TY - JOUR A1 - Whitaker, F. F. A1 - Felce, G. P. A1 - Benson, Gregory S. A1 - Amour, Frédéric A1 - Mutti, Maria A1 - Smart, P. L. T1 - Simulating flow through forward sediment model stratigraphies: insights into climatic control of reservoir quality in isolated carbonate platforms JF - Petroleum geoscience N2 - Whilst sophisticated multiphase fluid flow models are routinely employed to understand behaviour of oil and gas reservoirs, high-resolution data describing the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of rock characteristics is rarely available to populate models. We present a new approach to developing a quantitative understanding of the effect of individual controls on the distribution of petrophysical properties and their impact on fluid flow. This involves simulating flow through high-detail permeability architectures generated by forward modelling of the coupled depositional-diagenetic evolution of isolated platforms using CARB3D(+). This workflow is exemplified by an investigation of interactions between subsidence and climate, and their expression in spatial variations in reservoir quality in an isolated carbonate platform of similar size and subsidence history to the Triassic Latemar Platform. Dissolutional lowering during subaerial exposure controls platform-top graininess via platform top hydrodynamics during the subsequent transgression. Dissolved carbonate is reprecipitated as cements by percolating meteoric waters. However, associated subsurface meteoric dissolution generates significant secondary porosity under a more humid climate. Slower subsidence enhances diagenetic overprinting during repeated exposure events. Single-phase streamline simulations show how early diagenesis develops more permeable fairways within the finer-grained condensed units that can act as thief zones for flow from the grainier but less diagenetically altered cyclic units. Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1144/petgeo2013-026 SN - 1354-0793 VL - 20 IS - 1 SP - 27 EP - 40 PB - Geological Soc. Publ. House CY - Bath ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Agada, S. A1 - Chen, F. A1 - Geiger, S. A1 - Toigulova, G. A1 - Agar, Susan M. A1 - Shekhar, R. A1 - Benson, Gregory S. A1 - Hehmeyer, O. A1 - Amour, Frédéric A1 - Mutti, Maria A1 - Christ, Nicolas A1 - Immenhauser, A. T1 - Numerical simulation of fluid-flow processes in a 3D high-resolution carbonate reservoir analogue JF - Petroleum geoscience N2 - A high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) outcrop model of a Jurassic carbonate ramp was used in order to perform a series of detailed and systematic flow simulations. The aim of this study was to test the impact of small- and large-scale geological features on reservoir performance and oil recovery. The digital outcrop model contains a wide range of sedimentological, diagenetic and structural features, including discontinuity surfaces, shoal bodies, mud mounds, oyster bioherms and fractures. Flow simulations are performed for numerical well testing and secondary oil recovery. Numerical well testing enables synthetic but systematic pressure responses to be generated for different geological features observed in the outcrops. This allows us to assess and rank the relative impact of specific geological features on reservoir performance. The outcome documents that, owing to the realistic representation of matrix heterogeneity, most diagenetic and structural features cannot be linked to a unique pressure signature. Instead, reservoir performance is controlled by subseismic faults and oyster bioherms acting as thief zones. Numerical simulations of secondary recovery processes reveal strong channelling of fluid flow into high-permeability layers as the primary control for oil recovery. However, appropriate reservoir-engineering solutions, such as optimizing well placement and injection fluid, can reduce channelling and increase oil recovery. Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1144/petgeo2012-096 SN - 1354-0793 VL - 20 IS - 1 SP - 125 EP - 142 PB - Geological Soc. Publ. House CY - Bath ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shekhar, R. A1 - Sahni, I. A1 - Benson, Gregory S. A1 - Agar, Susan M. A1 - Amour, Frédéric A1 - Tomas, Sara A1 - Christ, Nicolas A1 - Alway, Robert A1 - Mutti, Maria A1 - Immenhauser, A. A1 - Karcz, Z. A1 - Kabiri, L. T1 - Modelling and simulation of a Jurassic carbonate ramp outcrop, Amellago, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco JF - Petroleum geoscience N2 - Carbonate reservoirs pose significant challenges for reservoir modelling and flow prediction due to heterogeneities in rock properties, limits to seismic resolution and limited constraints on subsurface data. Hence, a systematic and streamlined approach is needed to construct geological models and to quickly evaluate key sensitivities in the flow models. This paper discusses results from a