Distribution and Dimensions of Reservoir Elements and Baffles in Shallow-Marine Reservoirs

Eide, Christian H.; Howell, John A.; Buckley, Simon J.

The first order control on the distribution and dimensions of the depositional elements that control fluid flow within shallow marine reservoirs is the relative influence of waves, tides and river processes acting on the depositional system. Within shoreface and wave dominated delta systems external factors such as basin type, shelf width, shoreline trajectory and climate are second order controls that influence the thickness of the facies tracts, their lateral extent and the distribution of shales within the sand dominated facies. Measuring the dimensions and distributions of depositional elements using conventional field techniques is time-consuming and inaccurate. In order to collect large volumes of data that are statistically signifcant, helicopter-mounted lidar-scanning was used to collect photorealistic outcrop models from very large outcrops. The data base consist of 40 km of outcrop models from the wave- and river-dominated deposits from the Star Point and Blackhawk Formations of the Mesaverde Group, Central Utah; and 30 km of models from the tide-dominated deposits of the Neill Klinter Group in Jameson Land, Greenland.

The results show that the amounts of intra-shoreface shales are controlled by shoreline trajectory and proximity to fluvial input points, and that the thickness of sandy shorefaces is controlled to a large degree by shelf bathymetry.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90163©2013AAPG 2013 Annual Convention and Exhibition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 19-22, 2013