Lessons for Modeling and Production- Integrated Reservoir Characterization of a Deepwater Channel Levee System at Horn Mountain Field, Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Deepwater channel levee systems are common reservoirs in producing fields around the world. These systems show a variety of reservoir architectures with distinct seismic, log, and core expression as well as stacking patterns. The proper identification of these facies is absolutely critical for adequate reservoir characterization and understanding reservoir compartmentalization and production. With 17 years of production data, Horn Mountain is a data-rich case study for illustrating how the proper integration of data can significantly improve the characterization of a channel levee reservoir and its resultant production trends. Located in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, Horn Mountain was acquired by Anadarko in December of 2016. The primary producer in the field is the amplitude-supported Middle Miocene (MM9) M-Sand reservoir, which has produced 124 MMBOE (as of October 2018) since first production in 2002. Logs, cores, and seismic geomorphology indicate that the M-Sand was deposited in a deep-water slope environment as a laterally amalgamated leveed channel complex. Core within Horn Mountain is critical to define sedimentary facies within the M-Sand reservoir and provides an excellent example of facies variability in deep-water slope channel levee systems. Sand is present within well logs across the field, but shows lateral variability and a few areas of much-decreased net to gross. Seismically resolvable channels, levees, and channel complexes are constrained with wireline logs and core and are used to create EOD and sand fairway maps. Evidence of reservoir heterogeneity can also be observed in oil and water production, tracer results, and pressure data. Despite complexity, this channelized reservoir is laterally extensive and displays pressure communication across the Horn Mountain field. These channelized sands create high-quality reservoirs and opportunities for long-lived production. In this poster, we will describe the characteristics of the field using seismic, log, and core data, and discuss aspects of production and connectivity associated with different reservoir facies and depositional elements.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90350 © 2019 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas, May 19-22, 2019