Combining Forward Stratigraphic Modelling with Seismic Reconstruction to Improve Reservoir Characterization

Historically, the results from forward stratigraphic modeling applications have largely remained isolated from standard reservoir modeling workflows. A workflow is proposed using an experimental numerical simulator, whereby the simulation results are directly usable for further reservoir description. An Oligo-Miocene sand-rich turbidite sequence from the Campos Basin is used as an appropriate candidate for this workflow. The complex turbidite reservoirs in the area warrant a more quantitative approach to fully understand their heterogeneities. By using an onshore analogue from the Late Miocene deposits of the Tabernas-Sorbas Basin, southeast Spain, the back-filling stacked geometries produced by the simulation can be calibrated to observations seen in outcrop. Further improvements to the reservoir description is achieved by revealing the paleo-channel fill through seismic reconstruction. The resulting complexities and associated uncertainties in vertical and lateral heterogeneity can have significant implications for field development. It is demonstrated that by combining the understanding from (a) forward stratigraphic modeling, and (b) seismic reconstruction, a more comprehensive and geologically representative reservoir description can be achieved.