Effect of
Bioturbation in Low Permeability Gas Charged Reservoirs - a Case Study from the
Upper Cretaceous Milk River Fm., Western Canada
Hovikoski, Jussi1, George
Pemberton1,
Despite the fact that burrow-associated
permeability is evident in the rock record, it receives surprisingly little
consideration. Perhaps one reason is the matter of scale. The permeability of
geological media is a bulk character. However, the bulk permeability of
sediment dominated by small-scale heterogeneities—such as worm burrows—is
difficult to observe, assess and numerically model. Overlooking the potential
impact of biogenic structures can lead to inaccurate assessments of the
permeability of a sedimentary rock, and non-recognition of permeability streaks
in a hydrocarbon reservoir. This is especially important in gas-prone
reservoirs where slight variations in permeability can have dramatic effects on
storativity and deliverability. For example, in the Trinidad TP 50 Sequence
significant gas production has come from ‘poor-quality bioturbated facies'.
A developing play in
AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California