A workflow for vertical and horizontal near-wellbore permeability modelling in the McMurray Formation

Babak, Olena; Resnick, Jonah

doi:10.1144/petgeo2015-063

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 16 publications

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“…Obviously, other sources of data, like Formation Microresistivity Images (FMI) [34], can be used in the process of quantitative description of TCs. Besides, the bedding-scale model could also be done by surface-based modeling strategy [27,28].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative Characterization of Tidal Couplets in Oil Sands Reservoir, the Upper McMurray Formation, Northeastern Alberta, Canada

et al. 2021

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The McMurray Formation, NE Alberta, Canada, is one of the most significant bitumen bearing deposits worldwide. This formation deposited and reworked in fluvial, tidal, or estuarine environments results in a huge number of tidal couplets (TCs) which is consisted of mm-cm scale sandy and muddy interlayers. These couplets not only increase the geologic heterogeneity of the oil sand reservoir but also make it hard to predict the performance of in situ thermal processes. In this paper, based on literatures, lab analysis, core photos, logging, and drilling data, a quantitative characterization procedure for mm-cm scale tidal couplets was proposed. This procedure, which includes identification, classification, quantitative description, and spatial distribution prediction, was presented. Five parameters, thickness, mud volume, laminae frequency, spatial scale, and effective petrophysical properties, were selected to describe the TCs quantitatively. To show the procedure practically, TCs in the oil sand reservoir of McMurray Formation, Mackay River Project, and CNPC, were selected to demonstrate this procedure. The results indicate that the TCs are in mm-cm thickness, densely clustered, and in a variety of geometries. Based on geologic origins, these couplets were divided into four types: tidal bar couplets (TBCs), sand bar couplets (SBCs), mix flat couplets (MFCs), and tidal channel couplets (TCCs). The thickness, mud volume, and frequency were calculated by mathematical morphological processed core photos. The spatial scale of TCs was estimated by high-density well correlations. The effective petrophysical properties were estimated by bedding scale modeling and property modeling via REV. Finally, the spatial distribution of TCs was predicted by object-based modeling.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative Characterization of Tidal Couplets in Oil Sands Reservoir, the Upper McMurray Formation, Northeastern Alberta, Canada

et al. 2021

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A resistivity partitioning algorithm of borehole image to improve permeability estimates in shaly sandstones, central Sichuan Basin

Zhou

Lai

Xia

et al. 2021

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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Bedding-scale geomodelling for effective permeability estimation in the Upper McMurray Formation, NE Alberta, Canada

Chen

Huang

et al. 2019

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The McMurray Formation is one of the most significant bitumen deposits in Canadian oil sands. Bitumen-bearing sand intervals deposited and reworked in fluvial, tidal or estuarine environments result in heterogeneous sediment distributions comprising clean sands and low-permeability muddy laminae or mud drapes. These interlayers increase the difficulty in estimating reservoir permeability, which is a critical geological parameter to predict the performance of in situ thermal processes of the oil sands projects. In this paper, we describe a bedding-scale geomodelling and simulation workflow using core images, core-plug and Vshale logs to estimate the effective permeability ( K h , K v ) in the Upper McMurray Formation. Details of five steps in this workflow are presented. To show the general applicability of this workflow, three pay-zone facies from tidal-channel infilled deposits of the Mackay River Project, CNPC, were selected to demonstrate this sedimentary process mimicking bedding-scale geomodelling strategy. The results of effective permeability estimation have the potential to improve history matching in flow simulations and performance forecasting.

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A workflow for vertical and horizontal near-wellbore permeability modelling in the McMurray Formation

Cited by 3 publications

References 16 publications

Quantitative Characterization of Tidal Couplets in Oil Sands Reservoir, the Upper McMurray Formation, Northeastern Alberta, Canada

Quantitative Characterization of Tidal Couplets in Oil Sands Reservoir, the Upper McMurray Formation, Northeastern Alberta, Canada

A resistivity partitioning algorithm of borehole image to improve permeability estimates in shaly sandstones, central Sichuan Basin

Bedding-scale geomodelling for effective permeability estimation in the Upper McMurray Formation, NE Alberta, Canada

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