Reservoir Heterogeneity 4

Introduction
Heterogeneity is a very important factor in determining the recovery from
petroleum reservoirs. Thus, heterogeneity calculations can be classified
into static and dynamic techniques. Dykstra Parsons and Lorenz
Coefficient methods provide the most excellent means to determine it.
Heterogeneity is the quality and situation of being heterogeneous. It was
first defined in 1898 as the difference or diversity in kind from other kinds.
Other definition consists of parts or things that are very different from each
other. In petroleum studies it is referred to as the isotropy and anisotropy.
Heterogeneity can be named as; complexity, deviation from norm,
difference, discontinuity, randomness, and variability. Many researchers
noted that the differences between homogeneous and heterogeneous is
relative, and it is based mainly on economic considerations.

The term reservoir heterogeneity is used to describe the geological

complexity of a reservoir and the relationship of the complexity to the
fluids through it. The heterogeneity may be defined as the complexity or
variability of a specific system property in a particular volume of space
and/or time. Reservoir heterogeneity is a function of the
porosity/permeability distribution due to lithologic variation during
sedimentary deposition which is further complicated by mechanical
processes related to deformation and chemical processes associated with
diagenesis. Identify of the reservoir heterogeneity is sought to design the
most efficient injection – production system for economy of energy and
maximization of hydrocarbon production. In addition, quantitative
measure of reservoir heterogeneity served as a guide to use homogenous
conditions in petroleum reservoir studies.

Methods of Calculating Reservoir Heterogeneity:

1- Lorenz Coefficient (𝐿𝐾 )
The original Lorenz technique was developed as a measure of the degree
of inequality in the distribution of wealth across a population. In 1950 it
was modified (the Lorenz Curve as used in petroleum engineering) by
generating a plot of cumulative flow capacity against cumulative thickness,
as functions of core measured porosity and permeability. The Lorenz
heterogeneity coefficient is a static measure of heterogeneity which is
taking into consideration the statistic nature of the porosity and the
permeability of a stratified reservoir. The value of 𝐿𝐾 ranges from 0 to 1.

1
The reservoir is considered to have a uniform permeability distribution if
𝐿𝐾 ≈ 0. The reservoir is considered to be completely heterogeneous if
𝐿𝐾 ≈ 1.

Calculation Steps:
(1) Tabulate thickness ℎ, permeability 𝑘, and porosity 𝜙
(2) Arrange permeability data in a descending order
(3) Calculate the cumulative permeability capacity ∑(𝑘ℎ)𝑖 and
cumulative capacity volume ∑(𝜙ℎ)𝑖
∑(𝑘ℎ)
(4) Calculate the normalized cumulative capacities 𝐶𝑘 = ∑(𝑘ℎ) 𝑖 and
𝑡
∑(𝜙ℎ)𝑖
𝐶𝜙 = ∑(𝜙ℎ)
𝑡
(5) Plot 𝐶𝑘 versus 𝐶𝜙 on a Cartesian graph and plot a straight diagonal
from the beginning of curve till its end as shown in Figure 4.1
(6) Use Equation below to calculate the Lorenz coefficient
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙
𝐿𝐾 =
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑡
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑒 − 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙
=
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙

Fig. 4.1 Flow capacity distribution

From figure 4.1

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑒 − 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝐴𝐵𝐷𝐴 − 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝐴𝐶𝐷𝐴 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐴
𝐿𝐾 = = =
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝐴𝐶𝐷𝐴 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝐴𝐶𝐷𝐴

2
Example
Taking a known thickness of the reservoir and the well with most clear core
data. Table 1 clarifies the method of calculations if the reservoir was
divided into 10 layers only with porosity value of 0.33 and

. Table 4.1 Lorenz Coefficient calculations

Lorenz Coefficient (𝐿𝐾)

1
0.9
0.8
Fraction of Total 𝑘ℎ

0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Fraction of Total 𝜙ℎ

Calculating Area under the curve Graphically by dividing the curve into
intervals of regular shapes (Squares and Triangles) and calculate the areas
of them then find the summation.

*This method of calculating area involves some errors its better to calculate
area numerically.

3
 Lorenz Coefficient (𝐿𝐾)
1
0.9
Fraction of Total 𝑘ℎ 0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Fraction of Total 𝜙ℎ

1 1
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑒 = [ × (0.1 − 0) × (0.4 − 0)] + [(0.2 − 0.1) × (0.4 − 0)] + [ × (0.2 − 0.1) × (0.6 − 0.4)] + [(0.3 − 0.2) × (0.6 − 0)]
2 2
1 1
+ [ × (0.3 − 0.2) × (0.78 − 0.6)] + [(0.4 − 0.3) × (0.78 − 0)] + [ × (0.4 − 0.3) × (0.84 − 0.78)]
2 2
1
+ [(0.5 − 0.4) × (0.84 − 0)] + [ × (0.5 − 0.4) × (0.9 − 0.84)] + [(0.6 − 0.5) × (0.9 − 0)]
2
1 1
+ [ × (0.6 − 0.5) × (0.94 − 0.9)] + [(0.7 − 0.6) × (0.94 − 0)] + [ × (0.7 − 0.6) × (0.96 − 0.94)]
2 2
+ [(0.8 − 0.7) × (0.98 − 0)] + [(0.9 − 0.8) × (0.9 − 0)] + [(1 − 0.9) × (1 − 0)]

