Petroleum Resources Management System (PRMS) and the Importance of Analogs

Abstract

Analogs play an important role along the full E&P Lifecyle. They are used to calibrate uncertainty, back-fill reservoir parameters, validate development strategies and support reserve booking and classification. The SPE Petroleum Resources Management system (PRMS) contains the definitions and guidelines for estimating and classifying reserves. They describe how analogs can be used to estimate reserves at different stages of the E&P cycle. The 2011 PRMS guidelines encourages the use of analogs to assign recovery efficiencies for projects during Exploration, Appraisal and Early development stages. Resources estimates can then be “indirectly” derived by estimating original in-place volumes using static-data-based volumetric methods and the associated recovery efficiency. In addition, analogs can provide useful insights in the interpretation of rock and fluid properties, reservoir continuity, contact positions, recovery method and the optimum development options and production practices. During later stages of development (Early production and Decline), reserves estimates are calculated using direct techniques like material balance, reservoir simulation and decline curve analysis. However, the use of analogs is still very relevant as they help to constrain model parameters, plan for reservoir simulation activities, validate modelling results before reserves booking and validate secondary and EOR technologies. The motivation of this paper is to explore in details how analogs support reserves booking and provide guidance to subsurface professionals working on the topic.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90332 © 2018 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Cape Town, South Africa, November 4-11, 2018