PULHAM, ANDY¹, S. GEORGE PEMBERTON², TOM SAUNDERS², DAVID BOWEN¹, and PAUL WEIMER^1
1University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
²University of Alberta, Edmonton

Abstract: Marginal Marine Reservoirs: Examples of Links between Reservoir Quality, Reservoir Performance and Reservoir Stratigraphy

Clastic reservoirs that span the deposition settings from marineinfluenced coastal plain to lower shoreface commonly have internal architectural patterns dominated by the effects of relative sea-level change. The links between regressive and transgressive components of these marginal marine reservoirs are often the keys to understanding their reservoir behavior.

Ongoing research is investigating multiple data sets with the aim of evaluating and quantifying what stratigraphic event and fabrics have the greatest influence on reservoir performance in marginal marine settings. Our approach is multidisciplinary with the application of detailed trace fossil analyzes, quantitative biostratigraphy, process sedimentology, reservoir quality and the integration of dynamic reservoir information, such as pressure data and production logs.

Our early results show that key events in the depositional history of marginal marine reservoirs are commonly transgressive episodes that provide opportunities for either reworking existing sediment sources or including new sediment sources. Effects may be detrimental to reservoir performance in fluvial-dominated lowstand and early transgressive systems tracts. However, in more down-dip settings and in transgressive and highstand systems tracts the best reservoir performance is linked to key transgressive events and episodes.

Establishing the hierarchy of stratigraphic surfaces and events is critically enhanced by the integration of trace fossil analyzes and other more traditional reservoir characterization techniques. We will illustrate our methodology and results with several reservoir case studies.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90928©1999 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas