From outcrop to flow simulation: Constructing discrete fracture models from a LIDAR survey

Wilson, Christopher; Aydin, Atilla; Karimi-Fard, Mohammad; Durlofsky, Louis J.; Sagy, Amir; Brodsky, Emily E.; Kreylos, Oliver; Kellogg, Louise H.

doi:10.1306/03241108148

Cited by 64 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…To make this correlation between fractures, various methods are introduced for assigning precise values from fracture characteristics to the model of fractures. Among them, various approaches of using outcrop fracture characteristics such as fracture spatial distribution, length, height, orientation, spacing and aperture are widely used for model regularization (Wilson et al 2011;Hooker et al 2012). Lapponi et al (2011) used outcrop data to construct a 3D model in a dolomitized carbonate reservoir rock from the Zagros Mountains, southwest Iran.…”

Section: Fracture Simulation Methods For Carbonate Rocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoir simulation by elastic fracture modeling

Soleimani

2017

Pet. Sci.

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Accurate fluid flow simulation in geologically complex reservoirs is of particular importance in construction of reservoir simulators. General approaches in naturally fractured reservoir simulation involve use of unstructured grids or a structured grid coupled with locally unstructured grids and discrete fracture models. These methods suffer from drawbacks such as lack of flexibility and of ease of updating. In this study, I combined fracture modeling by elastic gridding which improves flexibility, especially in complex reservoirs. The proposed model revises conventional modeling fractures by hard rigid planes that do not change through production. This is a dubious assumption, especially in reservoirs with a high production rate in the beginning. The proposed elastic fracture modeling considers changes in fracture properties, shape and aperture through the simulation. This strategy is only reliable for naturally fractured reservoirs with high fracture permeability and less permeable matrix and parallel fractures with less cross-connections. Comparison of elastic fracture modeling results with conventional modeling showed that these assumptions will cause production pressure to enlarge fracture apertures and change fracture shapes, which consequently results in lower production compared with what was previously assumed. It is concluded that an elastic gridded model could better simulate reservoir performance.

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Section: Fracture Simulation Methods For Carbonate Rocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoir simulation by elastic fracture modeling

Soleimani

2017

Pet. Sci.

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“…Figure 4d shows an image of the Kinlochbervie coloured point cloud that formed the basis for the fracture interpretation. Detailed descriptions of TLS data acquisition and interpretation techniques are given in (Ahlgren and Holmlund 2003;Bellian et al 2005;Hodgetts 2013;Kokkalas et al 2007;McCaffrey et al 2008;Olariu et al 2008;Wilson et al 2011). …”

Section: D Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

3D characterization of fracture systems using Terrestrial Laser Scanning: an example from the Lewisian basement of NW Scotland

Pless

McCaffrey

Jones

et al. 2015

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Fractured gneiss lithologies form a basement-cored high, the Rona Ridge in the Faroe–Shetland Basin. Basement structures are known to play an important role in the petroleum system for the overlying giant Clair Field. An onshore analogue exposure in the Lewisian Gneiss Complex at Kinlochbervie in NW Scotland provides an example of a hanging-wall damage zone of a large basement-hosted normal fault. In this study, we used remote sensing (2D), outcrop line sample methods (1D) and a virtual outcrop created by terrestrial laser scanning methods (3D) to characterize spatial variations of the fracture systems. Spacing distributions from 1D line samples collected from exposures and pseudo-wells constructed through the virtual outcrop show power-law distributions. The virtual outcrop data enable us to extend the scale-invariant description from 1 to 3 orders of magnitude. We developed a novel box-counting workflow to provide an assessment of 2- and 3D variations in the fracture properties. Fracture density and fractal dimension are elevated whereas the number of intersections is decreased within a 220 m-wide volume adjacent to the fault. We discuss how the methods and results from this study can aid the development of analogue for basement reservoirs in the offshore UK continental shelf.

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“…Bosworth et al 2012;Rotevatn & Bastesen 2012;Sonntag et al 2012) and to construct deterministic (e.g. Wilson et al 2011;Geiger & Matthäi 2012) and stochastic (e.g. Seers & Hodgetts 2013) models.…”

Section: Outcrop Analoguesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Voyat et al 2006) and laser scanning techniques (e.g. Wilson et al 2011;Seers & Hodgetts 2013 to generate 3D digital outcrop models of the exposure (see 'Digital outcrop models' below).…”

Section: Outcrop Analoguesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Advances in the study of naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs: a broad integrated interdisciplinary applied topic

Spence

Couples

Bevan

et al. 2014

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Naturally fractured reservoirs, within which porosity, permeability pathways and/or impermeable barriers formed by the fracture network interact with those of the host rock matrix to influence fluid flow and storage, can occur in sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks. These reservoirs constitute a substantial percentage of remaining hydrocarbon resources; they create exploration targets in otherwise impermeable rocks, including under-explored crystalline basement, and they can be used as geological stores for anthropogenic carbon dioxide. Their complex fluid flow behaviour during production has traditionally proved difficult to predict, causing a large degree of uncertainty in reservoir development. The applied study of naturally fractured reservoirs seeks to constrain this uncertainty and maximize production by developing new understanding, and is necessarily a broad, integrated, interdisciplinary topic. Some of the methods, challenges and advances in characterizing the interplay of rock matrix and fracture networks relevant to fluid flow and hydrocarbon recovery are reviewed and discussed via the contributions in this volume.Global estimates of conventional hydrocarbon resources are typically subdivided based on lithological reservoir types for example, carbonate or siliciclastic (e.g. Roehl & Choquette 1985). However, many of these sedimentary rock reservoirs may contain fractures to a greater or lesser degree. The recent boom of unconventional reservoirs highlights once again the key role that natural fractures can play in helping production of fluids. It also requires an improved understanding of the geology and physics of natural fracture networks to meet public expectations regarding safety issues. Moreover, fracture networks can be present in otherwise impermeable crystalline basement rocks (e.g. Sanders et al. 2003;Murray & Montgomery 2012;Slightam 2012) and igneous intrusions (e.g. Gudmundsson & Løtveit 2012), also allowing these rocks to form potential fractured reservoirs. Historically, fractured crystalline basement rocks have been under-explored as potential hydrocarbon reservoirs. Naturally fractured reservoirs constitute a substantial percentage of remaining hydrocarbon resources. Naturally fractured reservoirsA reservoir fracture is a general term used to describe a 'naturally occurring macroscopic planar discontinuity in rock due to deformation, or physical diagenesis' (Nelson 2001). Reservoir fractures encompass both extensional ( joints) and shear (faults) structures. Fractures formed by brittle tectonic deformation are the most common focus for studies of naturally fractured reservoirs. However, reservoir fractures may also include structures that formed by desiccation (e.g. shrinkage cracks) and syneresis (e.g. chickenwire texture) in sediments, and structures that formed by thermal , as used here. Naturally fractured reservoirs are generally defined as such when the fracture network has a significant influence on fluid flow in the reservoir such that: (1) the fracture networ...

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From outcrop to flow simulation: Constructing discrete fracture models from a LIDAR survey

Cited by 64 publications

References 42 publications

Naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoir simulation by elastic fracture modeling

Naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoir simulation by elastic fracture modeling

3D characterization of fracture systems using Terrestrial Laser Scanning: an example from the Lewisian basement of NW Scotland

Advances in the study of naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs: a broad integrated interdisciplinary applied topic

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