Abstract: Innovative Application of 3D Reservoir Modelling Technology

David Gawith, Pamela Gutteridge

Quantitative reservoir description aims to represent in numerical models all the elements of reservoir geology which can significantly affect the flow of hydrocarbons and water and the placement of development wells. Structure mapping and geostatistical heterogeneity modelling have been combined in many reservoir studies, and the next step forward is to bring in medium-scale sedimentological and stratigraphic information in order to make better predictions of dynamic performance. We are now able to model in 3D almost anything that the sedimentologist can draw, and interactively to design non-conventional well trajectories inside the detailed 3D geological model. This means that we can easily generate a number of possible well paths designed to penetrate particular feature of the reservoir, and a ranking technique has been devised to identify the well paths most suitable for full evaluation in a reservoir simulator. Grids and properties for reservoir simulation can now be derived directly from a 3D geological model, bringing reservoir geoscience and engineering closer together. In this paper the innovative application of 3D technology is illustrated by examples from various fields.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90951©1996 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Caracas, Venezuela