Libyan Academy for Postgraduate studies

School of Applied Sciences and Engineering

Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering

RESERVOIR
CHARACTERIZATION
‫توصيف المكمن‬

2022 ‫ربيع‬
 ‫‪Reservoir Characterization‬‬
‫نما توصيف المكامن ‪ Reservoir Characterization‬كتخصص اعتقادا بإمكانية استخراج‬ ‫•‬
‫المزيد من النفط والغاز من المكامن إذا ما تم فهم جيولوجية المكمن بشكل دقيق‪.‬‬
‫قبل تلك الصحوة‪ ،‬كان تطوير المكامن وإنتاجها من اختصاص مهندس النفط‪ .‬في الواقع ‪،‬‬ ‫•‬
‫كان الجيولوجيون في ذلك الوقت يشعرون باإلستياء إذا ما طلبت منهم إدارة الشركة االنتقال‬
‫من مهمة عمل استكشاف إلى مهمة عمل عادية للعمل مع مهندس لتحسين أداء المكمن‪.‬‬
‫من هذا المنطلق‪ ،‬ظهر توصيف المكمن ‪ reservoir characterization‬كمسعى كمي‬ ‫•‬
‫متعدد التخصصات يتطلب مجموعات ذات مهارات ومعرفة واسعة‪.‬‬
‫ربما كان أكبر عامل جذب ألن تصبح جيولوجي مكمن ”‪ “a reservoir geologist‬هو ظهور‬ ‫•‬
‫الحوسبة السريعة ”‪ ،“computing‬تليها برمجيات التصور ”‪, “visualization programs‬‬
‫وكلها سمحت للمتخصصين بممارسة مهاراتهم الحاسوبية في بيئة عمل عالية التقنية‪.‬‬
‫نما هذا التخصص أيضا بالتوازي مع تطور تكامل البيانات ‪ data integration‬وظهور‬ ‫•‬
‫فرق األصول ‪ asset teams‬في صناعة النفط‪.‬‬
‫كما ازدهر توصيف المكامن مع التحسينات الكمية ”‪ “quantum improvements‬التي‬ ‫•‬
‫حدثت في تقنيات توليد البيانات الزلزالية ”‪ “acquisition‬والمعالجة ”‪“processing‬‬
‫الجيوفيزيائية والتي تسمح للجيوفيزيائيين بتصوير تعقيدات المكامن في باطن األرض‪.‬‬
LECTURER:
Dr. Tarek Hodairi, Senior Geosciences Advisor, NOC, Libya.

COURSE BOOK: Slatt, R.M., 2006, Stratigraphic reservoir characterization for

petroleum geologists, geophysicists, and engineers, Elsevier Publ. Co., 478p.
 THE PROCESS OF CREATING AN INTERDISCIPLINARY HIGH
RESOLUTION GEOSCIENCE MODEL THAT INCORPORATES,
INTERRELATES, AND RECONCILES VARIOUS TYPES OF
GEOLOGICAL, GEOPHYSICAL AND ENGINEERING
INFORMATION FROM PORE TO BASIN SCALE”
‫هو عملية إنشاء نموذج جيولوجي عالي الدقة بدمج وربط كل المعلومات الفنية الجيولوجية والجيوفيزيائية‬
.‫والهندسية المتاحة لتوصيف المكمن بايجاد تقنيات انتاج مثلى قادرة على زيادة االنتاج‬
The first aim of reservoir characterization is to produce a
geological model that honors the available data and can be
used to predict the distribution of porosity, permeability,
and fluids throughout the field (Geehan and pearce, 1994).
The primary things we want to establish are:
1) Reservoir Fault System
2) Trapping Mechanism
3) Facies Changes
4) Porosity Variation
5) Permeability Variation
6) Hydrocarbon types and Contacts
7) Limit of the Accumulation
8) Hydrocarbon saturation across the reservoir
9) Hydrocarbon Volumes: An estimate of the hydrocarbon reserves
within the reservoir has to be computed so as to make economic
decisions and plan for the development of the reservoirs
 The added value of reservoir characterization
 If a proper reservoir characterization is conducted for a
field and it leads to an incremental improvement in
production beyond what was anticipated, then there is
economic value to the characterization.
 For example, if the characterization of a field that was
originally estimated to contain 100 MMBO(millions of
barrels of oil) recoverable improves that field’s recovery
by an additional 5%, an extra 5 MMBO is produced.
‫ إذا تم إجراء توصيف مكمن بشكل دقيق لحقل ما وأدى إلى تحسن تدريجي في اإلنتاج‬
.‫ فإن هناك قيمة اقتصادية للتوصيف‬،‫يتجاوز ما كان متوق ًعا‬
‫ إذا كان توصيف مكمن حقل تم تقديره في األصل على أنه يحتوي‬،‫على سبيل المثال‬
٪5 ‫ أدى إلى تحسين استرداد هذا الحقل بنسبة‬،‫ مليون برميل قابل لالسترداد‬100
.‫ مليون برميل إضافية‬5 ‫ فانه سيتم إنتاج‬،‫إضافية‬
 The added value of reservoir characterization
 Production improvements can be conducted through a
better understanding of the geologic complexities of the
field (Fig. 1.4), which may result either from sound geologic
evaluation and/or new technologies applied to the field.

