Geologic and Engineering Aspects of NFR-Roberto Aguilera

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Geologic and Engineering Aspects

ARTICLE
of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs
Roberto Aguilera, Servipetrol Ltd., Calgary, Canada
I am convinced significant volumes of hydrocarbons reside determine magnitude and direction of in-situ principal stresses;
in naturally fractured reservoirs – particularly in fields aban- azimuth, dip, spacing, and if possible aperture of fractures.
doned because of improper testing and evaluation or because
the wells did not intersect the fractures.1 Rules of thumb and Pore Classification
naturally fractured reservoirs do not mix well. What appears to
work in one might fail miserably in the next. Consequently, It is possible to make preliminary estimates of productive
each naturally fractured reservoir (nfr) exploration play and characteristics of common reservoir porosity types following a
each nfr under production must be considered as a research classification proposed by Coalson et al.4 In this classification,
project by itself. porosity classes are defined first by the geometry of the pores, and
second by pore size. Included in the geometry are the following
Geologic Aspects general pore categories: intergranular, intercrystalline, vuggy, and
fracture. The combination of any of them can give origin to dual
Stearns2 defines a natural fracture as a macroscopic planar and even multi-porosity behavior.5
discontinuity that results from stresses that exceed the rupture
strength of the rock. These natural fractures can have a positive, The pore size can be recognized from different techniques,
neutral, or negative effect on fluid flow.3 In my opinion, virtually including Winland4 r35 and Aguilera6 rp35 pore throat apertures.
all reservoirs contain at least some natural fractures. However, if Included in the pore size are megaporosity (r35>10 microns),
the effect of these fractures on fluid flow is negligible, the reser- macroporosity (r35 between 2 and 10 microns), mesoporosity (r35
voir can be treated, from a geologic and reservoir engineering between 0.5 and 2 microns) and microporosity (r35 < 0.5 microns).
perspective, as a “conventional” reservoir. Martin et al.7 have indicated that megaports are capable of
flowing tens of thousands of barrels per day, macroports thou-
For reservoirs where the fractures have a positive or negative sands of barrels per day, mesoports hundreds of barrels of oil per
effect on fluid flow, it is of paramount importance to have knowl- day, and microports tens of barrels per day. Figure 1 shows a
edge of magnitude and direction of in-situ principal stresses; graph for estimating values of Rp35 for the matrix in naturally frac-
azimuth, dip, spacing, and aperture of fractures; matrix and frac- tured reservoirs. The graph follows the same format presented by
ture porosity, matrix and fracture permeability, and matrix and Martin et al.7 using Winland’s equation.
fracture water saturation. These data help in calculations of how
the in-place hydrocarbons are distributed between matrix and
fractures, and the flow capacity of the wells.

All naturally fractured reservoirs are not created equal. I am


not sure if I read the previous sentence somewhere, if I heard it
from somebody, or if I thought about it. Notwithstanding, I
believe it is a very accurate statement, which means that we have
to somehow classify and characterize the reservoir. This provides
an important link between the geophysical, geological and engi-
neering disciplines.

In addition to the fracture and matrix properties mentioned


above, I recommend (1) classifying the reservoir from a geologic
point of view keeping in mind that the fractures can be tectonic,
regional or contractional, (2) evaluating the pore system, (3) quan-
tifying the relative hydrocarbon storativity of matrix and frac-
tures, and (4) getting a good idea with respect to the
matrix/fracture interaction.

Geologic Classification

From a geologic point of view the fractures can be classified as


being tectonic (fold and/or fault related), regional, contractional
(diagenetic), and surface related1-3. Historically most hydrocarbon
production has been obtained from tectonic fractures, followed
by regional fractures and followed by contractional fractures. In
general, surface related fractures are not important from the point
of view of hydrocarbon production. When classifying fractures Figure 1. Aguilera Rp35 pore throat radii as a funcation of matrix porosity and perme-
ability.
Continued on Page 45
44 CSEG RECORDER February, 2003
ARTICLE Cont’d
Geologic and Engineering Aspects of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs
Continued from Page 44

The vast majority of papers and books on this subject discuss secondary mineralization the hydrocarbons move from the matrix
only fractures with apertures of a few microns. This is probably to the fractures in an unrestricted way.
because of very poor core recovery from reservoirs containing frac-
tures with much greater apertures. From laboratory work and How quickly the fluids move from matrix to fractures is
experience it has been found that nut shells and plastic materials controlled by the amount of pressure drop in the fractures, and
can stop circulation losses in fractures with apertures as large as matrix properties such as permeability, porosity and compress-
5000 microns. If in a given naturally fractured reservoir these mate- ibility, viscosity of the fluid flowing, and fracture spacing or size of
rials cannot stop circulation losses the conclusion is reached that the matrix blocks. These kinds of fractures can provide very high
the apertures are bigger than 5000 microns at reservoir depth. In initial fluid rates. The major problem with this type of fractures is
fact, secondary porosity apertures can actually reach cavern-size in that they might tend to close as the reservoir is depleted depending
some instances. Thus the generalized assumption that fractures on the in-situ stresses, the initial reservoir pressure and the reduc-
cannot provide significant hydrocarbon storage is, in my opinion, tion in pressure within the fractures. In these cases, fractures are
not valid. much more compressible than the host rock.

Storage Classification If the reservoir is initially overpressured the fracture closure can
be very significant leading to small hydrocarbon recovery, big
From a storage point of view, fractured reservoirs can be classi- headaches and major financial losses.
fied8,9 as being of Type A, B or C. Many reservoirs that would other-
wise be non-productive are commercial thanks to the presence of If the reservoir is initially underpressured the fracture closure is
natural fractures. not as significant because most of the closure at reservoir depth has
already occurred. Ultimate fractional recoveries will be bigger than
In reservoirs of Type A the bulk of the hydrocarbon storage is in in the previous case.
the matrix porosity and a small amount of storage is in the frac-
tures. The matrix typically has a very low permeability while the Some Secondary Mineralization. I think good luck! When
natural fractures tend to have a much larger permeability. But there natural fractures have a certain amount of secondary
are exceptions. For example, the matrix in the giant Saudi Arabian mineralization the fluid flow from matrix to fractures is somewhat
Ghawar reservoir has very large porosities and permeabilities.10 In restricted. From the point of view of pressure behavior during well
this type of reservoir the fractures are a curse rather than a blessing testing this can be visualized as a natural skin within the reservoir
because they facilitate unwanted water channeling. In this (not to be confused with mechanical skin around the wellbore
instance, efforts that integrate geologic information, 3D seismic routinely calculated). Partial mineralization is a blessing in
data, and transient pressure analysis are directed at avoiding disguise. In this case, the secondary minerals will act as a natural
rather than intersecting the fractures. proppant agent and fracture closure will be significantly reduced
(not completely stopped) even in overpressured reservoirs. This in
In reservoirs of Type B approximately half the hydrocarbon turn will lead to higher ultimate recoveries. The fracture closure
storage is in the matrix and half is in the fractures. The matrix is will be smaller in normally pressured reservoirs, and even smaller
tight and the fractures are much more permeable than the matrix. in underpressured reservoirs.

In reservoirs of Type C all the hydrocarbon storage is in the frac- Complete Secondary Mineralization. Bad Luck!! Even if there
tures with no contribution from the matrix. Thus in this instance is a lot of hydrocarbon within the reservoir, the ultimate recovery
the fractures provide both the storage and the necessary perme- will be low. The mineralized fractures will compartmentalize the
ability to achieve commercial production. reservoir leading to very low ultimate recoveries.

There are many reservoirs with fractures of tectonic origin Vuggy Fractures. They can have very large porosities that can
where the primary porosity (matrix) tends to be occluded or has reach 100% in some intervals and several darcies of permeability.
extremely low permeability and consequently does not contribute Production can be several thousands of barrels per day if the vugs
any hydrocarbon storage. In these cases, a large number of are connected (touching vugs). Vuggy fractures present the
microfractures might be present that play the role of “matrix” advantage that they do not close due to their rounded shape. Non-
porosity. This is due to the pervasiveness of tectonic fractures that connected vugs provide non-effective porosity and permeability.
exist from a macro scale to the grain size scale (they are very
fractal). In this case the combination of micro and macrofractures Engineering Aspects
can lead to dual porosity behavior.
Engineering aspects deal primarily with quantitative evalua-
Matrix/Fracture Interaction tion of naturally fractured reservoirs. This quantification links the
geophysical, geologic and engineering disciplines. Some key goals
Cores provide an excellent source of direct information for are to estimate hydrocarbons-in-place, forecast production rates,
determining the kind of interaction that could be anticipated from and improve ultimate economic recoveries.
fractures and matrix. Consider different possibilities:5
Characterization of the naturally fractured reservoir and engi-
No Secondary Mineralization. Good luck or a teaser? When neering evaluations rely on direct and indirect sources of informa-
the natural fractures are open and have a negligible amount of Continued on Page 46

