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Title A structurally complex and dynamic reservoir description for reservoir simulation, Kuparuk River Field, Alaska
Creator/Author Walsh, T.P. [Alaska Petrotechnical Services Inc., Anchorage, AK (United States)] ; Leander, M.H. ; Wilcox, T.C. [BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., Anchorage, AK (United States)][and others]
Publication Date1995 Aug 01
OSTI IdentifierOSTI ID: 127732
Report Number(s)CONF-950995--
Other Number(s)AABUD2; ISSN 0149-1423
Resource TypeJournal Article
Resource RelationAAPG Bulletin ; VOL. 79 ; ISSUE: 8 ; International conference and exhibition of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Inc.: managing change at the turn of the century, Nice (France), 10-13 Sep 1995 ; PBD: Aug 1995
Subject02 PETROLEUM ;99 MATHEMATICS, COMPUTERS, INFORMATION SCIENCE, MANAGEMENT, LAW, MISCELLANEOUS ; ALASKAN NORTH SLOPE; OIL FIELDS; RESERVOIR ROCK; GEOLOGIC MODELS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; PETROLEUM DEPOSITS; EXPLORATION; RESOURCE POTENTIAL; GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES; GEOMETRY; ALASKA; SANDSTONES; I CODES
Description/Abstract The Kupanuk River Field is a structurally complex giant oil field adjacent to the Prudhoe Bay Field on Alaska`s North Slope. Oil is reservoired within two Early Cretaceous shallow marine sandstone formations, separated stratigraphically by an erosionally truncated marine silt/shale. Subjected to several phases of tectonism, this highly compartmentalized reservoir has been developed on regular 160 acre direct line drive patterns. An integrated team of geoscientists and engineers from BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. and ARCO Alaska Inc. is presently quantifying the benefits of infill drilling at Kuparuk, and identifying the best locations for well placement. The two primary reservoir characteristics believed to impact the effectiveness of infill drilling are large-scale reservoir heterogeneity, and reservoir comparmentation due to faulting. Multiple thin pay zones within the two reservoir intervals are isolated laterally by faults with magnitudes greater than pay zone thickness. A process and tools designed to construct and maintain a structurally complex reservoir description, shared by the geoscientists and reservoir engineers, are described. Cross-discipline integration is aided by the use of Tech*Logic`s IREX 3-D reservoir modeling and visualization application. The unique architecture of the IREX model allows for representation of very complex structural geometries, and facilitates iteration between reservoir description and simulation, along the seismic to simulation continuum. Modifications to the reservoir description are guided by well-level history matching within the constraints of all available geoscience information. The techniques described will be of particular interest to those working on reservoir description and simulation of structurally complex fields.
Country of PublicationUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Formatpp. 1255.b ; PL:
System Entry Date2001 May 03

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