Fuhrmann, Andreas1, Rolando di Primio1, Brian Horsfield1
(1) GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
ABSTRACT: Predicting Petroleum Phase and Composition in Undrilled Prospects
The prediction of reservoir
fluid properties prior to drilling is one of the most
important tasks for prospect risk reduction in frontier exploration areas. The newest
vintage of basin modeling software allows the calculation of petroleum phase behaviour
given detailed compositional kinetic models of hydrocarbon generation. Available kinetic
schemes correctly predict bulk GOR, however, the analytical methods used predict much
wetter gas compositions than observed in natural fluids, resulting in erroneous phase
predictions. Experimental results indicate that this effect is strongly influenced by the
experimental heating rate, primary cracking
mechanisms
and the presence or absence of
catalysts in the pyrolysis experiments.
We focus on the correct determination of hydrocarbon phase properties from pyrolysis lab
experiments using immature source rock samples by tuning the determined compositional data
to PVT data of well documented reservoir
fluid maturity sequences. We have thus developed
compositional kinetic models of hydrocarbon generation for marine Type II and mixed Type
II/III source rocks. The data format selected is compatible with the compositional
resolution used in
reservoir
engineering, allowing a direct comparison of predicted
compositions and phase behavior to PVT data of natural fluids. The integration of tuned
compositional kinetic models and phase behaviour calculation in 2D and 3D basin models
resulted in the predition of GOR, phase state, saturation pressure and composition with an
error margin of 10 to 20%. The suggested approach is applicable to various source rock
types and can be used for determination of hydrocarbon phase properties in undrilled
prospects under various geologic conditions.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90026©2004 AAPG Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas, April 18-21, 2004.