High Resolution Petrophysics – Wellbore Images as Big Data Source for Reservoir Engineering and Production Technology

Traditionally, data acquisition objectives of wellbore images (WBI) were set to derive static reservoir characterization properties (e.g., geological facies), however, with the technical progress in WBI processing and the industry introduction of previously propriety WBI characterization applications, it was made possible to derive an entire distribution of petrophysical attributes as high resolution, directional properties around the wellbore. Over the past 5 years, OMV Petrophysics applied high resolution petrophysics (HRP) using oriented WBI data (borehole image, core and core tomography) for reservoir modelling, reservoir engineering and production optimization applications in various fields in the OMV reservoir portfolio. The three HRP case studies presented herein demonstrate the added monetary value of WBI data by improving uncertainty estimates on flow potential and by providing reservoir rock type ranges on core-scale resolution for field-wide permeability simulations. Production technology benefits from HRP integration with cuttings and (special) core analysis data by improving the definition of technical parameters in EOR/IOR applications. Finally, the full integration of a former “geologist's tool” into the core of reservoir petrophysics improves hydrocarbon pore volume estimates in thin-bed analysis studies and, with limitations, pore throat distribution analysis in saturation height modeling.