February, 2003 CSEG RECORDER 45


ARTICLE Cont’d
Geologic and Engineering Aspects of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs
Continued from Page 45

tion.9 The determination of flow (or hydraulic) units11 is an impor- Consequently, the reservoir might be naturally fractured even if
tant part of the characterization. Direct sources of information the cuttings do not show any fractures. However, there are
include cores, drill cuttings, downhole photographs and videos of exceptions. Hews17 has indicated that there are instances where
the borehole. Indirect sources include outcrops, drilling history, cuttings can provide very useful information with respect to
mud log, conventional and specialized well logs, seismic informa- fractures. He indicates, and I had the opportunity to see it, that
tion (preferentially 3D), well testing, inflatable packers, and “with the samples wetted, internal textures including fractures and
production history. brecciation are more apparent. Dry samples are best to see any
porosity that may be associated with a fracture plane.” Under these
Direct Sources of Information circumstances it is advisable to examine the cuttings thinking in
terms of natural fractures. Crystals on the face of a fracture can be
They are very powerful because direct sources permit “seeing” indicative of very effective fracture porosity. Thin sections from
the fractures categorically. cuttings can also provide evidence of natural fractures. Cemented
microfractures in thin sections can be extensions of larger open
Cores. They represent the most important direct source of fractures.
information. I recommend to always budget the necessary funds to
core at least a few key wells. The successful study of a naturally Downhole Borehole Cameras. Photos and video tapes can
fractured core must start at the well site.12,13 The laboratory must be provide direct information regarding many features penetrated by
selected carefully, followed by meetings with laboratory personnel, the borehole including natural fractures, faulting, bed boundaries,
and an inspection of the facilities where the experiments will be hole size and hole shape. There are video cameras that have been
conducted.14 Disruption of the fractured core must be minimized developed to examine vertical, slanted and horizontal wells. Air-
by using double-tube core barrels, which have successfully drilled, low pressure reservoirs are prime candidates for
replaced rubber-sleeve coring methods. Disposable inner liners application of video camera technology.18
made of aluminum or fiberglass can provide good coring results
because of their low friction coefficients and ability to prevent Indirect Sources of Information
jamming.13 In case of some disruption the core must be properly
fitted together and marked with scribe lines to make sure that it is They include outcrops, drilling history, mud log, conventional
correctly laid out in the laboratory for fracture analysis.12 The core and specialized well logs, seismic information (preferentially 3D),
should be preserved as best as possible, preferentially by wrapping pressure data, inflatable packers, and production history.
it in plastic and placing it in ziplock bags. This precaution helps to
prevent loss of reservoir fluids and/or core dehydration. In my Outcrops. There are essentially two schools of thought when it
opinion, oriented cores are advisable, although there is a trend in comes to the evaluation of outcrops. The first one indicates that19
industry to orient cores with well log images (which are indirect “using outcrop data to characterize the fracture pattern of a
sources of information). reservoir is frustrated by the stress release which occurs as rocks
come to the surface” and that “outcrop data is unsuitable for
A modern comprehensive analysis should include at least the modelling reservoir fractures.” The second school of thought
following evaluations:14 indicates that outcrops, when properly evaluated, can provide a
• Fracture types description significant amount of valuable information in exploration plays
• Grain density and during the development of a reservoir. I strongly recommend
• Petrophysical parameters m an n (m at simulated conditions of you to adhere to the second school of thought. A properly
net overburden) conducted outcrop study can provide information on spacing,
• Whole core porosity and permeability (at room conditions and connectivity and orientation of the fractures relative to the
some samples at simulated net overburden pressure) structure and stratigraphy. If you are going to drill a horizontal
• Routine core analysis well, for example, the outcrop can help you determine the
• Capillary pressures and relative permeabilities optimum orientation of the well to maximize productivity.20
• Wettability determination in a preserved core
• Imbibition recoveries if the rock proves to be water wet Drilling History. It contributes valuable information regarding
• Mechanical testing (Poisson’s ratio, Young’ modulus, stress- hydrocarbon shows, mud losses and penetration rates. Mud losses
strain analysis, matrix and fracture compressibility) might be associated with natural fractures, vugs, underground
• Thin section analysis caverns or induced fractures. Penetration rates can increase
• SEM (scanning electron microscopy) analysis significantly while drilling all types of secondary porosity.
• Epoxy impregnation
• Spectrometric gamma ray and sonic velocity Well Logs. Logs are powerful indicators of natural fractures in
• Solubility some reservoirs. However, there is not a single log that is going to
• Non-destructive permeability determinations with a pressure work all the time. I have used the following logs in the past, mostly
decay profile permeameter from a qualitative point of view, to determine where the fractures
• Core scale pressure transient analysis15 and microsimulation of are located: sonic amplitude, variable intensity, vertical seismic
the fractured core.16 profiling, caliper, resistivity, Pe, borehole televiewer, dipmeter,
spontaneous potential, density correction curve, borehole
Drill Cuttings. Many times natural fractures may not be gravimeter, uranium index, temperature and noise logs. Details on
preserved in cuttings due to breakage along cuttings.

