Abqaiq Hanifa reservoir: Geologic attributes controlling hydrocarbon production and water injection

Conference · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:6850969

Grover, G Jr ^[1]

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1. Saudi Aramco, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia)

The Hanifa reservoir at Abqaiq field consists entirely of mudsupported (>90% matrix) limestones that were deposited in the deeper water interior of the Arabian Intrashelf basin. The Hanifa mudstones lack megascopic pore spaces; porosity is evidenced by high porosities (5-32%) within these fine-grained rocks, based on porosity logs and core-plug analyses, absence of visible pore spaces to account for these high pore volumes, and 2000x SEM images that show a crystal framework texture composed of micro-rhombic (clay-size) calcite crystals with 2 - 5 [mu]m-size pore spaces between these calcite crystals. Flow meters indicate that the reservoir is capable of producing/injecting large volumes of oil/water. But there is little stratigraphic predictability to the flow, and thin (2-10 ft) low porosity (<15%) intervals can contribute over 60% of the entire flow. These reservoir attributes, coupled with the low [open quotes]matrix[close quotes] permeabilities (0.1-10 md) of the reservoir indicate the presence of an apparent permeability that is controlling fluid flow. Core studies have revealed that this apparent permeability is in the form of high-angle fractures. These fractures are [le]1 mm wide, contain hydrocarbon residue and calcite cement, and many are in close association with high-amplitude stylolites, suggesting a genetic link between stylolitization and fracturing. Borehole imaging logs are critical for fracture location, abundance, orientation, and size. The Hanifa is separated from the giant Arab-D reservoir by over 450 ft of fine-grained carbonates of the Jubaila Formation. These two reservoirs, however, are in pressure-fluid communication via a network of fractures through the Jubaila carbonates. Reservoir communication and reservoir heterogeneity is a challenge to reservoir geologists and reservoir engineers in formulating a development plan, involving horizontal producer and injector wells, to extract the reserves within the Abqaiq Hanifa reservoir.

• OSTI ID: 6850969
• Report Number(s): CONF-9310237--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 77:9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
&amp; Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
&amp; Exploration
ARAB COUNTRIES
ASIA
CARBONATE ROCKS
CONTROL
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINEERING
FLUID FLOW
FOSSIL FUELS
FRACTURED RESERVOIRS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
HYDROCARBONS
LIMESTONE
MIDDLE EAST
MINERAL RESOURCES
OIL FIELDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
POROSITY
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SAUDI ARABIA
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEDIMENTS
STRATIGRAPHY