Oil & Gas

From exploration to distribution

Week 2 V09 Reservoir characterization
Anne Jardin

W2V9 Reservoir Characterization p. 1

IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015

Introduction
The Oil and Gas exploration workflow has already been presented in the previous
sequences. Several years have been necessary to evaluate the petroleum system potential of
the explored region and confirm the first oil discovery. The exploration wells have produced
a significant volume of hydrocarbons. Once this discovery has been confirmed, the challenge
for exploration will continue with an evaluation of the hydrocarbon reservoir.
To better evaluate the reservoir, additional studies are conducted and new wells are drilled.
Reservoir geosciences are the set of geological and geophysical methods applied to:
1. characterize the geological heterogeneities in the reservoir
2. delineate the extent of the reservoir in three dimensions
3. appraise the reservoir by studying the relationships between rocks and fluid.
These methods link the exploration steps with the production steps.
The methods applied to reach these objectives will be presented in three main parts:
1. Firstly, Reservoir characterization
2. Secondly, Geological model building
3. And finally estimation of the Hydrocarbon Volume In Place before the start of
production.

Reservoir Characterization
For reservoir characterization, all the results obtained during the previous studies, such as
regional geology, seismic imaging and well data analysis, are combined. Each type of data
corresponds to a zone of investigation at various scales. The seismic images show the lateral
extent of formations over several kilometres, integrating geological correlations between
wells. Observations of geological outcrops and analysis of well data give stratigraphic
information such as sedimentary layer lithology and layout over a vertical range from 10m to
1 cm. Finally grain structures and pore spaces are observed on thin rock sections over a few
millimetres.

W2V9 Reservoir Characterization p. 2

IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015

The main objective of reservoir characterization studies is to identify the heterogeneities

of the reservoir rock. These heterogeneities are spatial geological variations at the different
scales which are able to modify the fluid movement inside the reservoir. This information is
essential to determine how this fluid could be extracted.

We can recognize sedimentological heterogeneities due to lithological variations and facies

changes during and after the sedimentation, as you can see in this picture of a sand reservoir
outcrop.
Different lithologies and layering are identified from top to bottom: fine sand, cross-bedded
sand and laminated sand.

Geological reservoirs can have a limited extent and a large variability. It is difficult to
determine the reservoir continuity if the distance between wells is too large.
The drawing below represents sandy channel reservoirs. These channels are thin geological
bodies and their geometries cannot be retrieved by distant wells. In this case, accurate
identification of the reservoir heterogeneities requires a large number of appraisal wells.
W2V9 Reservoir Characterization p. 3
IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015

Another origin of heterogeneities is structural features such as faults.

The faults shift layers, could separate different reservoir compartments and constitute
obstacles which can slow the fluid circulation.

The permeability of the faults is essential information.

In the case of an impermeable fault, the fluid migration is stopped and the reservoir
is small.
In the case of a permeable fault, the fluid extends on each side of the fault and the
reservoir is larger. The main faults crossing the reservoir layers behave as barriers
and can greatly modify the amount of estimated hydrocarbon reserves.

W2V9 Reservoir Characterization p. 4

IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015

Reservoir geologists analyze well data to compute measured petrophysical properties.

These properties are:
1. Porosity: This is the percentage of a given volume of rock which is pore space and
can therefore contain fluids. The porosity value of a good reservoir is between
twenty and thirty five percent.
2. Hydrocarbon saturation: this is the fraction of the pore space in the reservoir rock
occupied by oil or gas.
3. Net reservoir rock: It is defined as the ratio of the specific part of the reservoir
volume where the fluid can circulate to the total volume of the reservoir. This is the
portion of the reservoir rock which directly contributes to hydrocarbon production.

Other petrophysical properties, such as permeability, result from indirect estimation. For
example, the permeability is usually derived from the porosity and gives the quantity of
hydrocarbon that can flow through a rock, related to how interconnected the pores are.

The oil water contact and gas fluid contact are the horizontal surfaces separating the
hydrocarbon reservoir from the water reservoir. These surfaces can be determined by
several methods.

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IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015

Geologists analyze the resistivity well log which helps separate hydrocarbon and water
zones inside the reservoir.

They can also locate these contacts, on formation pressuredepth cross plot by identifying
each fluid according to its density.

Geological Modeling
All the knowledge of the reservoir rock behaviour and the fluid in place obtained from
reservoir characterization studies, must be sufficient to build a 3D geological model of the
reservoir zone. This model is the place where all data and interpretation results are
integrated in a consistent understanding of the reservoir.
This model is done in several steps.
The first one is to build the geometric model as a grid, integrating key stratigraphic surfaces
and structural faults.

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IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015

This grid is made up of several thousands of elementary volumes called cells. The
dimensions of cells are selected to describe the fine reservoir heterogeneity scales. Faults
separate this 3D grid into compartments to take into account different fluid flow conditions.

After geometric grid building, the next step is to fill in the cells by lithological properties
such as facies and petrophysical properties such as porosity and permeability.

These properties are estimated by interpolation of well data and propagated over the total
grid by geostatistical methods. Finally these petrophysical grid models describe the main
geological heterogeneities in the reservoir.

W2V9 Reservoir Characterization p. 7

IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015

Hydrocarbon Volume Estimation

The determination of the Original Hydrocarbon Volume In Place is typically the concluding
phase of the geological evaluation of the reservoir. It is at this stage that the reservoir
characterization in terms of architecture and rock properties is finally quantified as a number
which represents the amounts of oil and gas initially in place in the reservoir.

The volume of hydrocarbons is estimated using a simple equation taking into account the
reservoir volume, the net reservoir rock, the porosity and the hydrocarbon saturation.
Usually this volume is represented by a map or a grid providing the spatial distribution of the
hydrocarbons which is used to calculate the total volume of hydrocarbon accumulation.

The petrophysical properties used in volume estimation are not estimated with the same
confidence throughout the reservoir zones. So it is important to estimate parameter
uncertainties by a probabilistic approach to provide a range of expected volumes.
This result is one of the most important parameters of any hydrocarbon field. It gives the
clearest view of the amount of the oil and gas accumulation and consequently of the
potentiality of the exploration project.

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IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015

Once commercial interest in the reservoir has been confirmed, the challenge will continue
with reservoir and production studies.

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IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015