Continued on Page 47
46 CSEG RECORDER February, 2003
ARTICLE Cont’d
Geologic and Engineering Aspects of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs
Continued from Page 46

these techniques are available in the literature of the various in addition to usually estimated parameters such as skin, radius of
service companies. investigation, extrapolated pressures, etc.

Quantitative analysis can be conducted from image logs to Production History. If from cores the permeability of a formation
determine fracture orientation, dip, spacing, connectivity, fracture is 0.1 md, and the well produces 1,000 bopd, it can be inferred that
aperture and permeability. My experience with images for deter- the rate is the result of some type of secondary porosity, including
mining fracture orientation, dip and spacing is good. However, my fractures. Premature water or gas breakthrough in secondary
experience with calculated apertures and permeabilities is a mixed recovery projects can also indicate the presence and strike of natural
bag. I recommend assigning value to these parameters only from a fractures. To avoid these unpleasant surprises, it is advisable to
relative point of view. perform pressure interference tests early in the life of the reservoir.

Quantitative analysis can also be conducted for estimating frac- Recovery Factors and Reserves
ture porosity21 using dual porosity models, which are based on the
observation that the porosity exponent of the fractures (mf) should The optimum way of forecasting performance and recovery is
be very close to 1.0. This is much smaller than the porosity expo- utilizing a reservoir simulator as long as the reservoir characterization
nent of the matrix (mb). The porosity exponent of the dual porosity and the quality of the pressure and production data is good. Based on
system (matrix + fractures and/or connected vugs), m, varies my experience, it is reasonable to forecast twice the time of available
between mf and mb. The smaller the degree of fracturing, the history. For example, if there are two years of good production and
closer the value of m to mb. The larger the degree of fracturing, the pressure data, it is reasonable to forecast four years of production.
closer the value of m to mf. In the case of dual porosity systems
made out of matrix and non-connected (non-touching) vugs, the
Compressibility
value of m is larger than mb. Care must be exercised when using
dual porosity models, as the incorrect scaling of the matrix porosity
If the reservoir is composed by matrix and fractures, the
can lead to errors in the calculation of water saturation.21
compressibility of the fractures is bigger than the compressibility of
the matrix. The relative difference between the two compressibili-
Seismic Information. Significant advances have been ties depends5 on various factors including the amount of
achieved in 3D seismic technology that allow in some cases secondary mineralization within the fractures, the orientation of
determination of fracture orientation, anisotropy and fracture the fractures and in-situ stresses, and if the reservoir is over-pres-
density22 and the type of fluid that could be present in the reservoir. sured, normally pressured, or under-pressured.
Under favorable conditions, this can be estimated using AVO
(amplitude vs. offset) and AVAZ
(amplitude vs. azimuth) interpretation
techniques.

