Effect of Discontinuous Shales on Reservoir Performance During Horizontal Waterflooding

Abstract

We investigate quantitatively the effect of inclined and intersecting discontinuous shales on horizontal waterfloods, using generic, dimensionless two-and three-dimensional models. We focus upon whether the shales alter the sweep efficiency. We find that they have a significant effect only if they are continuous over large areas of the bedding surfaces and are steeply inclined to the flow, or if the displacement is highly unfavorable. We also find that two-dimensional simulations can significantly overestimate the effect of intersecting shales, because they assume that the shales are entirely continuous in the third dimension. Flow Modeling The effect of a given heterogeneity on reservoir performance depends both upon the nature of that heterogeneity and upon the flow regime. 19,20 Given the variation in lengthscales ͑e.g., accretional surfaces vs. foreset surfaces͒ and timescales ͑flow rates͒ to

Dynamic investigation of the effect of a relay ramp on simulated fluid flow: geocellular modelling of the Delicate Arch Ramp, Utah

“…11). Similar effects have been reported previously for discontinuous shale bodies (Jackson & Muggeridge 2000).…”

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

“…Shale commonly affects flow behavior significantly (Willis and White, 2000), altering vertical permeability (Begg and King, 1985), sweep efficiency and breakthrough time (Jackson and Muggeridge, 2000) and upscaled multiphase flow properties. In the subsurface, the spatial distribution of shale is difficult to infer because the spacing of wells (hundreds to thousands of meters) is typically greater than shale dimensions.…”

Three-dimensional modeling of clinoforms in shallow-marine reservoirs: Part 1. Concepts and application

“…A stochastic, 3-D, surfacebased modeling approach is required to address these issues. Similar approaches have been demonstrated for other depositional environments (e.g., Xie et al, 2001;Pyrcz et al, 2005;Zhang et al, 2009) and to create models of generic, dipping barriers to flow (e.g., Jackson and Muggeridge, 2000), but at present, there are no tools available to automate the generation of multiple 3-D clinoforms using a small number of parameters. The aims of this paper are to develop an efficient, quick, and practical method for incorporating clinoforms into models of shallow-marine reservoirs and to validate its application through building both geologic and fluid-flow simulation models.…”