Integrated Seismic
and Well
Characterization of a Wara Formation Channel Complex, Greater Burgan Field,
Kuwait
By
Thekriat J. Hussain1, Joon Kim2, Richard R. Terres2, David Jackson2
(1) Kuwait Oil Company, Ahmadi, Kuwait (2) ChevronTexaco, Ahmadi, Kuwait
A detailed reservoir model of a Wara Formation channelized depositional
system has been successfully constructed using seismic
inversion,
seismic
attributes, principal component analysis and geostatistical
modeling
.
The Upper Cretaceous Wara Formation is a significant oil resource in the Burgan Field of Kuwait. Even after a long production history (since the Ô50s), the Wara Formation has large opportunities both for primary and enhanced recovery. The Wara Formation is a complex fluviodeltaic system in which the sand is organized into both stacked and isolated channels. The key to optimal development of the Wara is to understand the lateral extent and interconnectivity of these sand sequences. Unfortunately, previous attempts to characterize these sands used only well data and found the task quite difficult.
We have successfully characterized a large channel system in the southwest
part of the Burgan field through an integration of well and seismic
data. A
variety of
seismic
tools including attributes, inversion, classification and
principal component analysis were integrated with well-based data in the
characterization. A further refinement of the characterization was done by
constructing a new reservoir model using the 3-D post-stack
seismic
inversion to
guide a stochastic well-based interpolation.
A validation of the channel characterization and reservoir model can be observed through a comparison to Wara production. Wells within the channel system exhibit significantly higher fluid production rates. Through the more detailed understanding of Wara reservoir extent and producibility, KOC has been able to provide for better reservoir simulations and better plan infill wells and future development.