Well Testing. This in an area that


has also seen significant advances in
the precision of the tools and the
interpretation software packages.
Modern formation testers can provide
vertical information that cannot be
detected by a standard test. Multiple
probes can show the presence or lack of
vertical interference in a wellbore.
Automatic type curve matching is
powerful but dangerous. To avoid
fiascos with automatic matching, it is
important to make sure that the
engineer is always on top of the
interpretation. Numerical 2D well
testing models using unstructured
Voronoi grids (PEBI) provide a
significant and necessary extension to
the more conventional Cartesian,
semilogarithmic and log-log derivative
crossplots.

A properly designed and super-


vised test can provide valuable infor- Figure 2. Chart for estimating fracture compressibility. MINER is the estimated percentage of secondary mineralization
mation including fracture permeability, in the fractures. RATIO is fracture porosity divided by the summation of fracture porosity and connected vug porosity.
fracture porosity, and fracture spacing (Source: Aguilera5)
Continued on Page 48

February, 2003 CSEG RECORDER 47


ARTICLE Cont’d
Geologic and Engineering Aspects of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs
Continued from Page 47

Closing of the fractures once the reservoir goes on production Although in general, percent hydrocarbon recoveries from
can be very significant in over-pressured reservoirs. This can lead Type C reservoirs are larger than for Types A and B, the engineer
to huge declines in production rates. Fracture closure in under- has to be careful because usually the amount of hydrocarbon-in-
pressured reservoirs is less significant as most of the closure has place in Type C reservoirs is smaller.
already occurred.
Reserves
In a dual porosity system made out of macro and microfrac-
tures (and without any primary porosity) the macrofractures play An excellent source24 regarding proved, probable and possible
the role of “fractures” and the microfractures play the role of oil and gas reserves is the Petroleum Society of CIM Monograph
“matrix.” In this case, there are instances in which the microfrac- No. 1 published in 1994. When it comes to naturally fractured
tures (matrix) can be more compressible than the macrofractures reservoirs, I recommend using statistical procedures to quantify
(fractures). In other instances both compressibilities can be of the the uncertainty associated with hydrocarbons-in-place and
same order of magnitude. reserves.

Whenever possible, it is advisable to determine compressibili- Most naturally fractured reservoirs I am familiar with are char-
ties in the laboratory using rocks from our own reservoir. If this is acterized by low matrix porosities (less than 10%) and low matrix
not available we have to rely on empirical correlations. Figure 2 permeabilities (less than 1 md). For these reservoir characteristics it
shows a correlation5 that I have used with reasonable success for a is difficult to place a reasonable certainty of volumetric estimates of
number years. original hydrocarbons-in-place and reserves. As a consequence, I
recommend placing reserves from volumetric estimates in the
Ranges of Recovery possible category. For matrix porosities larger than 10% and matrix
permeabilities larger than 1 md the reserves can be moved to the
Each naturally fractured reservoir should be considered as a probable category.
research project by itself. As such it has to be studied carefully to
estimate recoveries. It is wise to remember that naturally fractured Early material balance calculations can provide estimates of
reservoirs and rules of thumb do not mix well. What appears to probable reserves. As the cumulative production increases and with
work in one reservoir might fail miserably in the next. good quality pressure data (long flow and long shut-in times) the
material balance reserves can be moved into the proved category.
Tables 1 and 2 show some ranges of recoveries5,23 based on my
experience working with naturally fracture reservoirs worldwide I place production decline estimates from short history in an
for about 30 years. These oil and gas recovery estimates are unproved category. Long production history leads to reasonable
presented for different recovery mechanisms and different types of estimates of proved oil reserves. I do not recommend decline
fractured reservoirs. They are no panaceas. Use them carefully and curves for estimating proved reserves of gas reservoirs unless the
only as order of magnitude indicators. There is no substitute for a wells are at a late stage of production where a constant surface
detailed study. compression pressure is being utilized.

