Reservoir Connectivity Analysis for a Complex Channelized Reservoir to Reveal By-Passed Pays: Serpent Field, Offshore Nile Delta, Egypt

Abstract

Abstract The West Delta Deep Marine concession (WDDM) lies offshore in the Deep water of the present day Nile delta. WDDM consists of many Pliocene submarine channel complexes. The Serpent field is one of those slope marine channels and consists of two separate channels namely channel 12 and channel 13. Channel 12 is divided into three compartments by gravitational faults and channel 13 is composed of two compartments separated by stratigraphic barrier. Gas water contact (GWC) in channelized turbidities reservoir might create an intricate reservoir relationship. Gas water contact becomes complicated when the faults and the facies lateral change provide seals. Those hydrocarbon contacts depths become unpredictable without a distinct system to understand the cause of those variable contacts. Water break-through occurred earlier than expected in Serpent production wells as there was no proper modeling for reservoir facies heterogeneity and facies associated petrophysical parameters. A further compartmentalization of channel 12 arose as the sealing capacity of the gravitational faults cast a doubt over channel-12 compartmentalization and the connected gas initial in place (GIIP). The geological foreknowledge of Serpent field, the production issues and the dire need for further development plans in Serpent field were the motives to initiate this study. Integrated study was designed to answer the unsolved challenges of characterizing the reservoir heterogeneity and faults' sealing capacity. 3-D (three dimensional) high quality seismic data and different seismic attributes were integrated with different well data to build a robust 3-D static model. Static model was the way to elaborate the facies accurate distribution and the different petrophysical parameters in Serpent reservoir. In addition, the 3-D static model was used in the prediction of the faults' sealing capacity through the fault rock facies, fault rock petrophysical properties and transmissibility. In a nutshell, the resultant static model answered the field's issues regarding the early water production, facies heterogeneity and Successfully isolate the different reservoir compartments then run into prediction to assess the potential of the existing well-stock and any future development plans in Serpent field.