Recognition and Significance of Parasequences and Parasequence Sets in Leonard Carbonate Reservoirs, West Texas

Abstract

Although hydrocarbon production from reservoirs of Leonardian age is sizable (cumulative production from the Leonardian on the Central Basin Platform (CBP) alone totals 1.4 billion bbls), recovery efficiencies from these restricted, shallow-water platform carbonate deposits are among the lowest in west Texas, averaging only about 19%. Detailed examination of the Leonard section in the Dollarhide and Monahans fields on the CBP indicates that poor recovery from these reservoirs is a function of extreme vertical heterogeneity produced by high-order oscillations of relative sea level. The Leonard sequence is composed of thin (1- to 2-m thick), upward-shallowing parasequences, each of which is marked at its base by a prominent marine flooding surface. Parasequences are, in turn, packaged into 15- to 20-m parasequence set defined by variations in parasequence facies stacking patterns. Reservoir porosity is typically preferentially developed in very thin (less than 1 m) zones of grain-rich subtidal facies within parasequences, although porosity may also be encountered in capping tidal-flat deposits. Because these facies display distinct pore and permeability characteristics, with subtidal facies usually exhibiting the highest permeabilities, development of accurate reservoir models for simulation and exploitation depends on the ability to distinguish and map these deposits. Recognition and correlation of parasequencesmore » and parasequence stacking patterns in parasequence sets provide a powerful tool for more accurate mapping of facies and attendant porosity development and facilitate development of improved models necessary for efficient exploitation of these highly heterogeneous reservoirs.« less