Reservoir Type Beware of water influx in naturally fractured gas reservoirs. A


Recovery Mechanism A B C well might be producing extremely well. But it is not unusual to see
Depletion Drive 10-20 20-30 30-35 that the gas rate goes to nothing once water reaches the wellbore.
Depletion Drive plus Gas Injection 15-25 25-30 30-40
Reservoir simulation, although imperfect, is the tool that in my
Depletion Drive plus Water Injection 20-35 25-40 40-50 opinion provides the most reliable source of information for esti-
Depletion Drive plus Water Inj plus Gas Inj 25-40 30-45 45-55 mating recoveries and proved reserves. A significant amount of
Gravity Segregation with Counterflow 40-50 50-60 >60 high quality data is required. The longer the production history the
Depletion Drive plus Water Drive 30-40 40-50 50-60 more reliable are the forecasted results.
Depletion Drive plus Gas cap 15-25 25-35 35-40
Early in the life of the reservoir when production history is
Depletion Drive Plus Gas cap plus Water Drive 35-45 45-55 55-65
short or non-existent, proved reserves can be estimated from well
Table 1. Typical oil recoveries from naturally fractured reservoirs as a percent of designed, well supervised interference tests using high precision
original oil in place (Source: Aguilera5) pressure gauges. The larger the number of wells involved in the
test the better. In addition to providing reserves, the test will give
Reservoir Type very useful information regarding anisotropy.
Recovery Mechanism A B C
Without Water Drive 70-80 80-90 >90 If the objective is estimating reserves by investigating both
With Moderate Water Drive 50-60 60-70 70-80 matrix and fractures, I do not recommend pulse tests with short
With Moderate Water Drive & Compression 20-30 30-40 40-50 flow and buildup periods. Long continuous flow times during the
interference test are required to properly investigate both matrix
With Water Strong Drive 15-25 25-35 35-45
and fractures.
Table 2. Typical gas recoveries from naturally fractured reservoirs as a percent of
original gas in place (Source: Aguilera5) Continued on Page 49

48 CSEG RECORDER February, 2003


ARTICLE Cont’d
Geologic and Engineering Aspects of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs
Continued from Page 48

If there is only one well in the naturally fractured reservoir, I 9. Aguilera, R.: Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, PennWell Books, Tulsa, Oklahoma
recommend a long flow period following the collection of a good (1995), 521 p.

initial pressure. An estimate of the radius of investigation leads to a 10. Al-Thawad F. et al.: Optimizing Horizontal Well Placement in the Faulted Ghawar Field
by Integrating Pressure Transient and 3D Seismic, SPE 62986 presented at the 2000 SPE
volumetric estimate of hydrocarbons-in-place within the investi-
Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in Dallas, Texas (October 1-4, 2000).
gated area. This requires a reasonable estimate of net pay, matrix and
11. Aguilera, Roberto: Determination of Matrix Flow Units in Naturally Fractured
fracture porosity, and matrix and fracture hydrocarbon saturation.
Reservoirs, paper 2002-157 presented at the Petroleum Society’s Canadian
International Petroleum Conference held in Calgary, Canada (June 11-13, 2002).
A Review — and a Look Ahead 12. Bergosh, J. L. et al.: New Core Analysis Techniques for Naturally Fractured Reservoirs,
SPE paper 13653 presented at the California Regional Meeting Held in Bakersfield,
Since my early days working with naturally fractured reser- California (March 27-29), 1985.
voirs in the early seventies, I have seen extraordinary advances in 13. Skopec, R. A.: Proper Coring and Wellsite Core Handling Procedures: The First Step
the geophysical, geological and engineering fields. These advances Towards Reliable Core Analysis, Journal of Petroleum Technology (April 1994) p. 280.
have led to improved estimates of recoveries and reserves. These 14. Aguilera, R.: Advances in the Study of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, The Journal of
improvements will continue. Canadian Petroleum Technology (May 1993), vol.32, no. 5, pp. 24-26.
15. Kamath, J. et al.: Characterization of Core-Scale Heterogeneities Using Laboratory
Over the next few years, I anticipate significant improvements Pressure Transients, SPE Formation Evaluation (September 1992), p. 219-227.
in seismic technology to better characterize anisotropy of naturally 16. Au, A. D. and Aguilera, R.: Micro-simulation of Naturally Fractured Cores, Petroleum
fractured reservoirs. Society of CIM paper 94-79 presented at the Annual Technical Conference in
Calgary, Canada (June 12-15, 1994).
17. Hews, Peter: Structural Features that can be Identified from Drill Cuttings,
There will be advances in the evaluation of whole cores and the
Interpretations, Implications and Fracture Evaluation, Hara Consulting Ltd. Course
uncertainty associated with estimates of fracture compressibility Manual (October 2000).
will be reduced.
18. Overby, W. K. et al.: Analysis of Natural Fractures Observed by Borehole Video Camera
in a Horizontal Well, SPE 17660 presented at the SPE Gas Technology Symposium
Imaging logs will continue improving and this will lead to more held in Dallas, Texas (June 13-15, 1988).
reasonable estimates of fracture parameters. 19. Akbar, M. et al.: Fractures in the Basement, Schlumberger Middle East Evaluation
Review, Number 14 (1993), p. 26.
More, better and more realistic well testing and reservoir simu- 20. Friedman, M. and McKiernan, D. E.: Extrapolation of Fracture Data from Outcrops of
lation models will be developed. Simulation grids will be the Austin Chalk in Texas to Corresponding Petroleum Reservoirs at Depth, Journal of
improved. Unstructured Voronoi (PEBI) grids in 3D will become Canadian Petroleum Technology (October 1995), p. 43.
standard features of well testing packages. Software “friendliness” 21. Aguilera, M. S. and Aguilera, R.: Improved Models for Petrophysical Analysis of Dual
will be a big part of these models. Coupled fluid flow and rock Porosity Reservoirs, Petrophysics (January-February 2003).
mechanics simulators that take into account normal and shear 22. Gray, F. D. and Head, K. J.: Using 3D Seismic to Identify Variant Fracture Orientation
stresses will become functional. in the Manderson Field, SPE 60296, Denver, Colorado (March 2000).
23. Cronquist, C.: Estimation and Classification of Reserves of Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and
Hydrocarbon recoveries will continue increasing as more devi- Condensate, SPE, Richardson, Texas (2001), p. 150

