--> ABSTRACT: Thermal Effects of Salt Bodies - Pitfalls and Sensitivities in Multi-Dimensional Models, by B. Wygrala, T. Hantschel, and H. Synofzik; #91021 (2010)

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Thermal Effects of Salt Bodies - Pitfalls and Sensitivities in Multi-Dimensional Models

WYGRALA, BJORN, THOMAS HANTSCHEL, and HEIKE SYNOFZIK

New 3D modelling tools that can be applied to entire petroleum systems enable a full 3-D analysis of temperatures, pressures and petroleum migration, but experience in the industry has shown that essential aspects of model building are frequently disregarded, particularly where large salt bodies are involved. These common errors can completely negate the proffered advantages of the technology.

Pitfalls in model building include incorrectly defined vertical and lateral extents and boundary conditions. An additional important aspect is the dimension of the model: one-dimensional models are not meaningful as they cannot consider lateral effects. Two-dimensional models are useful, but only three-dimensional models provide physically correct solutions. However both are susceptible to the same pitfalls. A new three-dimensional modeling tool is used to demonstrate the causes, effects and sensitivities of problems in salt body modelling, as well as the differences between 2D and 3D calculations.

An analysis with a simple geometric model is shown first, leading to a basic set of rules for model building in two and three dimensions. These define for example the lateral and vertical dimensions that models should have relative to the size of the salt body and indicate the areal extent of perturbations around salt bodies. Then a model of a Gulf Coast salt body is processed in two and three dimensions in order to illustrate the application of these rules.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91021©1997 AAPG Annual Convention, Dallas, Texas.