Tech Division Events

Geomodeling Division

For more information on this Division, please contact the Division Chair, Weishan Ren, ConocoPhillilps, at (403) 233-3428 or via email at weishan.ren@conocophillips.com.

Division Profile

The mandate of the Geomodeling Division is to provide CSPG members with opportunities for education and information related to technical developments in the subject areas of geomathematics and computer technologies as they are used in the pursuit of petroleum exploration and development. As a main contribution of the division, technical luncheon presentations are held once a month, usually on the last Wednesday of the month.

The subjects that are presented in these technical talks include, for example, The latest developments in geomathematical applications, Geological modeling technology, Geostatistical approaches to modeling and risk analysis, Geological case studies using computer technology and the benefits, Digital data organization - storage and retrieval. In addition, ad hoc forums may be organized where members can discuss geomathematical and geological computer issues with experts in the field.The Geomodeling Division does not endorse or promote the use of specific commercial software products, nor does it perform any testing or comparative studies of such products.We do encourage volunteers to present public talks on case histories that illustrate the use of technology and methods.

The success of the Division depends on volunteer participation. CSPG members are encouraged to attend the activities of the Geomodeling Division and to be involved in organizing these activities. Division meetings are held once a month over lunch. If you are interested in joining this committee or if you have suggestions for luncheon talks or other activities, please contact any members of the committee.

Weishan Ren, Chairperson, (403) 233-3428, Weishan.Ren@conocophillips.com
Peter Boyle, (403) 287-3228, Peter_Boyle@shaw.ca
Tom Cox, (403) 716-4497, tcox@calgary.oilfield.slb.com
Robert Chelak, (403) 290-0551, Robert.Chelak@roxar.com
Ned Etris, (403) 296-5729, netris@petro-canada.ca
David Garner, (403) 234-5875, DavidGarner@chevron.com
Sean Hayes, s.hayes@zinmac.com
Blair Mattison, (403) 645-2716, Blair.Mattison@encana.com
David Middleton, (403) 296-4604, MIDDLETN@petro-canada.ca
Tony Wain, twain@zinmac.com

Division Talks

Integration of Geologic Information into Stochastic Surface Modeling of Deepwater Depositional Systems

Speaker
Kevin Zhang,
Roxar Canada Ltd.,
Calgary, Canada

12:00 Noon
Wednesday, May 28, 2008

EnCana Amphitheatre, 2nd Floor
East end of the Calgary Tower Complex
1st Street and 9th Avenue SE
Calgary, Alberta

Abstract
The inaccessibility of deepwater environments and complicated spatial structures result in a high degree of uncertainty. Therefore, an accurate geological model is important due to the high exploration and development costs. Traditional geostatistical tools are limited to the construction of models by pixels or by stochastically placed geometric objects. Stochastic surface-based modeling is a novel geostatistical approach that allows for improved integration of geological information in deep-marine clastic turbidite reservoir models.

Surface-based methods which model by stratigraphic layers fill available accommodation sequentially and allow for the reproduction of stacking patterns, and hierarchies of trends related to sedimentary processes. The uncertainty of the geometry may be quantified. Therefore, the intrinsic nature of these systems (volumetrics, stacking patterns, etc.) may be better understood; the built surface model may be applied to guide for reservoir properties simulation.

The development of surface-based modeling techniques has been important targets for many years. Yet, deepwater surface-based methods are in their infancy. There are many limitations that have been identified. To overcome many of the limitations and the enthusiasm to apply surface modeling techniques to more environments, some sequence stratigraphy concepts are introduced into stochastic surface simulation, such as global and local base levels, to mimic the depositional process. New developments, such as surface auto-picking, deterministic and stochastic surface placement, improved well conditioning and global and local erosion events simulation, result in more practical workflows and greater integration of deepwater geologic information (Figure 1).

The result is improved numerical reservoir models of deepwater systems and, therefore, an expectation of improved reservoir performance forecasting and management (Figure 2 and 3).

Figure 1: Two surface models comprising 61 (left) and 100 (right) flow events, respectively.

Figure 2: Two facies models using facies trend models based on surface models shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3: Two porosity models based on facies models shown in Figure 2.

Biography
Kevin Zhang is a geostatistician with Roxar Canada Ltd. He is currently providing consulting services on geological and geostatistical reservoir modeling with RMS. He holds a Masters' degree in Mining Engineering (Geostatistics) from the University of Alberta (2007), a Masters' degree in Oil and Gas Development Engineering from the China University of Geosciences (Beijing, 2002) and a B.Sc. in Reservoir Engineering from the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan, 1995). Before joining Roxar, he worked for seven years as a petroleum geologist and geomodeler with CNPC, China University of Petroleum (Beijing) and Golden Century Technology Ltd. He currently holds memberships with AAPG, CSPG, SPE, and IAMG.

Upscaling Core Plug Data to Reservoir Modelling Grid: A Small-Scale Heterogeneity Modelling Approach

Speaker
Renjun Wen,
Geomodeling Technology Corp.

12:00 Noon
Tuesday, June 10, 2008

EnCana Amphitheatre, 2nd Floor
East end of the Calgary Tower Complex
1st Street and 9th Avenue SE
Calgary, Alberta

Abstract
Core plugs are direct measurements of reservoir rocks and, therefore, represent the most quantitative information about the reservoir. However, use of core plug data in reservoir models is a major challenge due to sample bias (a core plug represents a tiny fraction of the reservoir). Petrophysical properties at core-plug scale are primarily controlled by mm- to cm-scale bedding structures. Conventional reservoir modelling workflows integrate core plug data into full-field grids by statistical methods that ignore the effects of mm- to cm-scale heterogeneity. To increase the accuracy of reservoir property models, we developed a workflow for upscaling petrophysical models from core plug scale to simulation grid scale.

The modelling method consists of two steps. First, we simulate bedding structure grids by modelling bedform migration, deposition and erosion processes. Second, the bedding structure grid is populated with rock properties, such as porosity and permeability, which can be derived from core plug data and/or high-resolution well log data.

Stacking of different bedding structures can generate a near-well-bore heterogeneity model with a grid cell size of about 1 mm³. The net-to-gross ratio and porosity data can be conditioned to core or log data. Directional permeability (kx, ky, kz) and relative permeability at the bedding structure scale (0.1 to 1 metre) is calculated by upscaling the mm-scale model using fixed, linear or periodic boundary conditions. Rock type curves, facies-dependent kv/kh and effective property values can be derived from the upscaling results of multiple bedding structure realizations.

Since a litho-facies is an association of bedding structure types, the upscaled properties from the bedding structure models can be assigned to full-field facies model grids. The resulting models account for small-scale heterogeneity and can be applied to flow simulations. Case studies demonstrate that small-scale modelling and upscaling can improve accuracy of reservoir simulations and production profile forecasting.

Biography
Renjun Wen has a B.Sc. in Petroleum Geology from Jianhang Petroleum Institute, 1993, and a PhD in Petroleum Geology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 1995. From 1983 to 1987, he worked for the Geological Survey, Yumen Oil Field, CNPC. He founded Geomodeling Technology Corp in November 1996, two weeks after he landed in Calgary as an immigrant from Trondheim, Norway. His professional interests include research on multi-scale reservoir modeling and characterization methodology by integrating core, log, seismic and geologic models. He is the original author of SBED and VisualVoxAt software.

Information
There is no charge. Non-members of the CSPG are also welcome. Please bring your lunch. For details or to present a talk in the future, please contact Weishan Ren, ConocoPhillilps, at (403) 233-3428 or via email at weishan.ren@conocophillips.com.