Improving Carbonate Reservoir Characterization and Modelling through the Definition of Reservoir Rock Types by Integrating Depositional and Diagenetic Trends
Authors: Sousa Ana Maria , Ines Nuno , Bizarro Paulo , Ribeiro Maria Teresa 
Published: December 2014

Reservoir characterization and modelling of highly heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs encompasses the interplay between petrophysical properties, facies, diagenesis, and their relationship with depositional environments. This case study describe a strongly dolomitized carbonate reservoir of Valanginian age onshore Kazakhstan, Central Asia. A reservoir model was built by using an integrated workflow with all the available data, namely seismic, cores, thin sections, logs and MICP. In order to build a robust subsurface model and reduce uncertainties, reservoir rock types (RRTs) were defined and modelled honouring depositional trends and diagenetic attributes.

Due to the complexity of the reservoir, the Winland R35 method, together with Lorenz plots and petrophysical groups, was used to derive the RRTs and to assign a porosity-permeability relationship for each RRT. The uncertainty in the reservoir property models was evaluated with different RRT connectivity scenarios, driven by depositional and diagenetic concepts.

With the integration of diagenetic trends in the model, it was possible to capture the heterogeneity of the reservoir and better understand the porosity and permeability distributions. This has led to development plan optimization through the definition of sweet spot areas and an improved STOIIP calculation.

The results indicate that a substantial improvement in reservoir understanding can be achieved with an integrated reservoir characterization and modelling process that accounts for depositional and diagenetic trends, especially in reducing subsurface uncertainty. Furthermore, it was possible to recognize spatial trends and capture the relationship between petrophysical properties, pore architecture and sweep efficiency. It is expected that the ultimate recovery will also improve.

1. Introduction

The case study field is located onshore Kazakhstan, and comprises several oil bearing units. The principal reservoir corresponds to Aptian deltaic-marine sands, whereas this study addresses a secondary reservoir, which is the Valanginian carbonate. The producing structure is an E-W oriented anticline with a western downdip, where some faults are present.

The Carbonate reservoir was discovered as an upside in the mid-2000’s while drilling an exploration well. Encouraging flow tests from a 6 m interval have led to the kick-off of a detailed reservoir modelling exercise, in order to support a development plan. After that, a first pass static model was done with just a few wells. More recently, several appraisal wells were drilled to delineate the extent of the Carbonate reservoir.

The Valanginian Carbonate comprises fine grained limestone, dolomite and marl. This total interval is some 370-400 m thick (Figure 1). The oil bearing unit itself occurs in the uppermost part of the interval, and is mainly composed of skeletal dolopackstone, dolowackestone/dolopackstone, doloboundstones, with some intervals of dolomudstones. This oil bearing unit presents layer cake geometry, and is sealed by anhydrite.