Reservoir Zonation in Silurian-Devonian Carbonates of Wells Field, Dawson County, Texas

Abstract

Wells field in Dawson County, Texas, has produced over 7.5 million bbl since 1955 from Silurian-Devonian carbonates. Although originally classified as a Devonian field, production there actually is out of the Silurian Wristen and Fusselman formations. Wells field is an extremely complex system of structured and stratigraphic reservoirs not easily characterized by traditional subsurface mapping techniques. Detailed lithologic analyses of well cuttings from 29 wells in and around this field were done to evaluate reservoir zonation and potentials for either new field development wells, or recompletions from existing well bores. These analyses have shown that paleotopographic highs on the Fusselman unconformity across the field created optimum sites for Fusselman dolomite reservoir development, and collateral development of Wristen reservoirs. The Wristen reservoirs are in the form of porous carbonate mounds that grew adjacent to the paleotopographically high areas, or simple compactionally fractured cherty carbonates over these highs. The recognition of Fusselman paleotopography in most wells is implied by thickness and facies changes in the overlying Wristen section. A certain amount of structure and facies-induced reservoir separation has been documented. The results of this study have been used to identify several areas of the field where each of the three reservoirs couldmore » be exploited for underdeveloped reserves.« less