Lithologic reservoir characterization in continental depressions

PP2.15

Yun-Ling Yang, Chuan-bo Leng, and Xing-cai Liu, Shengli Petroleum Administration Bureau, PRC

depression have been made by the application of the procedure

proposed in this article; and hundreds of sand reservoir have been
described and several oil fields are being under development and
showing obviously economic results.

SUMMARY
An integrated procedure for lithologic reservoir characterization
in the continental depressions which were mainly deposited with
clastic sediments is proposed in this article. It consists of four main
steps: (1) database setting, (2) seismic stratigraphy study, (3)
reservoir identification, and (4) comprehensive description; in which
the unification of geology and geophysics, the interaction of
processing and interpretation, the combination of real data and
priori information, and the rolling of exploration and development
are strongly emphasized in order to exceed the limitation of
geophysical prospecting. An example of eastern China is presented
here; and the results of reservoir characterization in the NZ
depression shows that the procedure proposed in this article is
practical and effective for complicated lithologic reservoir
exploration in the continental depressions.

PROCEDURE
Fig.1 shows the procedure for lithologic reservoir characterizing
in continental depressions proposed in this article. It consists of four
main parts: (1) database setting, (2)seismic stratigraphy study, (3)
reservoir identification, and (4) comprehensive description.
1. Database Setting
The database is the foundation of reservoir characterizing in a
continental depression. All kinds of data, such as geological,
geophysical, geochemical, and reservoir engineering data, etc.,
must be collected together for assuring the studying reliability.
2. Seismic Stratigraphy Study
For systematically studying the origins, properties and
distributions of the reservoirs in a continental depression, The
depositional model and reservoir model of the whole depression
should be built by the application of seismic stratigraphy theory
(Payton, 1977). Generally, in the continental depressions of eastern
China, the shallow sediments are fluvial or alluvial plain facies; and
the middle and deep sediments are lacustrine or delta facies.
Different feature of reservoirs and seismic reflections depends on
different depositional environment; so, detailed reservoir
characterization must combine with geological model.
3. Reservoir Identification
Under the directions of geological model, every potential
reservoir is identified by using VSP, synthetic seismograms and
equivalent velocities. The quantitative interpretation for single
reservoir is performed on workstation combined with seismic target
processing, to provide the geometrical shape and parameters of a
reservoir for further characterizing (Leng et al., 1993).
(1) Reservoir identification: To describe a particular reservoir, the
corresponding reflection events on seismic sections must be first
identified. Three way usually are used: using VSP data, correlation
between synthetic records and wellsite seismic traces, and
estimation of accurate average velocities.
(2) Seismic target processing: The target processing such as
forward modeling, constrained inversion, lithologic modeling and
neural networks is performed on workstation in order to extract the
information about reservoirs.
(3)Quantitative interpretation: The geometrical shape and
parameters of a reservoir can be quantitatively interpreted on
workstation using the information in database, combined with the

INTRODUCTION
The technique of reservoir description has been widely used in
petroleum exploration and development. In the last decade,
numerous methods and softwares have been developed in this
field; such as constrained inversion (Martinez et al., 1989),
lithologic modeling, and neural networks, etc. However, most of
these methods have excessively emphasized the accuracy of
themselves, and on some cases ignored the control and affection of
regional geological model to petroleum reservoirs. Different from
other countries in which most oilfields are with marine facies, China
has numerous continental depressions deposited with clastic
sediments in which there are a lot of complicated lithologic
reservoirs. It is difficult to solve such complex geological problems
about petroleum exploration and development in these depressions
only by one or two methods and softwares. Therefore, this article
proposes an integrated procedure for systematically describing
such complicated lithologic reservoirs in these depressions. This
procedure consists of four main steps: (1) database setting, (2)
seismic stratigraphy study, (3) reservoir identification, and (4)
comprehensive description; and characterized by the unification of
geology and geophysics, the interaction of processing and
interpretation, the combination of real data and priori information,
and the rolling of petroleum exploration and development. This
procedure has been successfully applied in several continental
depressions of eastern China; and the results of lithologic reservoir
characterization in the NZ depression is presented in this article.
Breakthroughs in exploration and development in the NZ

