Undoing the paradigm of lithofacies control on carbonate reservoir properties through advanced rock typing
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Commonly used carbonate rock-typing methods estimate statistical relationships between geological parameters and the core-to-log domain and distribute the resulting petrophysical rock types in reservoirs, with spatial guidance from depositional concepts. This approach is based on the paradigm that there are statistically meaningful relationships between lithofacies and rock properties. We challenge this paradigm by introducing a petrophysical rock-typing method that is unbiased by sedimentological concepts. The advanced rock-typing method presented in this paper combines electrofacies, pore types from core and logs, and statistically relevant depositional attributes to define highly predictable petrophysical rock types. Spatial rules are derived from the determination of petrophysical categories in well domains or via distribution in porosity cubes from seismic data. We present the implementation of this workflow in four case studies representing marine and lacustrine carbonates in green to mature field development settings from the Middle East, Brazil, and Angola. Our results unanimously show late burial diagenesis as the primary process correlating with petrophysical properties relevant to reservoir characterization in both core and log domains; early and shallow diagenesis has a minor correlation, whereas lithofacies show negligible correlation. This indicates that diagenetic modification should be used as a primary driver for populating reservoir quality parameters in space, whereas sedimentary lithofacies and their distribution are virtually irrelevant. Advanced rock-typing provides a systematic approach to defining petrophysical rock categories and the spatial trends that underpin reservoir behaviors and can be applied in exploration, development, and production of reservoirs of both marine and continental carbonate formations.
Source: AAPG Bulletin
DOI: 10.1306/02262523078
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanics of Materials
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4414323843