3-D RESERVOIR AND STOCHASTIC FRACTURE NETWORK MODELING FOR ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY, CIRCLE RIDGE PHOSPHORIA/TENSLEEP RESERVOIR, WIND RIVER RESERVATION, ARAPAHO AND SHOSHONE TRIBES, WYOMING (2002)

This report describes the results made in fulfillment of contract DE-FG26-00BC15190, ''3-D Reservoir and Stochastic Fracture Network Modeling for Enhanced Oil Recovery, Circle Ridge Phosphoria/Tensleep Reservoir, Wind River Reservation, Arapaho and Shoshone Tribes, Wyoming''. The goal of this project is to improve the recovery of oil from the Tensleep and Phosphoria Formations in Circle Ridge Oilfield, located on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, through an innovative integration of matrix characterization, structural reconstruction, and the characterization of the fracturing in the reservoir through the use of discrete fracture network models. Fields in which natural fractures dominate reservoir permeability, such as the Circle Ridge Field, often experience sub-optimal recovery when recovery processes are designed and implemented that do not take advantage of the fracture systems. For example, a conventional waterflood in a main structural block of the Field was implemented and later suspended due to unattractive results. It is estimated that somewhere less than 20% of the OOIP in the Circle Ridge Field have been recovered after more than 50 years' production. Marathon Oil Company identified the Circle Ridge Field as an attractive candidate for several advanced IOR processes that explicitly take advantage of the natural fracture system. These processes require knowledge of the distribution of matrix porosity, permeability and oil saturations; and understanding of where fracturing is likely to be well-developed or poorly developed; how the fracturing may compartmentalize the reservoir; and how smaller, relatively untested subthrust fault blocks may be connected to the main overthrust block. For this reason, the project focused on improving knowledge of the matrix properties, the fault block architecture and to develop a model that could be used to predict fracture intensity, orientation and fluid flow/connectivity properties. Knowledge of matrix properties was greatly extended by calibrating wireline logs from 113 wells with incomplete or older-vintage logging suites to wells with a full suite of modern logs. The model for the fault block architecture was derived by 3D palinspastic reconstruction. This involved field work to construct three new cross-sections at key areas in the Field; creation of horizon and fault surface maps from well penetrations and tops; and numerical modeling to derive the geometry, chronology, fault movement and folding history of the Field through a 3D restoration of the reservoir units to their original undeformed state. The methodology for predicting fracture intensity and orientation variations throughout the Field was accomplished by gathering outcrop and subsurface image log fracture data, and comparing it to the strain field produced by the various folding and faulting events determined through the 3D palinspastic reconstruction. It was found that the strains produced during the initial folding of the Tensleep and Phosphoria Formations corresponded well without both the orientations and relative fracture intensity measured in outcrop and in the subsurface. The results have led to a 15% to 20% increase in estimated matrix pore volume, and to the plan to drill two horizontal drain holes located and oriented based on the modeling results. Marathon Oil is also evaluating alternative tertiary recovery processes based on the quantitative 3D integrated reservoir model.