Reservoir Characterization of Fractured Cambrian Reservoirs, Algeria

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences (Physical Sciences)

Reservoir Characterization of Fractured Cambrian Reservoirs Fawzi M. Guehria; Fawzi M. Guehria Schlumberger Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Shareen Yawanarajah; Shareen Yawanarajah Schlumberger Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Mahieddine Touami Mahieddine Touami Sonatrach Inc. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, Texas, October 2005. Paper Number: SPE-96955-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/96955-MS Published: October 09 2005 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Guehria, Fawzi M., Yawanarajah, Shareen, and Mahieddine Touami. "Reservoir Characterization of Fractured Cambrian Reservoirs." Paper presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, Texas, October 2005. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/96955-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition Search Advanced Search AbstractIt has long been recognized that the faults in the Hassi Messaoud field are necessary for the successful production from the Cambrian sandstone reservoirs.What is less understood is the dual nature of these faults in that they can both control transmissibility through permeability enhancing fractures, and control trapping (sealing) through permeability reducing diagenesis.The key to optimally exploiting this or any fractured reservoir is the ability to predict the existence and properties of both.Without these faults and fractures, the Cambrian reservoirs would be classified as being tight with matrix permeabilities that are less than 40 mD, usually less than 3 mD, and porosities of between 3–8 %.In addition, the production history of the wells indicate variability in matrix versus fracture contribution, which suggests that the field was composed of more than one type of storativity-based, fractured reservoir.An integrated reservoir characterization study was conducted in Zones 1A and 1C to confirm the above premises.Reservoir quality and compartmentalization of the Cambro-Ordovician Ra and Ri reservoirs are believed to be related to stratigraphic, diagenetic, and structural variability.There is much evidence for reservoir heterogeneity especially around faults i.e. variation in reservoir thickness, rapid changes in porosity and permeability, variable production performance, variable water production.There is also evidence that fracture intensity varied from north to south and that this affected well performance.A number of wells were picked for detailed evaluation based on their production history and proximity to faults.IntroductionThis paper is the result of a program, which consisted of carrying out an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach to evaluate development options for the Hassi Messaoud fractured reservoir. These options includedetermining optimum horizontal well trajectoriesincreasing potential for improved recoverypredicting and better managing excessive water productionincreasing effectiveness of injection programs, anddesigning appropriate completions.The key to understanding the Cambrian Ra reservoir lies in the innumerable faults that criss-cross the field and that give rise to the fractures that are necessary for its successful production.To date however, very little light has been shed on the nature and properties of these fractures, and how they affect the reservoir and well performance.One of the main difficulties has been to integrate data from geophysics, geology, petrophysics, and engineering in a consistent manner. Often the different disciplines will each have their own somewhat different models of the reservoir.The lack of seismic data has also increased the challenge of optimally exploiting the Hassi Messaoud field.The real value of integration in reservoir geoscience and engineering lies in the ability to optimize this coupling between the static and dynamic components at both the appraisal and the development stages. The result of such a workflow is:a reservoir model that has incorporated all known geological constraints and uncertainties,a dynamic model which can accurately predict reservoir performance and provide reliable reserve estimates, andhigh quality technical inputs for a more informed and discriminate commercial decision-making process. Keywords: hassi messaoud, fluid dynamics, intensity, fractured cambrian reservoir, fractured reservoir, permeability, upstream oil & gas, fracture, reservoir characterization, reservoir Subjects: Reservoir Characterization, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Formation Evaluation & Management, Flow in porous media This content is only available via PDF. 2005. Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.