1887

Abstract

Cyclical alternations of sandstone and mudstone at a variety of length-scales cause significant permeability variations in tidal sandstone reservoirs, which makes them difficult to characterize and model. In this study, the geometry and distribution of small- and intermediate-scale tidal heterogeneities and their influence on fluid flow have been investigated using an outcrop analogue from the Eocene Dir Abu Lifa Member (Western Desert, Egypt). The key challenge in modelling such heterogeneities is to accurately reproduce their three-dimensional architecture. We use a novel, surface-based modeling approach, which honours the geometry of geological surfaces and therefore the contacts between laminae, beds and facies units. The technique used in this study directly reproduces three-dimensional surfaces using a purely geometrical approach. Statistical datasets of the distribution, length and continuity of mud drapes and associated geometrical parameters have been collated from high-resolution outcrop photomontages and associated measurements. The modelling algorithm, in conjunction with the quantitative outcrop data, has been used to generate generic three-dimensional models of heterolithic tidal sand bodies. The models are suitable for direct use in flow simulation studies and are currently being applied to characterize the effective reservoir properties and predict fluid flow behaviour in subsurface tidal sandstone reservoirs.

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/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.20149122
2011-05-23
2024-03-29
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http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.20149122
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