Modified Archie\u2019s parameters for estimating water saturation for carbonate reservoir in north of Iraq

Hayder A Jumaah

doi:10.1007/s13202-021-01258-3

Abstract

Archie’s parameters, cementation factor (m), saturation exponent (n) and tortuosity factor (a), are general factor that have effects on water saturation magnitude, due to their sensitivity to pores distribution, lithofacies properties and wettability, particularly in carbonate reservoirs. Water saturation magnitude has a direct effect in estimating initial oil-in-place values, and inaccuracy in its values will lead to huge impact errors in initial oil-in-place values, so it would affect the economics of field management and development plans. In this paper, the main objective was to investigate the impact of using conventional and modified Archie’s parameters in the determination of water saturation from well log interpretation for Tertiary reservoir in Khabaz oil field, a heterogenous carbonite reservoir in the north of Iraq which was affected by different digenesis processes that impacted the reservoir quality. Tertiary reservoir of Khabaz field consists of five geological units (A, B, C, D and E), and the selected well penetrated the top of the reservoir at 2200.5 m RTKB and passed through five geological units and reached total depth at 2348 m RTKB. The geothermal gradient of the field was 1.12 ℉ per 100 ft, and formation water resistivity (Rw) was about 0.029 Ω m. Water saturation was at first estimated from resistivity logs by Archie model with conventional known values of parameters (a, m and n) (1, 2 and 2), respectively, and then Archie’s parameters were modified and determined by graphical technique of Pickett plot for each geological unit to estimate water saturation. Finally, the results show the water saturation value was more sensitive for Archie’s parameter in low-porosity and high-clay-volume zone, but less sensitive in clean high-porosity zone, and water saturation values determined by modified Archie model were less about 18.5% at mean than their value by using conventional Archie’s parameters.

Highlights

Estimation of the hydrocarbons in place of a reservoir by volumetric methods requires petrophysical data including porosity and water saturation (Bose et al 2009)
Archie equation was used for estimating water saturation in reservoir rocks with significant attributes such as clean, homogenous and thin bed, but these properties in heterogenous carbonate rocks may be unrecognized, so water saturation magnitude may be deviated and
Well logs for the five geological units (A, B, C, D and E) indicate that oil water contact in the well located at 2300 m RTKB and the reservoir rocks are generally Dolomitic Limestone in first three units with a few small intervals of anhydrite in unit (A) and the most of unit (E) composed compacted crystalline limestone

Summary

Introduction

Estimation of the hydrocarbons in place of a reservoir by volumetric methods requires petrophysical data including porosity and water saturation (Bose et al 2009). For heterogenous carbonate reservoirs, estimating accurate hydrocarbon volumes in place in the evaluation phase required accuracy of water saturation value (Mathur et al 2020).

Results

Conclusion