3-D Geological Modeling of the World’s Largest Siliciclastic Reservoirs: Greater Burgan Field, Kuwait
The late Albian to early Cenomanian Burgan-Wara formations
from Southeast Kuwait Greater Burgan field constitute the largest siliciclastic
oil reservoir on earth. The sedimentology and stratigraphy is here reviewed in
terms of depositional environment and lateral
stratigraphic correlation. An
updated geological model is built, based on new interpretations that have
significant impact on the reservoir management of this giant field. The
integration of newly defined core based rock-types and seismic reservoir
characterization from a database of more than 1100 wells allowed to
characterize the major reservoir heterogeneities and build the first high
resolution
3D geological model for the Burgan field.
The Burgan
and Wara formations represent 4 third-order cycles, deposited in coastal
settings. The variability inherent to the depositional style leads to a complex
reservoir scheme. The Lower Burgan is dominated by stacked braided channels
representing homogeneous, high quality reservoirs. Higher in the stratigraphy,
lateral
facies variability and heterogeneities are observed in tidal dominated
units. Mud dominated units occur within the Upper Burgan and Lower Wara
formations and provide good sealing capacities. Small, laterally strongly
variable and heterogeneous fluvio-tidal dominated units are representative of
the Upper Wara Formation.
A high
resolution
3D geological model of more than 900 million cells is built, based
on the new structural and stratigraphic framework interpretations to capture
the complexity of the Burgan Field reservoirs. Rock-types are defined, based on
more than 900 well logs and core petrophysical properties measurements. The
seismic reservoir characterization, focused on inversion techniques and
calibrated with the newly defined rock-types provides crucial information on
sandstone proportions distribution, especially in areas with lower well
control.
The
challenge of a fully integrated geomodel for such giant and complex field is
here achieved with a specific workflow combining geological, geophysical and
reservoir engineering techniques. The final model represents the first attempt
to simulate, at high resolution
, the largest siliciclastic oil field in the
world and provides a comprehensive way to understand the field heterogeneities
and behavior. This model will allow best reservoir management and increased oil
recovery.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90142 © 2012 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, April 22-25, 2012, Long Beach, California