Submarine fan lobe models: Implications for reservoir properties

Conference · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:6129800

Shanmugam, G; Moiola, R J ^[1]

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1. Mobil Research and Development Corp., Dallas, TX (USA)

A multitude of submarine fan lobe models, advocating widely different reservoir properties, has been introduced into the sedimentologic literature. Four of these models are compared to show their differences in reservoir properties. Braided suprafan lobes are characterized by stacked sand bodies with good lateral and vertical communication, and they constitute excellent reservoir facies. The unchanneled depositional lobes, composed of sheetlike sand bodies with good lateral and moderate vertical communication, exhibit properties of good reservoir facies. Fanlobes, which refer to meandering channels and associated levee facies of large mud-rich submarine fans such as the Mississippi Fan in the Gulf of Mexico, are characterized by offset stacked sand bodies with poor lateral and vertical communication. These lenticular sands have the potential to be moderately good reservoir facies. Ponded lobes, which represent mud-rich slump facies of slope environments, comprise poor reservoir facies because of poor sand content and poor sand-body connectivity caused by chaotic bedding. Furthermore, the presence of slumped mud layers in ponded lobes is expected to hinder fluid flow. Because different lobe models vary significantly from one another in terms of reservoir properties, caution must be exercised to apply the proper lobe model to ancient fan sequences in hydrocarbon exploration and production.

• OSTI ID: 6129800
• Report Number(s): CONF-9010204--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Journal Volume: 74:9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
DEPOSITION
EXPLORATION
FEDERAL REGION IV
FLUID FLOW
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GULF OF MEXICO
MINERAL RESOURCES
MISSISSIPPI
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEAS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SURFACE WATERS
USA