Delineation of sandstone reservoirs of Pletmos Basin offshore South Africa into Flow Units using Core Data

Abstract

AbstractThe present study is focused on the comparison of petrophysical rock typing and zonation methods of the Valanginian age sandstone in the Pletmos Basin offshore South Africa, to produce a zonation scheme for the low-permeability shaly sandstone reservoirs from core porosity and permeability data. The Valanginian age sediments of the Lower Cretaceous consist predominantly of a shallow marine sequence with interbeds of siltstone, claystone, generally fine-grained sandstone, and glauconitic, with varying amounts of an argillaceous matrix. A core description report was used in conjunction with a gamma-ray log to group rock types into different facies based on texture and grain size. Three different facies were identified as facies 1, a moderately sorted fine to medium-grained glauconitic sandstone; facies 2, a fine to very fine-grained glauconitic sandstone, moderately sorted; facies 3, a very fine sandstone to siltstone, laminated, argillaceous and bioturbated. Three independent reservoir zonation methods (Winland r35 pore throat, Hydraulic Flow Unit, and Stratigraphic Modified Lorenz Plot) were applied to three wells (SW1, SW2, and SW3) for which wireline logs, core porosity, and permeability data are available. Results were analyzed and compared with facies used as a context for the identification of rock types and zones. The results revealed eleven zones, grouped as moderate, very-low, and tight zones. The moderate flow zone is the best reservoir quality rock composed of macroporous rock type, ranked, as good rock type associated with facies 1. Three very-low flow zones were identified, which are of a microporous rock type, ranked as poor quality rock, associated with facies 2. Eight tight zones were revealed, which are of nanoporous rock type ranked as an impervious rock. The tight flow zone is the most reduced rock quality associated with facies 3. This study has developed a zonation scheme that will be used to locate other flow zones as well as to investigate whether the units/zones identified extend to other parts of the field.