Classification and features of single-well flow units in a carbonate reservoir - Taking the NT oil field at the eastern edge of Pre-Caspian Basin as an example

Abstract

Identifying the carbonate reservoirs has always been a challenge to geological exploration, while reasonable classification of flow units is the bottleneck in this exploitation. While taking the NT oil field at the eastern edge of Pre-Caspian Basin as an example, this paper proposes the classification of flow units into five categories based on previous flow-unit classification theory and actual oilfield features by using the pore throat radius at the mercury injection saturation of 35% as the main judging criterion. In this paper, the features of various flow units have also been analyzed. The type-I flow units, mainly found in dolomite and algal reef limestone reservoirs, have the highest production capacity. Given the existence of corrosion and dolomitization, they are mainly fracture-cave composite reservoirs or fracture pore reservoirs. As far as the type-I flow units are concerned, the flow index is > 1.42 for KT-I stratum and > 1.55 for KT-II stratum. The production capacity and reservoir quality of type-II-IV flow units would decline in turn. The type-V flow units are argillaceous limestone, with a very low production capacity and a flow index being 0.01-0.05 for KT-I and 0.03-0.05 for KT-II.