MAPPING AND CLASSIFYING FLOW UNITS IN THE UPPER PART OF THE MID‐CRETACEOUS SARVAK FORMATION (WESTERN DEZFUL EMBAYMENT, SW IRAN) BASED ON A DETEMINATION OF RESERVOIR ROCK TYPES

Abstract

The mid‐Cretaceous Sarvak Formation, the second‐most important reservoir unit in Iran, is composed mainly of grain‐supported carbonates. For the purposes of this study, flow units in the upper part of the formation were identified, mapped and classified as part of an integrated reservoir characterization study at a giant oilfield in SW Iran. Pore types and geometries, pore‐scale diagenetic history and core‐scale depositional attributes were logged using conventional petrographic and lithological methods. The resulting data were combined with core descriptions, mercury‐injection capillary pressure data, and wireline log and geophysical data to identify five reservoir rock types: (i) highly oil‐stained, grain‐supported carbonates, including patch reef and barrier complex deposits with high porosities and permeabilities; (ii) leeward and seaward shoal deposits including grain‐supported packstones and skeletal wackestones with high porosities and permeabilities; (iii) dominantly mud‐supported lagoonal and open‐marine facies with fair porosity and permeability; (iv) grain‐supported but highly cemented facies which had poor reservoir characteristics; and (v) calcareous shales and shaly limestones with no reservoir quality.Based on the reservoir rock types, eight flow units were recognised. Subsequently, four reservoir zones were defined based on these flow units at a field scale.This study has contributed to our understanding of flow units in this complex carbonate reservoir, and has improved our ability to characterize and model the architecture of the reservoir from pore to core to field scale.