Research Article | OPEN ACCESS
Modeling of Littoral Sandstones Reveal Variance in Reservoir Flow Patterns: An Example from Nyalau Formation, East Malaysia
1, 2Numair Ahmed Siddiqui, 1Abdul Hadi Abd. Rahman, 1Chow Weng Sum, 1Manoj Joseph Mathew, 1, 3David Menier and 1Muhammad Hassaan
1Department of Geoscience, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS,
Bandar Seri Iskandar, Tronoh, 31750, Perak, Malaysia
2Department of Petroleum Engineering, N.E.D. University of Engineering and Technology, Main University Road, Karachi, Pakistan
3Université Européenne de Bretagne, Géosciences Marines et Géomorphologie du Littoral, rue Yves Mainguy, 56017 VANNES CEDEX, France
Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology 2015 2:176-184
Received: April ‎9, ‎2015 | Accepted: May ‎28, ‎2015 | Published: September 15, 2015
Abstract
Modeling of littoral sandstone reservoirs are challenging due to different scales of heterogeneities. This study introduces an improved understanding of internal structures of sandstone and the way heterogeneities in facies distribution can affect variance in reservoir flow pattern. The methodology presented in this study is based on outcrop study of the Nyalau Formation from Sarawak, East Malaysia and modeling; from selection and data collection, to facies distribution, bedding and gridding, assigning permeability to each cell within the grid in order to obtain a flow pattern utilizing PetroMod® software at reservoir depth condition. The final model were analyzed both statically and dynamically. Static examination involved visual inspection and extraction of quantitative data on different sandstone facies, including lateral and vertical distribution of sandstone and mudstone. Dynamic investigation involves simulating fluid flow through different sets of facies to understand how it behaves in terms of reservoir condition. The model also designates that more homogeneous cross-stratified sandstone facies show persistent spatial correlation of permeability and porosity that align with the cross-bedded orientation or straight. Whereas, in more heterolithic sandstone, lateral variations in permeability show spatially non-correlated patterns over centimeters to tens of meters. These variations reflect the lateral juxtaposition of flow behavior. This can improve the general reservoir modeling processes by using accurate spatial data with minimizing the error sources at each processing stages.
Keywords:
Facies modeling, flow patterns, heterogeneities, littoral sandstone,
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The authors have no competing interests.
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