SPE 58995 Integrated Reservoir Characterisation of a Fractured Carbonate Reservoir

Luis Guerreiro,CGGP, and Antonio Costa Silva, CGGP, and Victor Alcobia,CGGP, and Amilcar Soares, IST

Copyright 2000, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc. This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2000 SPE International Petroleum Conference and Exhibition in Mexico held in Villahermosa, Mexico, 13 February 2000. This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Papers presented at SPE meetings are subject to publication review by Editorial Committees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper for commercial purposes without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O. Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435.

Abstract One of the most important issues for the characterisation of a reservoir and the assessment of the fluid flow behaviour is the role of faults, fractures, and micro-fractures. At different scales these reservoir features have a tremendous impact on the reservoir drainage and in the overall productivity of the field1. Faults can compartmentalise the reservoir into different units and the design of the production plan has to account for that. Fractures can be the main path for fluid flow and can strongly affect the production drive mechanism. Micro-fractures have a significant impact on permeability enhancement and drainage areas. The reservoir model should take into account all these features in order to reproduce the internal reservoir architecture and provide a reliable input for the numerical simulation of the fluid flow. This paper proposes a methodology for integrated reservoir characterisation incorporating micro-fractures and fault analyses. A case study is presented for the characterisation of the reservoir properties and geometry and for the integration of micro-fractures in the final reservoir model. Introduction The case study described here shows how micro-fractures were incorporated in the numerical simulation model of a carbonate reservoir. After building a geostatistical model of porosity and permeability using Sequential Gaussian Simulation2 and Sequential Indicator Simulation2,3 with GOCAD as the main platform for reservoir modelling, the micro-fractures were simulated using geostatistical techniques. The first step of the applied methodology was to transform the micro-fractures into a density fracture index per model grid

block based on FMS, and core analysis information. A new approach was developed based on Gaussian Simulation and Simulating Annealing2,4 methods to simulate the fracture density for the entire reservoir. Finally the density fracture model was integrated in the static model as a multiplier of the permeability. A non-linear relationship between fracture density and permeability was taken into account. Geobody analysis and geologic model visualisation using GOCAD was performed to highlight reservoir continuity, presence of barriers and zones of better porosity and permeability development. A numerical simulation model was built and history matched prior to run predictions to evaluate the future performance of the field for different scenarios and estimate reserves. Fracture Simulation Faults and fractures represent abrupt discontinuities in reservoir properties, which can affect the reservoir behaviour. The simulation of these discontinuities and their relationships with the matrix blocks remain a challenge for reservoir characterisation studies5. Faults are usually associated with large geologic events. 3D seismic data had improved the knowledge of the structural features of the reservoirs and it is now possible to map major faults and unconformities of a reservoir6. However, this is at large scale and it depends on the quality of the seismic and its resolution. Fractures are usually sub-seismic features associated with faults, which imply that are not detectable by seismic and cannot be mapped. Fractures could present very complex patterns, combining several fracture sets that are differentiated by properties such as directions, apertures or geomechanics. These sets are related with the geology and with the natural stress fields and they can be detected by well test data, core and log analysis. When it is possible to establish a link between the faults, the structural interpretation, in situ stress and the different fracture sets. In these situations to use this type of relationships to derive the estimation of certain properties such as fractures density in the inter-well regions. Micro-Fractures Simulation Micro-fractures are visible in cores but can also be derived from the interpretation of special logs such as the FMS or FMI. Reservoirs with this type of micro-fractures do not exhibit a typical dual-porosity response on well tests but these

LUIS GUERREIRO, ANTONIO COSTA SILVA, VICTOR ALCOBIA, AMILCAR SOARES

SPE 58995

features can significantly enhance the reservoir permeability, i.e. well productivities with a positive impact on the field recovery factor. It is therefore crucial to take micro-fracturing into account during the process of History-Matching of a numerical simulation model. If micro-fractures are not accounted for then the well model productivities will be underestimated and the reservoir pressure gradients overestimated. In such a case the field recovery factor (or reserves) will be under-estimated by the numerical model since wells will be shut-in too soon due to higher pressure drops in the wells and pressure gradients in the reservoir. In such a case saturation matches (water cuts and GORs) are also likely to be wrong (or more difficult to match) particularly for the breakthrough times. Methodology for Micro-fractures Simulation The adopted methodology to simulate the micro-fractures can be summarised as follows: i) Fracture model characterisation The number of fractures is calculated in each well for a constant lag length, corresponding to the block dimension in z. This is performed for defined family of fractures. Denoting d(x) as the density of well portion x, a cumulative histogram of fracture density is calculated for the subset of wells where the FMS are available: Fz(x)=prob [d(x)<z] [1] ii) Simulation of fractures density The simulation is performed basically in two steps: nonconditional simulation of density values and conditioning to the wells were FMS were available and micro-fractures were measured. In the first step, the values of d(x) are simulated in the entire grid of blocks with a sequential Gaussian simulation. After the Gaussian transformation of experimental data y(xi)= [ d(xi)], at any location xu, the fractures density values are obtained: ds(x)= -1(ys(x)) The cumulative histogram of d(x) and the variogram (h) are reproduced in the simulated image. iii) Conditioning to the density values in the wells. Since the experimental fracture density data is available in a few number of wells, the conditioning process is carried out with an optimisation technique in order to guarantee the following objectives are accomplished in the final simulated images: At the location x0 of experimental data, the fractures density of final simulated images is equal to the measured density : ds(x0)=d(x0)

The final simulated images should reproduce the histograms and variograms of fracture density.

Hence, after replacing the simulated values by the experimental values in the blocks intersected by the wells with data, a simulated annealing technique is applied to impose those two targets2. For this purpose, a linear combination of square deviations between target and observed variograms and histogram classes is built as an objective function. iv) Transformation of Fracture density into permeability multipliers. Finally the fracture density model is transformed into a permeability multiplier, generated by each set of fractures, which ranges from a minimum value (corresponding to a null value of density) and a maximum value equivalent to the maximum fractures density. This multiplier is adjusted during the History Matching of the numerical simulation model as an iterative process: different range limits are tested until a good match is found between actual well test data and simulated results. The relationship between the number of fractures in a block and the permeability of this bloc is non linear8. Therefore the multiplier should reflect this non linear behaviour. After some iterations the multipliers factor (m), varying between 0 and 10, was found:

m = 9.

log(nf + 1) +1 log(nf max + 1)

m multiplier factor nf number of fractures Case Study Objective The project aimed at fully characterising the properties and geometry of two producing carbonate intervals, in order to build a numerical simulation model to evaluate alternative field development scenarios and estimate the reserves. Work also intended to evaluate the existence of communication at reservoir level between this field and an adjacent one. 9 wells were used to perform this reservoir characterisation study. Geology The field lies in an elongate, NNW-SSE, west-tilted faultblock structure with approximately 7 km long and 1.5 km wide, with most wells located along the crest. This structure developed in the drift stages of opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. Two producing intervals of the Pinda formation were deposited in a carbonate platform during the Albian, which was blanketed by a fine-grained clastic series from the Upper Cretaceous-Palaeocene Iabe formation. Sourcing is produced from the underlying rift series where the thickness of salt from the Aptian transitional series is sufficiently reduced through halokinesis. Figure 1 with the two producing intervals.

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INTEGRATED RESERVOIR CHARACTERISATION OF A FRACTURED CARBONATE RESERVOIR

Overall Methodology To build the static model three main actions were developed at the same time in geophysics, geology and statistics. i) Geophysics Five seismic horizons were interpreted in the area, three of them within the carbonate platform seismic package. The interpretation aimed not only to define the structural architecture of the field and adjacent areas, but also to produce detailed images the fault pattern in the area and thus assess its division at reservoir level into structural compartments. A velocity model was built and a time depth conversion was performed. The analysis of geometric seismic attributes provided a decisive contribution for the imaging of discontinuities in the horizons, and thus for fault interpretation (figure 2). This was particularly important, since fault throws in this reservoir are usually small, and one of the major families recognised is characterised by its low-angle relationship with the seismic horizons6. ii) Petrophysic & Geology A thorough review and interpretation of the initial data, which consisted of geological, well and log reports, and core analysis was performed to derive the geological model and associated fracture model. Log data such as DT (Transit Time), GR (Gamma Ray), ILD (Induction log Deep), LDT RHOB (Litho Density Tool) and NPHI (Neutron Porosity). The results were then used to establish a geological framework with the help of Gocad (figure 3). FMS (Formation Microscanner) and PEF (Photoelectric Factor) logs were also used to characterise the fracture model. iii) Statistics Multivariate data analysis was used to establish a relationship between seismic attributes and log porosity. The spatial continuity of the porosity, fractures density and classes of permeability was evaluated through variography. These variograms were used for the simulation of those variables. Model and Grid Cell dimensions The stochastic simulation of the reservoir properties followed the completion of these tasks. The area of the reservoirs is approximately 1.6 by 8 Km. A grid, oriented North-South, was overlaid on top of the reservoir with 16 cells in the X direction and 50 in the Y direction. The upper reservoir contained 256 layers (Z direction) and the lower reservoir 596. The grid cell dimension was 400m x 400m x 1 feet (well log resolution). Porosity Simulation Three main variables were simulated: porosity, permeability and micro-fracture density. Since the porosity can be treated as a continuous variable the Sequential Gaussian Simulation (SGS) was used. 30 porosity reservoir images of the porosity were generated. Figure 4 represents one the porosity model. Permeability Simulation Permeability stochastic simulation used, mainly, the values