reservoir analogue study of a Middle Jurassic carbonate ramp in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco that has stratigraphic and structural similarities to selected Middle East reservoirs. For this purpose, high-resolution geological models were constructed from the integration of sedimentological, diagenetic and structural studies in the area. The models are approximately 1200 x 1250 m in size, and only faults (no fractures) with offsets greater than 1 m are included. Novel methods have been applied to test the response of flow simulations to the presence or absence of specific geological features, including proxies for hardgrounds, stylolites, patch reefs, and mollusc banks, as a way to guide the level of detail that is suitable for modelling objectives. Our general conclusion from the study is that the continuity of any geological feature with extreme permeability (high or low) has the most significant impact on flow. Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1144/petgeo2013-010 SN - 1354-0793 VL - 20 IS - 1 SP - 109 EP - 123 PB - Geological Soc. Publ. House CY - Bath ER - TY - THES A1 - Amour, Frédéric T1 - 3-D modeling of shallow-water carbonate systems : a scale-dependent approach based on quantitative outcrop studies T1 - 3-D Modellierung von Flachwasser-Karbonat-Sytemen : eine skalenabhängige Herangehensweise basierend auf quantitativen Aufschlussstudien N2 - The study of outcrop modeling is located at the interface between two fields of expertise, Sedimentology and Computing Geoscience, which respectively investigates and simulates geological heterogeneity observed in the sedimentary record. During the last past years, modeling tools and techniques were constantly improved. In parallel, the study of Phanerozoic carbonate deposits emphasized the common occurrence of a random facies distribution along single depositional domain. Although both fields of expertise are intrinsically linked during outcrop simulation, their respective advances have not been combined in literature to enhance carbonate modeling studies. The present study re-examines the modeling strategy adapted to the simulation of shallow-water carbonate systems, based on a close relationship between field sedimentology and modeling capabilities. In the present study, the evaluation of three commonly used algorithms Truncated Gaussian Simulation (TGSim), Sequential Indicator Simulation (SISim), and Indicator Kriging (IK), were performed for the first time using visual and quantitative comparisons on an ideally suited carbonate outcrop. The results show that the heterogeneity of carbonate rocks cannot be fully simulated using one single algorithm. The operating mode of each algorithm involves capabilities as well as drawbacks that are not capable to match all field observations carried out across the modeling area. Two end members in the spectrum of carbonate depositional settings, a low-angle Jurassic ramp (High Atlas, Morocco) and a Triassic isolated platform (Dolomites, Italy), were investigated to obtain a complete overview of the geological heterogeneity in shallow-water carbonate systems. Field sedimentology and statistical analysis performed on the type, morphology, distribution, and association of carbonate bodies and combined with palaeodepositional reconstructions, emphasize similar results. At the basin scale (x 1 km), facies association, composed of facies recording similar depositional conditions, displays linear and ordered transitions between depositional domains. Contrarily, at the bedding scale (x 0.1 km), individual lithofacies type shows a mosaic-like distribution consisting of an arrangement of spatially independent lithofacies bodies along the depositional profile. The increase of spatial disorder from the basin to bedding scale results from the influence of autocyclic factors on the transport and deposition of carbonate sediments. Scale-dependent types of carbonate heterogeneity are linked with the evaluation of algorithms in order to establish a modeling strategy that considers both the sedimentary characteristics of the outcrop and the modeling capabilities. A surface-based modeling approach was used to model depositional sequences. Facies associations were populated using TGSim to preserve ordered trends between depositional domains. At the lithofacies scale, a fully stochastic approach with SISim was applied to simulate a mosaic-like lithofacies distribution. This new workflow is designed to improve the simulation of carbonate rocks, based on the modeling of each scale of heterogeneity individually. Contrarily to simulation methods applied in literature, the present study considers that the use of one single simulation technique is unlikely to correctly model the natural patterns and variability of carbonate rocks. The implementation of different techniques customized for each level of the stratigraphic hierarchy provides the essential computing