Fig. 1.4. (A) Simplistic perception

of a continuous reservoir
sandstone undergoing waterflood.
(B) Stratigraphic and structural
complexities between wells that
can affect the waterflood.
(Figure provided byW.J. Ebanks Jr.)
 The added value of reservoir characterization
 Recovery in many mature fields has improved by using 3D seismic
to image fine-scale stratigraphic and structural features that were
previously unnoticed (Fig. 1.5) or by employing horizontal drilling
when the orientation, geometry, and compartmentalization of a
reservoir are understood (Fig. 1.6).

This field was to be subjected to an expensive tertiary

recovery project and the positions, orientations and
number of faults were quite important.
 For this reason, the characterization of reservoirs has evolved, during the past 15,
from a simple engineering evaluation, to multidisciplinary teams of geologists,
geophysicists, petrophysicists, and petroleum engineers working together.
 The added value of reservoir characterization

4 examples are presented below that provide some insights into

the economic value of integration and use of technologies that were
new at the time.
‫نقدم أدناه أربعة أمثلة توفر بعض األفكار حول القيمة االقتصادية للتكامل واستخدام التقنيات التي كانت جديدة في ذلك‬
.‫الوقت‬
1. The first example concerns a major oil and gas company that for many
years, was organized in a traditional manner, up to the late 1980s.

‫التنظيم االداري التقليدي المتبع بشركات صناعة النفط في نهاية الثمانينات‬

As an experiment in the value of integration, the company formed a
small subsidiary organization composed of personnel with different
skills and expertise who worked in synergistic teams.
‫ شكلت الشركة تنظيم فرعي صغير يتألف من موظفين ذوي مهارات وخبرات مختلفة‬، ‫كتجربة لقيمة التكامل‬
‫عملوا في فرق متآزرة‬

The early 1990s concept of integrated teams, of which members with different
expertise could move in and out of as required. This organizational structure was the
forerunner of today’s “asset teams” (or similar names), that form the main upstream
organizational structure of major petroleum companies

‫ والتي يمكن لألعضاء ذوي الخبرات المختلفة الدخول‬،‫مفهوم الفرق المتكاملة المتبع أوائل التسعينيات‬
‫ والتي‬،‫ كان هذا الهيكل التنظيمي رائدا قبل ظهور "فرق األصول" اليوم‬.‫والخروج منها حسب الحاجة‬
.‫تشكل الهيكل التنظيمي الرئيسي للشركات الكبرى الستكشاف النفط والغاز‬
 Proved reserves and finding costs after the five year experimental term of the
subsidiary company. Almost three times (3X) as much oil was found by the
synergistic company as was discovered by the large exploration division of the
company, and at a finding cost of less than half that of the large division.

