Understanding the Influence of Structural Evolution Folding and Tilting on Hydrocarbon Accumulation Drainage and Imbibition and Reservoir Quality Diagenesis for Enhanced Field Development Planning, a Case Study of Lower Cretaceous Carbonate Reservoir, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Authors: Khan Riaz , Salib Mina Sameh , Ba Hussain Ali , Bin Abd Rashid Atiqurrahman , Aydinoglu Gokhan , Farooq Umer 
Published: November 2018

In this study field, the objective was to identify the causes of low resistivity pay that was limited towards the southwest of the field. Restricting the focus only on diagenesis has not yielded conclusive explanations to delineate the affected area. Alternatively, investigating the influence of structural evolution (folding and tilting) on hydrocarbon charging mechanism and diagenesis has significantly contributed to a reasonable explanation. This, in turn, can potentially impact decisions related to reservoir characterization and field development planning.

The field has adequate coverage of data from vertical (appraisal and observers) and horizontal wells (producers and injectors). The approach of structural flattening at different time intervals was applied in understanding the structural evolution of the field as part of regional tectonic history of the area. The delineation of areas in different paleo-positions has helped in grouping Wells into categories for thorough investigation. Detailed analyses of conventional and advanced logs, and core data were performed which included: petrographic analysis, pore throat and bound water evaluation, and assessment of resistivity log signatures in reference to the paleo-positions of the Wells.

The structural evolution and corresponding hydrocarbon charging mechanisms (drainage and imbibition) have influenced the reservoir hydrocarbon saturation in the field from northeast to southwest. The northeast tilting was triggered by Zagros loading, combined with thermal uplift associated with Red Sea opening. This resulted in imbibition in the extreme northeast and second phase of primary drainage in the extreme southwest of the field. As a result, the area that was previously in water leg during early Tertiary provided more exposure to diagenetic processes which enhanced the total porosity (up to 5p.u.) with high bound water and low resistivity pay. The areal coverage within water leg has been well defined in this study by evaluating the positions of paleo structural closures and hydrocarbon charging mechanisms. This would be useful in capturing diagenetic overprint in properties modeling as well as defining appropriate rock types for better saturation height function and volumetric estimations in this area. Consequently, the field development strategy was to develop the central area, in the first phase, since it was less affected by fluids saturation variations caused by the structural evolution. The study has provided improvement in reservoir characterization techniques for well placement and enhanced field development planning.

The methodology and approach used in this study are usually applied, to some extent, during exploration stages or basin modeling at regional scale with limited data availability and it is not utilized enough for Well placement and reserves estimations in the development stage. The approach applied here, with substantial data availability and integration, can potentially help in making decisions in the early development stage, allow successful field commissioning, and achieve initial production performance and target plateau.