Measuring and predicting reservoir heterogeneity in complex deposystems: The fluvial-deltaic Big Injun sandstone in West Virginia

Technical Report · Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6644141· OSTI ID:6644141

Patchen, D G; Hohn, M E; Aminian, K; Donaldson, A; Shumaker, R; Wilson, T

The purpose of this research is to develop techniques to measure and predict heterogeneities in oil reservoirs that are the products of complex deposystems. The unit chosen for study is the Lower Mississippian Big Injun sandstone, a prolific oil producer (nearly 60 fields) in West Virginia. This research effort has been designed and is being implemented as an integrated effort involving stratigraphy, structural geology, petrology, seismic study, petroleum engineering, modeling and geostatistics. Sandstone bodies are being mapped within their regional depositional systems, and then sandstone bodies are being classified in a scheme of relative heterogeneity to determine heterogeneity across depositional systems. Facies changes are being mapped within given reservoirs, and the environments of deposition responsible for each facies are being interpreted to predict the inherent relative heterogeneity of each facies. Structural variations will be correlated both with production, where the availability of production data will permit, and with variations in geologic and engineering parameters that affect production. A reliable seismic model of the Big Injun reservoirs in Granny Creek field is being developed to help interpret physical heterogeneity in that field. Pore types are being described and related to permeability, fluid flow and diagenesis, and petrographic data are being integrated with facies and depositional environments to develop a technique to use diagenesis as a predictive tool in future reservoir development. Another objective in the Big Injun study is to determine the effect of heterogeneity on fluid flow and efficient hydrocarbon recovery in order to improve reservoir management. Graphical methods will be applied to Big Injun production data and new geostatistical methods will be developed to detect regional trends in heterogeneity.

• Research Organization: Appalachian Oil and Natural Gas Research Consortium, Morgantown, WV (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-90BC14657
• OSTI ID: 6644141
• Report Number(s): DOE/BC/14657-11; ON: DE93000132
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
58 GEOSCIENCES
OIL WELLS
PRODUCTION
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
RESERVOIR ROCK
HETEROGENEOUS EFFECTS
WEST VIRGINIA
DIAGENESIS
FLUID FLOW
NUMERICAL DATA
PERMEABILITY
PETROLOGY
PROGRESS REPORT
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
SANDSTONES
STRATIGRAPHY
DATA
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENGINEERING
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
INFORMATION
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
USA
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
020200 - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
580000 - Geosciences