provided by core analysis. Since the cored zones were insufficient to perform a spatial analysis and the relationship between porosity and permeability is complex, it was necessary to classify the permeability values along the wells with the support of other variables. To perform this operation, Probability Neural Networks (PNN) were used to assign each point to a permeability class7. These classes were then simulated for the entire field, and converted into permeability data values that reflected the histogram, as well as the spatial structure of the original data. 30 permeability reservoir images of the permeability were simulated. Figure 5 represents one the permeability model. Micro-Fracture Simulation Concerning the micro-fractures simulation a method was developed, which was previously detailed in order to incorporate this important feature of the reservoir. i) Micro-Fractures Characterisation Based on 5 wells with FMS information and 300 core samples, the micro-fractures were classified in two different sets depending on their orientation. Two sets of micro-fractures were detected with the orientation NNW-SSE and NE-SW. Fracture density was then calculated in a support of 10 feet. Figure 6 shows the histogram of the orientation of the microfractures from one well. Table 1 shows the summary of the fracture orientations. ii) Fracture density Variograms Unfortunately it was only possible to perform the variography with 3 wells since the data available was very sparse. Therefore the parameters model of the horizontal variogram were derived from the geological and stratigraphic models. Figures 7a and 7b represents the vertical variograms of the 2 sets of fractures for the lower reservoir. Table 2 shows the adjusted model parameters for both reservoirs. iii) SGS of Fracture density Ten SGS reservoir images of the two sets of fracture density were built (figures 8a and 8b). Gaussian values were transformed into fractures density values (figures 9a and 9b). These images had the same histograms and the same variograms of the wells fracture density. iv) Final Model of the Fracture Density The last steps were the substitution in the cells crossed by the wells with the true calculated fracture density and finally the post-processing of those images with the simulated annealing in order to correct the histograms and the variograms. (Figures 10a and 10b). The permeability multiplicative factor was calculated for each block according the logarithm transformation described before. v) Ranking and Screening Reservoir Images Concerning the micro-fractures models, since 10 images of the two sets of fractures were simulated, combing the two sets 100 different models with multipliers were obtained. These 100

LUIS GUERREIRO, ANTONIO COSTA SILVA, VICTOR ALCOBIA, AMILCAR SOARES

SPE 58995

multipliers were applied to the 3 permeability images chosen before which means that it was obtained a total of 300 equiprobable permeability reservoir scenarios. A screening method was applied in order to obtain 3 different scenarios as follows: pessimist, optimistic and a most likely. The screening of the different reservoir images was done using an index of connectivity (figure 11a and 11b). Figure 12 shows a permeability geobody where it is highlighted the reservoir internal connectivity. Numerical Simulation The final geological model of porosity and permeability was scaled up 10 fold in the Z direction and was exported to a numerical simulator together with the structural framework. The simulated fracture densities were converted into permeability multipliers, which were adjusted during the History Matching process as described above. Once the History-Match was considered acceptable the numerical model was utilised to assess the future performance of the field and estimate the reserves (recovery factor). CONCLUSION The incorporation of micro-fractures in the geological model is a very important aspect in reservoir studies given their significant contribution to the well productivity and oil recovery. This approach is essential to achieve a good History Matching of a numerical simulation model and to correctly predict the future performance of a field.

7. 8.

