Print this pageAbstract: Application of Deepwater Outcrop Analog Data to 3-D Reservoir Modeling: An Example from the Diana Field, Western Gulf of Mexico
Sullivan, Morgan and Foreman, Lincoln - Exxon Production Research Co., DeVries, Mike - Exxon Exploration Co., Khan, Arfan - Exxon Co. USA
Architectural styles of sandbodies deposited
in deepwater settings are highly variable and this variability in sandbody
geometry and continuity affects both the exploration and production potential
of deep-water sandstones. Outcrops span a critical gap in both scale and
resolution between seismic data and well-bore data. Dimensional and architectural
data from outcrops can therefore be used to help populate 3-D reservoir
models which will be used to predict well performance, connected volumes
and recovery efficiencies for newly discovered fields. To assist with reserve
assessments and optimization of depletion strategies for the development
of the Diana Field, deepwater outcrop analog data were integrated with
seismic and well data to produce a detailed 3-D geologic 
model
for more
accurate reservoir characterization.
The Diana Field is located in the western Gulf
of Mexico in approximately 4700 ft of water and has in excess of 100 MOEB
of recoverable hydrocarbons from the Upper Pliocene A-50 reservoir. The
situation presented at the Diana Field is a common one: a hydrocarbon reservoir
expressed by a single-cycle seismic event and by three appraisal wells
spaced thousands of feet apart. There is, however, excellent core coverage
which enables close calibration of seismic and well data. Integration of
seismic, well and core data suggests a relatively channelized reservoir
in an updip position becoming a more sheet-like and layered down dip. This
subsurface data did not have the resolution to provide the dimensional
and architectural data required to condition the geologic model for flow
simulation and well-performance prediction.
To solve these uncertainties, deepwater outcrop
analog data from comparable basin floor fan systems were integrated with
the seismic and well data from the Diana Field. Bed scale reservoir architectures
were quantified with photo-mosaics and by correlation of closely spaced
measured sections. Bed continuity, connectivity and vertical and lateral
facies variability data were also collected as these factors ultimately
control the reservoir behavior. From these measurements, a spectrum of
channel dimensions and shapes were compiled to condition the modeled objects.
These data were compared to Diana specific seismic and well data and adjusted
accordingly. The advantage of the resulting Diana geologic model
is that
it incorporates geologic interpretation, honors all available data and
models the reservoir as discrete objects with specific dimensions, facies
juxtaposition and connectivity. This effort provides the framework for
optimal placement of wells to maximize the architectural and facies controls
on reservoir performance.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90933©1998 ABGP/AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil