A New Method to Calculate Effective Permeability of a Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoir from Seismic Attributes

Authors
D. Li (ZADCO) | M. S. Alharbi (ZADCO) | G. Ottinger (ZADCO) | R. T. El-Awawdeh (ZADCO) | P. Brunhuber (ZADCO) | S. M. Al-Jasmi (ZADCO)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2118/181718-MS
Document ID
SPE-181718-MS
Publisher
Society of Petroleum Engineers
Source
SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, 26-28 September, Dubai, UAE
Publication Date
2016
Document Type
Conference Paper
Language
English
ISBN
978-1-61399-463-4
Copyright
2016. Society of Petroleum Engineers
Disciplines
1.6.9 Coring, Fishing, 7.1 Asset and Portfolio Management, 1.6 Drilling Operations, 5 Reservoir Desciption & Dynamics, 5.5 Reservoir Simulation, 5.6.4 Drillstem/Well Testing, 5.8 Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs, 5.8.7 Carbonate Reservoir, 5.6 Formation Evaluation & Management, 5.8.6 Naturally Fractured Reservoir, 7 Management and Information, 7.1.6 Field Development Optimization and Planning, 5.5.8 History Matching, 5.1 Reservoir Characterisation
Keywords
Modeling, Fracture, Permeability, Seismic, Simulation
Downloads
7 in the last 30 days
131 since 2007
Show more detail
View rights & permissions
SPE Member Price: USD 8.50
SPE Non-Member Price: USD 25.00
Abstract

Modeling permeability of naturally fractured reservoirs for simulation studies and field development planning is very challenging since the data required for characterizing the magnitude and distribution of reservoir fracture permeability is very limited. Fracture permeability is traditionally measured from cores and/or estimated from well tests. These estimations usually work adequately at well locations for permeability modeling but poorly between wells. Modeling fracture permeability distribution between wells and/or away from wells is a very important step to build a reliable reservoir simulation model for business needs.

This paper presents a new method/workflow for modeling effective permeability of a naturally fractured carbonate reservoir from seismic attributes. The new method directly converts fracture textures and distributions from seismic attributes into permeability for reservoir simulation. Core and log data are used to create fracture regions and the distribution of fracture density; well test data are applied to generate isotropic permeability; and seismic attributes (e.g., ant-tracks, curvature, and anisotropy) are utilized to model the fracture network and permeability anisotropy. New equations are created to calculate effective permeability of the reservoir by scaling up and down between core/well test and seismic data. Two history match parameters (fracture network connectivity and permeability anisotropy) are introduced to assist the history match process within the guidance of seismic and geologic data.

The new method/workflow has been successfully applied to solve the history match challenges of a naturally fractured reservoir in a Middle Eastern field for which no history matched model was achieved before. Applying the new method has significantly improved water movement matches in all producers of the field.

File Size  25 MBNumber of Pages   15

Anifowose, F.A., Abdulraheam, A., Al-Shuhail, A., and Schmitt, D.P. 2013. Improved Permeability Prediction from Seismic and Log Data using Artificial Intelligence Techniques. Presented at the SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference held in Manama, Bahrain, 10-13 March. SPE-164465-MS. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/164465-MS.

Dadashpour, M., Kleppe, J., and Landro, M. 2007. Porosity and Permeability Estimation by Gradient-Based History Matching Using Time-Lapse Seismic Data. Presented at the 15th SPE Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference held in Bahrain, 11-14 March 2007. SPE-104519-MS. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/104519-MS.

Jakobsen, M. 2006. The effective permeability of fractured reservoirs and composite porous media. Presented at SEG New Orleans Annual Meeting. SEG-2006-1747.

Jakobsen, M., Liu, E., and Chapman, M. 2007. Estimation of anisotropic permeability in fractured reservoirs from seismic AVOZ analysis. Presented at SEG San Antonio Annual Meeting. SEG-2007-0099.

MacBeth, C. and Lynn, H.B. 2000. Applied seismic anisotropy: Theory, background, and field studies, Soc. of Expl. Geophys..

MacBeth, C. and Pickup, G. 2002. Estimation of directional permeability in fractured reservoirs – concepts and application. Presented at SEG Int'l Exposition and 72 Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, 6-11 October. SEG-2002-0097.

MacBeth, C. 2004. Deconvolving permeability from time-lapsed seismic data. Presented at SEG Int'l Exposition and 74th Annual Meeting, Denver Colorado, 10-15 October. SEG-2004-2291.

Matarid, T., Afia, M.S., Al-Hossani, K.I., and Amer, M.M. 2012. Permeability Scalar from Seismic-Based Fracture Prediction. Presented at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 11-14 November. SPE-161318-MS. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/161318-MS.

Matarid, T., Ibrahim, K., and Ibrahem, M.S. 2014. Permeability Multiplier Prediction using 3D OBC Seismic Data. Presented at the International Petroleum Technology Conference held in Doha, Qatar, 20-22 January. IPCT-17280-MS. http://dx.doi.org/10.2523/IPCT-17280-MS.

Muller, T.M., Lambert, G., and Gurevich, B. 2005. Dynamic permeability of random porous rocks and its seismic signatures. Presented at SEG Houston Annual Meeting. SEG-2005-1497.

Nakagawa, S., and Myer, L.R. 2009. Fracture permeability and seismic wave scattering – Poroelastic Linear-Slip Interface model for heterogeneous fractures. Presented at SEG Houston 2009 International Exposition and Annual Meeting. SEG-2009-3461.

Rubino, J.G., Caspari, E., Milani, M., Muller, T.M., and Holliger, K. 2015. Seismic anisotropy in fractured low-permeability formation: The effects of hydraulic connectivity. Presented at SEG New Orleans Annual Meeting, pp. 3219–3223. SEG-2015-5844460.

Rogers, S., Macbeth, C., Lui, E., and Angerer, E. 2003. Constraining models of fractured reservoirs using seismic anisotropy maps, for improved reservoir performance and prediction. Expanded Abstract presented at SEG 73rd Annual Int'l Meeting. SEG-2003-1549.

Shekhar, R. and Gibson, R. 2011. Generation of spatially correlated fracture models for seismic simulations. Geophysical Journal International. 185, 341–351. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2011.04937.x.

Tolstukhin, E., Lygnes, B., and Sudan, H.H. 2012. Ekofisk 4D Seismic – Seismic History Matching Workflow. Presented at the EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition incorporating SPE Europe held in Copenhagen, Denmark, 4-7 June. SPE-154347-MS. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/154347-MS.

Villegas, R., MacBeth, C., and Paydayesh, M. 2009. Permeability Updating of the Simulation Model Using 4D Seismic Data. Presented at the 2009 SPE/EAGE Reservoir Characterization and Simulation Conference held Abu Dhabi, UAE, 19-21 October. SPE-125632-MS. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/125632-MS.

Will, R., Archer, R., and Dershowitz, B. 2005. Integration of Seismic Anisotropy and Reservoir-Performance Data for Characterization of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Using Discrete-Fracture-Network Models. SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, April, pp. 132–142. SPE-84412-PA.

Yamabe, H., Tsuji, T., and Matsuoka, T. 2012. Permeability Estimation from Seismic Velocity based on Crack and Grain Models. American Rock Mechanics Association, ARMA-2012-481.

Other Resources

Looking for more? 

Some of the OnePetro partner societies have developed subject- specific wikis that may help.


  

PetroWiki was initially created from the seven volume  Petroleum Engineering Handbook (PEH) published by the  Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).







The SEG Wiki is a useful collection of information for working geophysicists, educators, and students in the field of geophysics. The initial content has been derived from : Robert E. Sheriff's Encyclopedic Dictionary of Applied Geophysics, fourth edition.