Characterization and 3-D Modeling of a Miocene Deepwater Carbonate Reservoir, Agua Amarga Basin, SE Spain

Rachel Dvoretsky

University of Kansas, Department of Geology

Lawrence, KS 66044 USA

[email protected]

Deepwater carbonate systems are typically preserved in the rock record as line-sourced, slope-apron deposits. This fact has traditionally limited their exploitation in the oil and gas industry. The recent discovery of late Miocene, point-sourced carbonate deposits in the Agua Amarga basin, southeast Spain, however, raises the possibility for deepwater carbonate systems to occur with many of the reservoir characteristics of deepwater siliciclastic deposits. Initial outcrop characterization and facies correlation in the basin reveals a laterally confined wedge of sediment with compositional variability, both promising attributes of a good reservoir. This study aims to explore the reservoir analogue potential of these deepwater carbonates for future subsurface hydrocarbon exploration. Field and lab methodology includes measurement of stratigraphic sections and thin section preparation in order to improve understanding of the controls on facies distribution, spectral gamma ray logging to aid in basin-wide stratigraphic correlation, and porosity and permeability analysis from collected hand samples to allow for the development of flow units. Additionally, collaborators will assign each lithofacies an appropriate seismic velocity from the literature in order to produce synthetic seismic lines representative of deepwater carbonates. The resulting data will be used to populate a 3-D model of the basin deposits. Results will be imported into a black oil simulator and initial tests will be explored to assess the system as a reservoir. The volumetrics of these deposits suggest significant potential for an applicable, deepwater carbonate reservoir model.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90060©2006 AAPG Foundation Grants-in-Aid