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑒 ≈ 0.782

Lorenz Coefficient (𝐿𝐾)

1
0.9
0.8
Fraction of Total 𝑘ℎ

0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Fraction of Total 𝜙ℎ

1 1
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 = [ × (0.1 − 0) × (0.1 − 0)] + [(0.2 − 0.1) × (0.1 − 0)] + [ × (0.2 − 0.1) × (0.2 − 0.1)] + [(0.3 − 0.2) × (0.2 − 0)]
2 2
1 1
+ [ × (0.3 − 0.2) × (0.3 − 0.2)] + [(0.4 − 0.3) × (0.3 − 0)] + [ × (0.4 − 0.3) × (0.4 − 0.3)] + [(0.5 − 0.4) × (0.4 − 0)]
2 2
1 1
+[ × (0.5 − 0.4) × (0.5 − 0.4)] + [(0.6 − 0.5) × (0.5 − 0)] + [ × (0.6 − 0.5) × (0.6 − 0.5)] + [(0.7 − 0.6) × (0.6 − 0)]
2 2
1 1
+ [ × (0.7 − 0.6) × (0.7 − 0.6)] + [(0.8 − 0.7) × (0.7 − 0)] + [ × (0.8 − 0.7) × (0.8 − 0.7)] + [(0.9 − 0.8) × (0.8 − 0)]
2 2
1 1
+ [ × (0.9 − 0.8) × (0.9 − 0.8)] + [(1 − 0.9) × (0.9 − 0)] + [ × (1 − 0.9) × (1 − 0.9)]
2 2

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 = 0.5

Or simply we can calculate the area of the entire triangle as
1
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 = [ × (1 − 0) × (1 − 0)] = 0.5 4
2
 0.782−0.5
𝐿𝐾 = = 0.564 (Heterogenous Reservoir)
0.5

2- Dykstra-Parsons coefficient (𝑉𝐾 )

Dykstra and Parsons used the log-normal distribution of permeability to
define the coefficient of permeability variation, 𝑉𝐾
𝑆
𝑉𝐾 =
𝑘̅
where 𝑆 and 𝑘̅ are the standard deviation and the mean value of 𝑘,
respectively. The standard deviation of a group of n data points is:
(𝑘𝑖 − 𝑘̅)2
𝑆= √
𝑛
where 𝑘 is the arithmetic average of permeability, n the total number of
data points, and 𝑘𝑖 the permeability of individual core samples.

The Dykstra-Parsons coefficient of permeability variation, 𝑉𝐾 , can be

obtained graphically by plotting permeability values on log-probability \
paper, and then using the following equation:

𝑘50 − 𝑘84.1
𝑉𝐾 =
𝑘50
where
k50 = permeability value with 50% probability
k84.1= permeability at 84.1% of the cumulative sample.

The Dykstra-Parsons coefficient is an excellent tool for characterizing the

degree of reservoir heterogeneity. The term 𝑉𝐾 is also called the Reservoir
Heterogeneity Index (RHI). The range of this index is 0 < 𝑉𝐾 < 1 as state
by this table
Table 4.2 Dykstra-Parsons coefficient

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The procedure for graphically determining the Dykstra-Parsons
coefficient is as follows:
(1) Arrange permeability data in descending order
(2) Determine the frequency of each permeability value
(3) Find the number of sample with larger probability.
(4) Calculate the cumulative probability distribution by dividing values
obtained in step 3 with the total number of permeability points, n
(number of values of permeability)
(5) Plot permeability data versus cumulative frequency data (step 4) on
a log-normal probability graph.
(6) Draw the best straight line through the data, with more weight
placed on points in the central portion where the cumulative
frequency is close to 50%. This straight line reflects a quantitative,
as well as a qualitative, measure of the heterogeneity of the
reservoir rock.

Example:
For the following permeability data, calculate RHI and estimate the
reservoir status.
Interval K, mD
1 120
2 213
3 180
4 200
5 212
6 165
7 145
8 198
9 210
10 143
11 79
12 118
13 212
14 117

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Solution
Make table like this:

Plot column 2 against column 5 on log-normal probability sheet, and

extend the best line through the points.

Dykstra-Parsons coefficient (VK)

250

200
Permeability mD

150

100

50

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Percent samples with larger permeability

𝑘50 −𝑘84.1 158−112

𝑉𝐾 = = = 0.29 (Heterogenous Reservoir)
𝑘50 158

*There are also more other methods to calculate heterogeneity such as

(Coefficient of variation (𝐶𝑉 ) and Ordinary Kriging technique).