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Carbonate Petrophysical Rock Typing: Integrating Geological Attributes and Petrophysical Properties while Linking with Dynamic Behavior

Mark Skalinski¹ and Jeroen AM Kenter¹^,²
¹Chevron Energy Technology Company, San Ramon, CA, USA
²Currently: Statoil ASA, Sandsli, Norway

Carbonate rock typing is critical in distribution of reservoir properties such as permeability and water saturation in the reservoir model. The conventional approach to rock typing is based either on textural properties, pore type classification or the application of electro-facies or Flow Zone Indicators. The influence of geological attributes is biased towards depositional properties in case of the use of texture and towards diagenetic attributes when using pore types while electro-facies and FZI are strongly affected by input logs with not well-defined link to geological attributes. The underlying problem is the fact that carbonates are generally strongly modified by diagenetic processes, which influences petrophysical properties to varying degrees. In fact, existing methods have significant gaps in: 1) incorporating diagenetic processes, 2) integrating multi scale and multi-modal pore types 3) accounting for fractures, 4) integrating dynamic data and, 5) lacking the appropriate geostatistical tools to properly distribute Petrophysical Rock Types (PRTs) in the static reservoir model.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #120034©2012 AAPG Hedberg Conference Fundamental Controls on Flow in Carbonates, Saint-Cyr Sur Mer, Provence, France, July 8-13, 2012