Faults in conventional flow simulation models: A consideration of representational assumptions and geological uncertainties

Petroleum Geoscience

Volumn 14, Issue 1, 2008, Pages 91-110

  Manzocchi, Tom ^a   Heath, A E ^b   Palananthakumar, B ^a   Childs, C ^a   Walsh, J J ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN   (Ireland)

^b UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Fault permeability; Fault rock; Fault throw; Fault transmissibility; Fault zone; Oil production; Relay zones; Two phase flow; Uncertainty; Variability

Indexed keywords

FLOW FIELDS; FLOW SIMULATION; MECHANICAL PERMEABILITY; STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY; TWO PHASE FLOW;

FAULT; FAULT ZONE; FLOW MODELING; OIL PRODUCTION; PARAMETERIZATION; PERMEABILITY; SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS; TWO PHASE FLOW; UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS;

EID: 39649083332     PISSN: 13540793     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1144/1354-079306-775     Document Type: Article

References (75)

1. Al-Busafi, B. 2005. Incorporation of fault rock properties into production simulation models. PhD thesis. University of Leeds.
2. Al-Busafi, B., Fisher, Q.J. & Harris, S.D. 2005. The importance of incorporating the multi-phase flow properties of fault rocks into production simulation models. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 22, 365-374.
3. Antonellini, M. & Aydin, A. 1994. Effect of faulting on fluid flow in porous sandstone reservoirs: petrophysical properties. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 78, 355-377.
4. Badley Geoscience 2004. TwoPhaseGen technical description. TransGen 3. 2 user documentation. Badley Geoscience, Lincolnshire.
5. Bailey, W.R., Shannon, P.M., Walsh, J.J. & Unnithan, V. 2003. The spatial distributions of faults and deep sea carbonate mounds in the Porcupine Basin, offshore Ireland. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 20, 509-522.
6. Beach, A., Welbon, A.I., Brockbank, P.J. & McCallum, J.E. 1999. Reservoir damage around faults: outcrop examples from the Suez Gulf. Petroleum Geoscience, 5, 109-116.
7. Berg, S.S. & Øian, E. 2007. Hierarchical approach for simulating fluid flow in normal fault zones. Petroleum Geoscience, 13, 25-35.
8. Bonson, C.G., Childs, C., Walsh, J.J., Schöpfer, M.P.J. & Carboni, V. 2007. Geometric and kinematic controls on the internal structure of a large normal fault in massive limestones: the Maghlaq Fault, Malta. Journal of Structural Geology, 29, 336-354.
9. Caine, J.S., Evans, J.P. & Forster, C.B. 1996. Fault zone architecture and permeability structure. Geology, 24, 1025-1028.
10. Childs, C., Walsh, J.J. & Watterson, J. 1990. A method for estimation of the density of fault displacements below the limits of seismic resolution in reservoir formations. In: Buller, A.T., Berg, E., Hjelmeland, O., Kleppe, J., Torsaeter, O. & Aasen, J.O. (eds) North Sea Oil and Gas Reservoirs II. Graham & Trotman, London, 193-203.
11. Childs, C., Watterson, J. & Walsh, J.J. 1995. Fault overlap zones within developing normal fault systems. Journal of the Geological Society, London, 152, 535-549.
12. Childs, C., Walsh, J.J. & Watterson, J. 1996. A model for the structure and development of fault zones. Journal of the Geological Society, London, 153, 337-340.
13. Childs, C., Walsh, J.J. & Watterson, J. 1997. Complexity in fault zone structure and implications for fault seal prediction. In: Møller-Pedersen, P. & Koestler, A.G. (eds) Hydrocarbon seals - Importance for exploration and production. Norwegian Petroleum Society (NPF), Special Publications, 7, 61-72.
14. Childs, C., Manzocchi, T., Nell, P.A.R., Walsh, J.J., Strand, J.A., Heath, A.E. & Lygren, T.H. 2002. Geological implications of a large pressure difference across a small fault in the Viking Graben. In: Koestler, A.G. & Hunsdale, R. (eds) Hydrocarbon Seal Quantification. Norwegian Petroleum Society (NPF), Special Publications, 11, 127-139.
15. Childs, C., Walsh, J.J., Manzocchi, T. et al. 2007. Definition of a fault permeability predictor from outcrop studies of a faulted turbidite sequence, Taranaki, New Zealand. In: Jolley, S.J., Barr, D., Walsh, J.J. & Knipe, R.J. (eds) Structurally Complex Reservoirs. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 292, 235-258.
16. Crawford, B. R., Myers, R. D., Woronow, A., Faulkner, D. R. & Rutter, E. H. 2002. Porosity-permeability relationships in clay-bearing fault gouge. Paper 78214 presented at the Society of Petroleum Engineers/ International Society of Rock Mechanics Conference, Iving Texas.
17. Dale, M., Ekrann, S., Mykkeltveit, J. & Virnovsky, G. 1997. Effective relative permeabilities and capillary pressures for one-dimensional heterogeneous media. Transport in Porous Media, 26, 229-260.
18. Dawers, N.H. & Anders, M.H. 1995. Displacement-length scaling and fault linkage. Journal of Structural Geology, 17, 607-614.
19. Fisher, Q.J. & Knipe, R.J. 1998. Fault sealing processes in siliciclastic sediments. In: Jones, G., Fisher, Q.J. & Knipe, R.J. (eds) Faulting, Fault Sealing and Fluid Flow in Hydrocarbon Reservoirs. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 147, 117-134.
20. Fisher, Q.J. & Knipe, R.J. 2001. The permeability of faults within siliciclastic petroleum reservoirs of the North Sea and Norwegian Continental Shelf. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 18, 1063-1081.
21. Fisher, Q.J., Harris, S.D., McAllister, E., Knipe, R.J. & Bolton, A.J. 2001. Hydrocarbon flow across sealing faults: theoretical constraints. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 18, 251-257.
22. Flodin, E. A., Aydin, A., Durlofsky, L. A. & Yeten, B. 2001. Representation of fault zone permeability in reservoir flow models. Paper SPE 71617, presented at the SPE Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 30 September - 3 October.
23. Foxford, K.A., Walsh, J.J., Watterson, J., Garden, I.R., Guscott, S.C. & Burley, S.D. 1998. Structure and content of the Moab Fault zone, Utah, USA. In: Jones, G., Fisher, Q.J. & Knipe, R.J. (eds) Faulting, Fault Sealing and Fluid Flow in Hydrocarbon Reservoirs. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 147, 87-103.
24. Fulljames, J.R., Zijerveld, L.J.J. & Franssen, R.C.M.W. 1997. Fault seal processes: systematic analysis of fault seals over geological and production time scales. In: Møller-Pedersen, P. & Koestler, A.G. (eds) Hydrocarbon seals - Importance for exploration and production. Norwegian Petroleum Society (NPF), Special Publications, 7, 51-59.
25. Gauthier, B.D.M. & Lake, S.D. 1993. Probabilistic modeling of faults below the limit of seismic resolution in Pelican Field, North Sea, offshore United Kingdom. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 77, 761-777.
26. Gibson, R.G. 1998. Physical character and fluid flow properties of sandstone-derived fault zones. In: Coward, M.P., Daltaban, T.S. & Johnson, H. (eds) Structural Geology in Reservoir Characterisation. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 127, 83-98.
27. Heffer, K.J. & Bevin, T.G. 1990. Scaling relationships in Natural Fractures: data, theory and applications. SPE Paper 209819.
28. Hesthammer, J. & Fossen, H. 2000. Uncertainties associated with fault sealing analysis. Petroleum Geoscience, 6, 37-47.
29. Hesthammer, J., Johansen, T.E.S. & Watts, L. 2000. Spatial relationships within fault damage zones in sandstone. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 17, 873-893.
30. Hollund, K., Mostad, P., Nielsen, B.F. et al. 2002. Havana - a fault modelling tool. In: Koestler, A.G. & Hunsdale, R. (eds) Hydrocarbon Seal Quantification. Norwegian Petroleum Society (NPF), Special Publications, 11, 157-171.
31. Howell, J.A., Skorstad, A., MacDonald, A., Fordham, A., Flint, S., Fjellvoll, B. & Manzocchi, T. 2008. Sedimentological parameterisation of shallow-marine reservoirs. Petroleum Geoscience, 14, 17-34.
32. Huggins, P., Watterson, J., Walsh, J.J. & Childs, C. 1995. Relay zone geometry and displacement transfer between normal faults recorded in coal-mine plans. Journal of Structural Geology, 17, 1741-1755.
33. Hull, J. 1988. Thickness-displacement relationships for deformation zones. Journal of Structural Geology, 10, 431-435.
34. Imber, J., Tuckwell, G.W., Childs, C. et al. 2004. Three-dimensional distinct element modelling of relay growth and breaching along normal faults. Journal of Structural Geology, 26, 1897-1911.
35. Jolley, S.J., Dijk, H., Lamens, J.H., Fisher, Q.J., Manzocchi, T., Eikmans & Huang, Y. 2007. Faulting and fault sealing in production simulation models: Brent Province, northern North Sea. Petroleum Geoscience, 13, 321-340.
36. Knai, T.A. & Knipe, R.J. 1998. The impact of faults on fluid flow in the Heidrun Field. In: Jones, G., Fisher, Q.J. & Knipe, R.J. (eds) Faulting, Fault Sealing and Fluid Flow in Hydrocarbon Reservoirs. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 147, 269-282.
37. Lindsay, N.C., Murphy, F.C., Walsh, J.J. & Watterson, J. 1993. Outcrop studies of shale smears on fault surfaces. In: Flint, S.T. & Bryant, A.D. (eds) The geological modelling of hydrocarbon reservoirs and outcrop analogues. Special Publication of the International Association of Sedimentologists, 15, 113-123.
38. Mandl, G. 1987. Discontinuous fault zones. Journal of Structural Geology, 9, 105-110.
39. Manighetti, I., King, G., Gaudemer, Y., Sholtz, C. & Doubre, C. 2001. Slip accumulation and lateral propagation of active normal faults in Afar. Journal of Geophysical Research, 106, 13667-13696.
40. Manzocchi, T. 1997. Quantification of flow impairment in faulted sandstone reservoirs. PhD thesis. Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
41. Manzocchi, T., Ringrose, P.S. & Underhill, J.R. 1998. Flow through fault systems in high porosity sandstones. In: Coward, M.P., Johnson, H. & Daltaban, T.S. (eds) Structural Geology in Reservoir Characterization. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 127, 65-82.
42. Manzocchi, T., Walsh, J.J., Nell, P.A.R. & Yielding, G. 1999. Fault transmissibility multipliers for flow simulation models. Petroleum Geoscience, 5, 53-63.
43. Manzocchi, T., Heath, A.E., Walsh, J.J. & Childs, C. 2002. The representation of two phase fault-rock properties in flow simulation models. Petroleum Geoscience, 8, 119-132.
44. Manzocchi, T., Walsh, J.J., Tomasso, M., Strand, J., Childs, C. & Haughton, P. 2007. Static and dynamic connectivity in bed-scale models of faulted and unfaulted turbidites. In: Jolley, S.J., Barr, D., Walsh, J.J. & Knipe, R.J. (eds) Structurally Complex Reservoirs. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 292, 309-336.
45. Manzocchi, T., Carter, J.N., Skorstad, A. et al. 2008a. Sensitivity of the impact of geological uncertainty on production from faulted and unfaulted shallow-marine oil reservoirs - objectives and methods. Petroleum Geoscience, 14, 3-15.
46. Manzocchi, T., Matthews, J.D., Strand, J.A. et al. 2008b. A study on the structural controls on oil recovery from shallow marine reservoirs. Petroleum Geoscience, 14, 55-70.
47. Marle, M.G. 1981. Multiphase flow in porous media. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas.
48. Matthews, J.D., Carter, J.N., Stephen, K.D., Zimmerman, R.W., Skorstad, A., Manzocchi, T. & Howell, J.A. 2008. Assessing the effects of geological uncertainty on recovery estimates in shallow-marine reservoirs - the application of reservoir engineering to the SAIGUP project. Petroleum Geoscience, 14, 35-44.
49. McDougall, S. R. & Sorbie, K. S. 1992. Network simulation of flow processes in strongly wetting and mixed wet porous media. Paper presented at the 3rd SPE/EAPG Conference on the Mathematics of Oil recovery, 17-19 June, Delft, The Netherlands.
50. Muraoka, H. & Kamata, H. 1983. Displacement distributions along minor fault traces. Journal of Structural Geology, 5, 483-495.
51. Myers, R.D., Allgood, A., Hjellbakk, A., Vrolijk, P. & Briedis, N. 2007. Testing fault transmissibility predictions in a structurally dominated reservoir: Ringhorne Field, Norway. In: Jolley, S.J., Barr, D., Walsh, J.J. & Knipe, R.J. (eds) Structurally Complex Reservoirs. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 292, 271-294.
52. Odling, N.E., Harris, S.D. & Knipe, R.J. 2004. Permeability scaling properties of fault damage zones in siliclastic rocks. Journal of Structural Geology, 26, 1727-1747.
53. Ottensen Ellevset, S., Knipe, R.J., Olsen, T.S., Fisher, Q.T. & Jones, G. 1998. Fault controlled communication in the Sleipner Vest Field, Norwegian continental shelf: detailed quantitative input for reservoir simulation and well planning. In: Jones, G., Fisher, Q.J. & Knipe, R.J. (eds) Faulting, Fault Sealing and Fluid Flow in Hydrocarbon Reservoirs. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 147, 283-297.
54. Ringrose, P.S. & Corbett, P.W.M. 1994. Controls on two-phase fluid flow in heterogeneous sandstones. In: Parnell, J. (ed.) Geofluids: Origin, Migration and Evolution of Fluids in Sedimentary Basins. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 78, 141-150.
55. Ringrose, P.S., Sorbie, K.S., Corbett, P.W.M. & Jensen, J.L. 1993. Immiscible flow behaviour in laminated and cross-bedded sandstones. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 9, 103-124.
56. Rivenæs, J.C. & Dart, C.J. 2002. Reservoir compartmentalisation by water-saturated fluids - is evaluation possible with today's tools? In: Koestler, A.G. & Hunsdale, R. (eds) Hydrocarbon Seal Quantification. Norwegian Petroleum Society (NPF), Special Publications, 11, 173-186.
57. Rotevatn, A., Fossen, H., Hesthammer, J., Aas, T.E. & Howell, J.A. 2007. Are relay ramps conduits for fluid flow? Structural analysis of a relay ramp in Arches National Park, Utah. In: Lonergan, L., Jolly, R.J.H., Rawnsley, K. & Sanderson, D.J. (eds) Fractured Reservoirs. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 270, 55-71.
58. Schlumberger 2005. Transmissibility calculations. Eclipse Technical Description 2005a. Schlumberger.
59. Schöpfer, M.P.J., Childs, C., Walsh, J.J., Manzocchi, T. & Koyi, H.A. 2007. Geometrical analysis of the refraction and segmentation of normal faults in periodically layered sequences. Journal of Structural Geology, 29, 318-335.
60. Shipton, Z.K. & Cowie, P.A. 2001. Damage zone and slip-surface evolution over μ to km scales in high-porosity Navajo sandstone, Utah. Journal of Structural Geology, 23, 1825-1844.
61. Shipton, Z.K. & Cowie, P.A. 2003. A conceptual model for the origin of fault damage zone structures in high-porosity sandstone. Journal of Structural Geology, 25, 333-344.
62. Soliva, R. & Benedicto, A. 2004. A linkage criterion for segmented normal faults. Journal of Structural Geology, 26, 2251-2267.
63. Sperrevik, S., Gillespie, P.A., Fisher, Q.J., Halvorsen, T. & Knipe, R. 2002. Empirical estimation of fault rock properties. In: Koestler, A.G. & Hunsdale, R. (eds) Hydrocarbon Seal Quantification. Norwegian Petroleum Society (NPF), Special Publications, 11, 109-126.
64. Stephen, K.D., Yang, C., Carter, J.N., Howell, J.A., Manzocchi, T. & Skorstad, A. 2008. Upscaling uncertainty analysis in a shallow marine environment. Petroleum Geoscience, 14, 71-84.
65. Sternlof, K.R., Chapin, J.R., Pollard, D.D. & Durlofsky, L.J. 2004. Permeability effects of deformation band arrays in sandstone. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 88, 1315-1329.
66. 2 in porous rock. Energy, 29, 1445-1456.
67. Syversveen, A. R., Skorstad, A., Soleng, H. H., Röe, P. & Tveranger, J. 2006. Facies modelling in Fault zones. Paper presented at the 10th European conference on the mathematics of oil recovery, 4-7 September, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
68. Walsh, J.J., Watterson, J., Heath, A.E., Gillespie, P.A. & Childs, C. 1998. Assessment of the effects of sub-seismic faults in bulk permeabilities of reservoir sequences. In: Coward, M.P., Johnson, H. & Daltaban, T.S. (eds) Structural Geology in Reservoir Characterization. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 127, 99-114.
69. Walsh, J.J., Bailey, W.R., Childs, C., Nicol, A. & Bonson, C.G. 2003a. Formation of segmented normal faults: a 3-D perspective. Journal of Structural Geology, 25, 1251-1262.
70. Walsh, J.J., Childs, C., Imber, J., Manzocchi, T., Watterson, J. & Nell, P.A.R. 2003b. Strain localisation and population changes during fault system growth within the Inner Moray Firth, Northern North Sea. Journal of Structural Geology, 25, 1897-1911.
71. Watterson, J., Walsh, J.J., Gillespie, P.A. & Easton, S. 1996. Scaling systematics of fault sizes on a large-scale range fault map. Journal of Structural Geology, 18, 199-214.
72. Westaway, R. 1994. Quantitative analysis of populations of small faults. Journal of Structural Geology, 16, 1259-1273.
73. Yielding, G., Needham, T. & Jones, H. 1996. Sampling of fault populations using sub-surface data: a review. Journal of Structural Geology, 18, 135-146.
74. Yielding, G., Freeman, B. & Needham, D.T. 1997. Quantitative fault seal prediction. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 81, 897-917.
75. Yielding, G. 2002. Shale Gouge Ratio: calibration by geohistory. In: Koestler, A.G. & Hunsdale, R. (eds) Hydrocarbon Seal Quantification. Norwegian Petroleum Society (NPF), Special Publications, 11, 1-15.