ated and horizontal wells are drilled underbalance to properly 24. Determination of Oil and Gas Reserves, Petroleum Society of CIM Monograph No. 1,
intersect (or if desired avoid) vertical and high inclination natural Calgary, Canada (1994).

fractures. R

References Dr. Roberto Aguilera is president


1. Aguilera, R.: Geologic Aspects of Naturally Fractured reservoirs, The Leading Edge of Servipetrol Ltd. and an Adjunct
(December 1998), pp. 1667-1670.
Professor in the Chemical and
2. Stearns, D. W.: AAPG Fractured Reservoirs School Notes, Great Falls, Montana (1982- Petroleum Engineering Department
1994).
at the University of Calgary, where he
3. Nelson, R., Geologic Analysis of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, Contributions in concentrates in teaching about the
Petroleum geology and engineering, Vol. 1, Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, Texas
(1985).
theoretical and practical aspects of
naturally fractured reservoirs. He is a
4. Coalson, E. B., Hartmann, D. J., and Thomas, J. B.: Productive Characteristics of
Common Reservoir Porosity Types, Bulletin of the South Texas Geological Society, v. 15, petroleum engineering graduate from
No. 6 (February 1985), pp. 35-51. the Universidad de America at Bogota, Colombia and
5. Aguilera, Roberto: Recovery Factors and Reserves on Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, holds Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Petroleum
Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, Distinguished Authors Series (July Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. He has
1999), p. 15-18. presented his course on Naturally Fractured Reservoirs
6. Aguilera, R.: Incorporating Capillary Pressure, Pore Throat Aperture Radii, Height Above and has rendered consulting services throughout the
Free Water Table, and Winland r35 Values on Pickett Plots, AAPG Bulletin, v. 86, no. 4 world. He is a Distinguished Author of the Journal of
(April 2002), p. 605-624.
Canadian Petroleum Technology, a recipient of the
7. Martin, A. J. et al.: Characterization of Petrophysical Flow Units in Carbonate Reservoirs, Outstanding Service Award from the Petroleum Society of
AAPG Bulletin, v. 83, no. 7 (May 1997), p. 734-759.
CIM and a SPE Distinguished Lecturer on the subject of
8. McNaughton, D. A. and Garb, F. A.: Finding and Evaluating Petroleum Accumulations Naturally Fractured Reservoirs.
in Fractured Reservoir Rock, Exploration and Economics of the Petroleum Industry, v.
13, Matthew Bender & Company Inc. (1975).

February, 2003 CSEG RECORDER 49

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