 This example demonstrates the positive value of teamwork, in

both an exploration and production setting.
 The added value of reservoir characterization
2. The second example is of a small company that went from exploration to
property acquisition during the industry downturn in the 1980s.
The criteria that this company used were based simply on good reservoir
characterization, applying integrated knowledge and existing technologies.
The company’s acquisition program had excellent results, with the purchase of 46
mature fields that had more than 625 MMBOE (Million barrels of oil equivalent ) added
reserves at a cost of $2.69/BOE (Barrels of oil equivalent)!
3. The third example demonstrates the
value of 3D seismic in field
development.
In 1995, a 3D seismic survey was shot over
a small field in the Rocky Mountains.
 Prior to the survey, the field was mapped
from well logs and production information
as a continuous sandstone body.
 After the 3D seismic shoot, analysts
recognized that the field was subdivided
into a number of “functional
compartments” that were isolated.
This finding prompted realignment of the initial waterflood design
and drill additional infill wells, which led to:-
 a greater than 100% increase in daily unit production,
 an increase in estimated OOIP from 5.9 to 6.9 MMBO,
 an increase in projected total recovery to 32.6% of OOIP.
 Also, costs were reduced and expenditures became more efficient.
This example provides clear proof of economic success through the
use of existing technology.
4. The fourth example provides
statistics on the application of 3D
seismic to production in south
Louisiana gas fields. Gas production
there began to decline in the mid-
1970s. By the mid-1990s, 3D seismic
was being used more extensively,
and gas production increased
dramatically in a number of fields
after 3D seismic imaging was used to
improve reservoir characterization
and well emplacement.
Exploration and Evaluation Flowchart showing road map of the field
development process

 Field Discovery
1. Oil and gas are accumulated
underground in reservoir rocks either
on shore or offshore,
2. To find underground hydrocarbon
accumulation, geoscientists evaluate
images of the subsurface geological
layers generated by seismic studies.
3. building static geological model, and
classify the potential reservoirs, based
on the data obtained, called
Leads/plays/prospects,
4. To define the commerciality of the
discovery, exploration wells need to be
drilled to make sure the identified
reservoirs contain hydrocarbons or not.
Lead
Potential accumulation is currently poorly defined and requires
more data acquisition and/or evaluation in order to be classified as a
prospect. In general, Lead is any indication or hint of the presence of
a trap (a structure which may contain hydrocarbons) in the
subsurface whichmay allow explorationists to explore it further.
Play
A play is defined as a region thought to be conducive to the
hydrocarbon accumulation in a specific geologic formation or
interval in the subsurface. Also can be defined as a geographically
and stratigraphically delimited area where common geological
factors exist in order that petroleum accumulation can occur.

Prospect
Potential accumulation is sufficiently well-defined to represent a
viable drilling target. Also known as a potential trap that must be
evaluated by drilling to determine whether it contains commercial
quantities of petroleum or not.
Petroleum system concept
 Flowchart showing road map of the field
 Field Evaluation development process
After the commerciality of the
discovery has been confirmed,
reservoir simulation model will be
built to estimate the initial
hydrocarbon volume in the
reservoir, and
 to simulate the reservoir fluid
flow behavior and
 optimize the field development
scenario (type of wells, number of
producer and injector wells, and
location of wells, capacity of field
production, …etc.).
Appraisal wells are drilled to
improve the reservoir description
through getting more data
acquisition.
 Exploration and Evaluation
 Field Development
1. Defined the number of wells to be drilled to reach target
field oil or gas production,
2. Select the optimum recovery methods need to be used
to extract the oil and gas from the reservoir,
3. Defined the type and cost of treatment facilities (e.g.
separator, dehydrator, degasser, water injection
facility…etc.) needed either onshore or offshore,
4. Select the treatment systems needed to protect the
environment.
 Field Production
Normally, the production time period to extract the hydrocarbon from the
reservoir varies between 10 and 35 years and could be extended more than 40
years for giant oil and gas fields.
The reservoir lifetime is including different continuous phases:
a. A period of production increase,
b. A plateau phase,
c. Secondary phase, injection phases, including water, gas or chemicals to
enhance the hydrocarbon recovery,
d. The production depletion period when hydrocarbon production declines
with time.
 Field Abandonment
Once the field production flow rate is non economical, the reservoir is
abandoned. Before abandoning the field, the oil companies need to dismantle
all onshore or offshore facilities and plug and abandoned all the wells.
The total costs of abandonment operation must be taking into account within
the total cost of the economical oil and gas field.
Plateau stage means the period that is specified in the approved development plan in respect
of an oil field or a gas field. In this stage, most of the planned development wells were drilled
and tied–in to the production line .
. ‫ تم حفر معظم آبار التطوير المخطط لها وربطها بخط اإلنتاج‬.‫المدة المحددة لخطة التطوير المعتمدة لحقل نفطي ما‬