flexibility to model carbonate systems. Closer feedback between advances carried out in the field of Sedimentology and Computing Geoscience should be promoted during future outcrop simulations for the enhancement of 3-D geological models. N2 - Das Modellieren von geologischen Aufschlüssen liegt der Schnittstelle zwischen zwei geo-logischen Teildisziplinen, der Sedimentologie und der geologischen Modellierung. Hierbei werden geologische Heterogenitäten untersucht und simuliert, welche im Aufschluss beobachtet wurden. Während der letzten Jahre haben sich die Werkzeuge und die Technik der Modellierung stetig weiter-entwickelt. Parallel dazu hat die Untersuchung der phanerozoischen Karbonatablagerungen ihren Fokus auf gemeinsamen Vorkommen von zufälligen Faziesverteilungen in beiden Ablagerungs-gebieten. Obwohl beide Teildisziplinen durch die Aufschlussmodellierung eigentlich verbunden sind, wurden ihre jeweiligen Vorteile in der Literatur nicht miteinander verbunden, um so eine Verbesserung ähnlicher Studien zu erreichen. Die vorliegende Studie überprüft erneut die Modellierungsstrategie, angepasst an die Simulation von Flachwasser-Karbonat-Systemen und basierend auf einer engen Beziehung zwischen Sedimentologie und Modellierung. Die vorliegende Arbeit behandelt erstmals die Evaluierung der drei am häufigsten verwendeten Algorithmen „Truncated Gaussian Simulation (TGSim)“, „Sequential Indicator Simulation (SISim)“ und „Indicator Kriging (IK)“, um sie visuell und quantitativ mit dem entsprechenden Aufschluss zu vergleichen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Heterogenität von Karbonatgesteinen nicht komplett mit nur einem Algorithmus simuliert werden kann. Die Eigenschaften jedes einzelnen Algorithmus beinhalten Vor- und Nachteile, sodass kein Algorithmus alle Beobachtungen aus dem Aufschluss widerspiegelt. Die zwei Endglieder im Spektrum der Ablagerungsbedingungen von Karbonaten, eine flachwinklige, jurassische Karbonat-Rampe (Hoher Atlas, Marokko) und eine isolierte, triassische Plattform (Dolomiten, Italien), wurden untersucht, um einen kompletten Überblick über die verschiedenen Heterogenitäten in Flachwasser-Karbonat- Systemen zu erhalten. Sedimentologische und statistische Analysen wurden für die verschiedenen Typen, Morphologien, Verteilungen und Assoziationen von Karbonatablagerungen durchgeführt und mit paläogeografischen Rekonstruktionen kombiniert und zeigen ähnliche Ergebnisse. Im Beckenmaßstab zeigen die Faziesassoziationen, bestehend aus Fazieszonen mit ähnlichen Ablagerungsbedingungen, einen linearen und kontinuierlichen Übergang zwischen den einzelnen Ablagerungsbereichen. Im Gegensatz dazu zeigt für einzelne Lithofaziestypen im Maßstab einzelner Schichten eine mosaikartige Verteilung, bestehend aus einer Anordnung räumlich unabhängiger Lithofazieszonen entlang des Ablagerungsprofils. Das Ansteigen der räumlichen Unordnung von der beckenweiten Ablagerung zur Ablagerung einzelner Schichten resultiert aus dem Einfluss autozyklischer Faktoren bei der Ablagerung von Karbonaten. Die Skalenabhängigkeit von Karbonat-Heterogenität ist mit der Auswertung der Algorithmen verknüpft um eine Modellierungsstrategie zu etablieren, welche sowohl die sedimentären Charakteristiken des Aufschlusses als auch die Modellierfähigkeit berücksichtigt. Für die Modellierung der Ablagerungssequenzen wurde ein flächenbasierter Ansatz verwendet. Die Faziesassoziationen wurden durch die Benutzung des TGSim-Algorithmus simuliert, um die regulären Trends zwischen den einzelnen Ablagerungsgebieten zu erhalten. Im Bereich der verschiedenen Lithofazien wurde mit dem SISim-Algorithmus, ein voll stochastischer Ansatz angewendet, um die mosaikartige Verteilung der Lithofazies-Typen zu simulieren. Dieser neue Arbeitsablauf wurde konzipiert, um die Simulierung von Karbonaten auf Basis der einzelnen Heterogenitäten in verschiedenen Größenordnungen zu verbessern. Im Gegensatz zu den in der Literatur angewendeten Simulationsmethoden berücksichtigt diese Studie, dass eine einzelne Modellierungstechnik die natürlichen Ablagerungsmuster und Variabilität von Karbonaten wahrscheinlich nicht korrekt abbildet. Die Einführung verschiedener Techniken, angepasst auf die verschiedenen Ebenen der stratigrafischen Hierarchie, liefert die notwendige Flexibilität um Karbonatsysteme korrekt zu modellieren. Eine enge Verknüpfung zwischen den Fortschritten auf dem Gebieten der Sedimentologie und dem Gebiet der modellierenden Geowissenschaften sollte weiterhin bestehen, um auch zukünftig bei der Simulation von geologischen Gelände-Aufschlüssen eine Verbesserung der 3-D-Modellierung zu erreichen. KW - Karbonat KW - 3-D Modellierung KW - Aufschluss-Modellierung KW - Quantitative Daten KW - Skala KW - Stochastischer Algorithmus KW - Carbonate KW - 3-D outcrop modeling KW - quantitative data KW - scale KW - stochastic algorithms Y1 - 2013 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-66621 ER -