Abstract: Quantitative Fine-Scale Reservoir Modeling of Thin-Bedded Turbidites

W. J. Schweller, M. Levy, D. S. McCormick, D. J. Goggin, E. F. Grace, J. T. Thorne

Quantitative reservoir modeling of thin-bedded facies is crucial for predicting reservoir performance and field economics, particularly in deep-water areas where facilities costs are very high. However, typically the detailed information on reservoir quality obtained from inch-scale plugs is blurred beyond usefulness by averaging plug data to conform to the large size (tens to hundreds of feet) of individual cells within a full-field reservoir simulation model.

To overcome this problem, a multidisciplinary team used new techniques to model the reservoir character of thin-bedded turbidites down to layers as thin as one inch. Careful analysis of core plug data and comparison to cores showed that permeability is related primarily to sedimentary structures that vary at scales much finer than the resolution of conventional wireline logs, giving a wide scatter to core-plug properties of log-defined reservoir facies.

We constructed columns of synthetic stratigraphy for three log-defined facies to match the character of the cored intervals down to one-inch layers, and assigned properties to synthetic well traces directly from plug porosity and permeability data sorted by bedding type. These synthetic wells formed the basis for cross-sectional panels of detailed stratigraphy for each reservoir facies. Different degrees of lateral correlation were attributed to each bedding type within a given facies, and cross-sectional panels of porosity and permeability were constructed from the synthetic well traces using geostatistical simulation techniques.

The synthetic facies panels will be used in flow simulations to test the effects of fine-scale bed continuity on waterflood breakthrough time, vertical sweep efficiency and overall oil recovery efficiency. These results will be translated into effective flow properties for individual large-scale cells in full-field flow models, enabling efficient testing of different well placement and facility design plans to maximize cash flow and return on investment.

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