3D geostatistical modelling and uncertainty analysis of clay minerals distribution in reservoir rocks

Abstract

Drilling through shale layers is associated with many problems such as wellbore instability, hole wash out, pipe stuck, etc. Reactive shale with swelling potential can lead to such problems. Reactive shale is a shale that has high swelling clay mineral like montmorillonite although there was a little amount of this clay mineral. So determine the type of clay mineral in shale formation and obtain the distribution of swellable clay mineral can help us in the selection of stable well path and determination of well location that has least instability problem, prevention and prediction of problem associated with swelling clay mineral such as pipe stuck, hole wash out, bit balling, etc. In this paper, we used thorium and potassium from corrected gamma ray (CGR) log to obtain the type and percentage of clay mineral. Then used X-ray diffraction for more detail analysis of clay mineral constitute. Finally, geostatistical modelling is used to obtain the continuity of clay mineral in the reservoir and estimate the amount of desire clay mineral along the reservoir.