Geological and petrophysical characterization of the ferron sandstone for 3-D simulation of a fluvial-deltaic reservoir. Quarterly report, January 1 - March 31, 1996

The objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and quantitative characterization of a fluvial- deltaic reservoir which will allow realistic inter-well and reservoir-scale modeling to be constructed for improved oil-field development in similar reservoirs world-wide. The geological and petrophysical properties of the Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone in east-central Utah will be quantitatively determined. Both new and existing data will be integrated into a three-dimensional representation of spatial variations in porosity, storativity, and tensorial rock permeability at a scale appropriate for inter-well to regional-scale reservoir simulation. Results could improve reservoir management through proper infill and extension drilling strategies, reduction of economic risks, increased recovery from existing oil fields, and more reliable reserve calculations. Technical progress this quarter is divided into case-study evaluation, geostatistics, and technology transfer activities. The work focused on one parasequence set, referred to as the Kf-1, in the Willow Springs Wash and Ivie Creek case-study areas. In the Ivie Creek case-study area the Kf-1 represents a river-dominated delta deposit which changes from proximal to distal from east to west. In the Willow Springs Wash case-study area the Kf-1 contains parasequences which represent river-dominated and wave-modified environments of deposition. Interpretations of lithofacies, bounding surfaces, and other geologic information are being used to determine reservoir architecture. Graphical interpretations of important flow boundaries in the case-study areas, identified on photomosaics, are being used to construct cross sections, paleogeographic, maps, and reservoir models. Geostatistical analyses are being incorporated with the geological characterization to develop a three-dimensional model of the reservoirs for fluid-flow simulation