Analysis of Heavy Oil Recovery by Thermal EOR in a Meander Belt: From Geological to Reservoir Modeling

Deschamps, Rémy; Guy, Nicolas; Preux, Christophe; Lerat, Olivier

doi:10.2516/ogst/2012015

Cited by 24 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The observed lithologic trends are consistent with those observed in numerous studies of ancient and modern meander belts (Jackson 1976;Jordan and Pryor 1992;Willis and Tang 2010;Labrecque et al 2011;Musial et al 2012;Nardin et al 2013;Deschamps et al 2013); however, the results from this study reveal unprecedented three-dimensional perspectives. Four main trends are observed (Fig.…”

Section: Facies Mappingsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…3, 9) and populated with lithologic properties. The geological model is similar to geocellular models that have been constructed and used for reservoir engineering and production simulation (e.g., Enge et al 2007;Pranter et al 2007;Su et al 2013;Deschamps et al 2013). The geological model covers an area of approximately 130 km 2 and consists of 5 m by 5 m cells populated with vShale values (derived from gamma-radiation borehole logs), which are used as a proxy for lithology.…”

Section: Facies Mappingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Meander-Belt Evolution, Cretaceous Mcmurray Formation, Alberta Foreland Basin, Canada

Durkin

Boyd

Hubbard

et al. 2017

Journal of Sedimentary Research

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The three-dimensional reconstruction of meander-belt deposits from ancient strata provides insight into the formative processes of meander-bend evolution and paleogeographic interpretations. A significant challenge to such analyses is limited exposures in outcrop belts and widely spaced or sparse subsurface datasets. An unprecedented dataset consisting of 600 km 2 of 3-D seismic data and over 1000 well penetrations from the Cretaceous McMurray Formation in northeastern Alberta, Canada, provides a unique opportunity to characterize an ancient continentalscale river system. Paleochannels ranged from 475 to 1180 m wide and from 35 to 50 m deep, with meander-belt width-to-thickness ratios between 107:1 and 401:1. The data reveal evidence for intra-point-bar erosion and punctuated rotation, counterpoint bar development, and protracted channel cutoff and meander-loop abandonment. Observations enable interpretation of morphodynamic processes that are commonly observed in modern systems, yet rarely described from the rock record. A 3-D geocellular model and reconstructed paleochannel migration patterns reveal the evolutionary history of seventeen individual meander belt-elements, including point bars, counterpoint bars, and their associated abandoned channel fills, which have been mapped using core, FMI logs, and seismic data. Results of the study show that intrapoint-bar erosion surfaces bound accretion packages characterized by unique accretion directions, internal stratigraphic architecture, and lithologic properties. We provide evidence for channel-belt-edge confinement and development of a counterpoint bar, as well as the deposition of side bars and preservation of a mid-channel bar during meander-bend abandonment. Analysis of changes in meander-belt morphology over time reveal a decrease in channel-belt width/thickness ratio and sinuosity, which we compare with observations from the lower Mississippi River and attribute to the landward migration of the paleo-backwater limit due to transgression of the Cretaceous Boreal Sea into the Alberta foreland basin.

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Section: Facies Mappingsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Facies Mappingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Meander-Belt Evolution, Cretaceous Mcmurray Formation, Alberta Foreland Basin, Canada

Durkin

Boyd

Hubbard

et al. 2017

Journal of Sedimentary Research

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show abstract

“…These heterogeneities would include permeability baffles formed at the interface between sandbars during low energy phases and possible erosional surfaces formed during phases of high energy, increasing permeability. In these cases, the internal structure of a sand plug could be comparable to that of a complex point bar (Deschamps et al, 2012;Cabello et al, 2018) and thus form a good reservoir in itself.…”

Section: Sand Plug Architecture Integration To Reservoir Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental evidence for bifurcation angles control on abandoned channel fill geometry

2020

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Abstract. The nature of abandoned channels' sedimentary fills has a significant influence on the development and evolution of floodplains and ultimately on fluvial reservoir geometry. A control of bifurcation geometry (i.e., bifurcation angle) on channel abandonment dynamics and resulting channel fills, such as sand plugs, has been intuited many times but never quantified. In this study, we present a series of experiments focusing on bedload transport designed to test the conditions for channel abandonment by modifying the bifurcation angle between channels, the flow incidence angles and the differential channel bottom slopes. We find that disconnection is possible in the case of asymmetrical bifurcations with high diversion angle (≥30∘) and quantify for the first time an inverse relationship between diversion angle and sand plug length and volume. The resulting sand plug formation is initiated in the flow separation zone at the external bank of the mouth of the diverted channel. Sedimentation in this zone induces a feedback loop leading to sand plug growth, discharge decrease and eventually to channel disconnection. Finally, the formation processes and final complex architecture of sand plugs are described, allowing for a better understanding of their geometry. Although our setup lacks some of the complexity of natural rivers, our results seem to apply at larger scales. Taken into account, these new data will improve fluvial (reservoir) models by incorporating more realistic topography and grain size description in abandoned channels.

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“…these cases, the internal structure of a sandplug could be comparable to that of a complex point bar (Deschamps et al, 2012;Cabello et al, 2018) and thus form a good reservoir in itself.…”

Section: Sandplug Architecture Integration To Reservoir Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental evidences for bifurcation angles control on abandoned channel fill geometry

Szewczyk¹,

Grimaud²,

Cojan³

2020

Preprint

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Abstract. The nature of abandoned channels sedimentary fills has a significant influence on the development and evolution of floodplains and ultimately on fluvial reservoir geometry. A control of bifurcation geometry (i.e., bifurcation angle) on channel abandonment dynamics and resulting channel fills, such as sandplug, has been intuited many times but never quantified. In this study we present a series of experiments focusing on bedload transport designed to test the conditions for channel abandonment by modifying the bifurcation angle between channels, the flow incidence angles and the differential channel bottom slopes. We find that disconnection is possible in the case of asymmetrical bifurcations with high diversion angle (≥ 30°) and quantify for the first time a relationship between diversion angle and sandplug length and volume. The resulting sandplug formation is initiated in the flow separation zone at the external bank of the mouth of the diverted channel. Sedimentation in this zone initiates a feedback loop leading to sandplug growth, discharge decrease and eventually to channel disconnection. Finally, the formation processes and final complex architecture of sandplugs are described, allowing for a better understanding of their geometry. Although our setup lacks the complexity of natural rivers, our results seem to apply at larger scales. Taken into account, these new data will improve the realism of fluvial models.

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Analysis of Heavy Oil Recovery by Thermal EOR in a Meander Belt: From Geological to Reservoir Modeling

Abstract: and available online here Cet article fait partie du dossier thématique ci-dessous publié dans la revue OGST, Vol. 67, n°6, pp. 883-1039 et téléchargeable ici

Cited by 24 publications

References 35 publications

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Meander-Belt Evolution, Cretaceous Mcmurray Formation, Alberta Foreland Basin, Canada

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Meander-Belt Evolution, Cretaceous Mcmurray Formation, Alberta Foreland Basin, Canada

Experimental evidence for bifurcation angles control on abandoned channel fill geometry

Experimental evidences for bifurcation angles control on abandoned channel fill geometry

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