L. Guerreiro et al: Permeability Simulation in Poor Sampling Conditions, SPE 49451, 1998. Walsh, J.J., Watterson, J., Heath, A., Gillespie, P.A. & Childs, C.: Assessment of the effects of sub-seismic faults on bulk permeabilities of reservoir sequences. In: Coward, M.P. Daltaban, T.S. & Johnson, H. (eds) Structural Geology in Reservoir Characterisation. Geological Society. London, Special Publications, 127, 99-114.

References 1. Knipe, R. J., Jones, G & Fisher, Q.J.: Faulting, fault sealing and fluid flow in hydrocarbon reservoirs: an introduction. In: Jones, G., Fisher, Q. J. & Knipe, R.J. (eds) Faulting, Fault Sealing and Fluid Flow in Hydrocarbon Reservoir. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 147, vii-xxi., 1998 2. Deutsh, Clayton V. and Journel, Andr G.: GSLIB Geostatistical Software Library and Users Guide, second edition, Oxford University Press, 1998. 3. Soares, Amilcar: Sequential Indicator Simulation with Correction for Local Probabilities, Mathematical Geology, Vol. 30, No.6, 1998. 4. Goovaerts, P.: Stochastic Simulation of Categorical Variables Using a Classification Algorithm and Simulated Annealing, Mathematical Geology, Vol. 28, No. 7, 1996. 5. G. Guo and R.D. Evans, University of Oklahoma: Geologic and Stochastic Characterisation of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, SPE 27025, 1994. 6. Townsend, C., Firth, I. R., Westerman, R. et al.: Small seismic-scale fault identification and mapping. In: Jones, G., Fisher, Q. J. && Knipe, R.J. (eds) Faulting, Fault Sealing and Fluid Flow in Hydrocarbon Reservoir. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 147, 125.

SPE 58995

INTEGRATED RESERVOIR CHARACTERISATION OF A FRACTURED CARBONATE RESERVOIR

Upper Reservoir

Lower Reservoir

Fig. 1 Pinda Formation Fig. 2 Horizon dip attribute. Strong dips (coloured blue) and associated faulted pattern

Fig. 3 Structual Framework

Fig. 4 Porosity Model

LUIS GUERREIRO, ANTONIO COSTA SILVA, VICTOR ALCOBIA, AMILCAR SOARES

SPE 58995

Fig. 5 Permeability Model

Wells
A5 A6 B1 B2 B3

No. Fractures

Orientation

43 WNN-ESE 94 N160 401 N160 106 N204 549 NE-SW Table 1 Micro-Fractures description Fig. 6 - Statistical micro-fracture analysis from one of the wells

Fig. 7a Lower Reservoir: Vertical Variogram of micro-fractures density Set 1

Fig. 7b Lower Reservoir: Vertical Variogram of micro-fractures density Set 2

SPE 58995

INTEGRATED RESERVOIR CHARACTERISATION OF A FRACTURED CARBONATE RESERVOIR

RESERVOIR

DIRECTION

MODEL

1 STRUCTURE C1 a1 2000 m(*) 15 S.U. 600 m (*) 25 S.U.

2 STRUCTURE C2 3.79 8.35 a2 200 S.U. 200 S.U.

Upper Reservoir Lower Reservoir

Horizontal Vertical Horizontal Vertical

Spherical Spherical Spherical Spherical

6.79 3 23.35 15

Table 2a Parameters of the variography model: Set 1

RESERVOIR

DIRECTION

MODEL

1 STRUCTURE C1 a1 600 m (*) 30 S.U. 600 m (*) 20 S.U.

2 STRUCTURE C2 20.47 a2 300 S.U.

Upper Reservoir Lower Reservoir

Horizontal Vertical Horizontal Vertical

Spherical Spherical Spherical Spherical

4.43 4.43 32.97 12.5

(*) Infered Variogram Table 2b Parameters of the variography model: Set 2

Fig. 8a Upper Reservoir Gaussian values - Set 1

Fig. 8b Upper Reservoir Gaussian values Set 2

Fig. 9a Upper Reservoir Fig. 9b Upper Reservoir micro-fractures non-conditioned Micro-fractures nonvalues Set 2 conditioned values Set 2

LUIS GUERREIRO, ANTONIO COSTA SILVA, VICTOR ALCOBIA, AMILCAR SOARES

SPE 58995

Fig. 10a Final micro-fracture density model Set 1

Fig. 10b Final micro-fracture density model Set 2

Fig. 11a and 11b Screening different simulations

Fig. 12 Permeability Georbody Lower Reservoir