545

Lithologic reservoir characterization

seismic target processing. Generally, lithologic reservoirs in the

continental depressions of eastern China are thin beds. The
thickness computation of thin bed is based on the theory of the
turning curve combined with the travel time, amplitude and
frequency of seismic wave; and the description of reservoir
parameters is usually constrained by well-logging data and
laboratory data.
4. Comprehensive Description
The unification of geology and geophysics, the interaction of
processing and interpretation, the combination of real data and
priori information, and the rolling of exploration and development
are embodied in this step. All kinds of data in the database must
. be tied together and used for comprehensively describing every
reservoir; in order to get the accurate and detailed geometrical
shape and parameters of a reservoir and provide reserves and
well locations for the reservoir exploration and development.
RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION IN THE NZ DEPRESSION
The NZ depression is one of continental depressions deposited
with clastic sediments in eastern China ( Yang et al., 1992 ) .
Structural type reservoirs have not been found yet due to lack of
structural traps. The exploration is focused on the lithologic traps
the third member of the Shahejie formation (Es3) of Lower Tertiary
at depth around 2900--3500m, in which there is complete deltaic
sedimentary sequence (see Fig.2). Fig.2 shows a sketch map of
delta depositional model in the NZ depression which is built by the
study of seismic stratigraphy. The tubidite sands of prodelta facies
in middle and lower parts of the Es3 are main reservoir rocks in
the NZ depression, which are characterized with quite a number of
sand bodies and laterally staggered one over another to form a
large oil-bearing area but individually small in size and poor in
inter-communication, making them difficult to develop.
Breakthroughs have been made by the application of the procedure
proposed above. Hundreds of turbidite sand bodies have been
described and several reservoirs are being under development; and
more than 100 wells have been drilled so far and reached a
relatively high success ratio; and hundreds of thousands metric
tons of the oil annual production has achieved. The experience tells
the effectiveness of the procedure proposed in this article.
Fig.3 shows the distribution of reservoirs and well locations in the
N20 development area. N20 area is located on the upthrown block
of a large syngenetic fault, a favorable place for oil accumulation.
The turbidite sand reservoirs in. this area were described
systematically referring to N20 well data. For developing the three
main reservoirs, N20-A, N20-B and N20-c, 40 wells have been
drilled and all hit the reservoirs; and nearly one hundred thousand
metric tons of oil annual production has achieved in this area.
Fig.1. An procedure for lithologic reservoir characterizing in
continental depressions.

CONCLUSIONS

546

Lithologic reservoir characterization

upper of Es3

Fig.3. Distribution of turbidite sand reservoirs and developing

wells in the N20 area.

middle of Es3

It is difficult to solve the geological problems of oil fields which

are becoming more and more complex only by the method of
geophysics. For exceeding the limitation of geophysical
prospecting, the procedure proposed in this article emphasizes the
unification of geology and geophysics, the interaction of processing
and interpretation, the combination of real data and priori
information, and the rolling of exploration and development. The
results of lithologic reservoir characterization in the NZ depression
tell that this procedure is effective for complicated lithologic
reservoirs exploration and development in the continental clasolite
depressions of eastern China.

lower of Es3

REFERENCES
Leng, C.B., Yang,Y.L., and Wang,J.W., 1993, Integrated
interpretation technique for turbidite sands: Acta Geophysics
Sinica, Vol. 36, No. 1.
Martinez, R.D., Cornish, B.E., and Seymour, R.H., 1989, An
integrated approach for reservoir description using seismic,
borehole, and geologic data: SPE 19581, pp.99-108.
Payton, C.E., 1977, Seismic Stratigraphy: Am. Ass. of Pet.,
Geophysics.

Fig.2. Deltaic depositional modeland reservoir model in the NZ

continental depression

Yang, Y.L., Wang, J.W. and Leng, C.B., 1992, Exploration of

complex lithologic traps in Niuzhuang subdepression: Bulletin of
Chinese Geophysical Society, Vol. 11, pp. 117-135.

547