Carbonate reservoir characterization with pore type inversion using differential

effective medium (DEM) model at “X” field, East Java

M. S. Rosid, S. D. Wahyuni, and M. W. Haidar

Citation: AIP Conference Proceedings 1862, 030179 (2017); doi: 10.1063/1.4991283

View online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4991283
View Table of Contents: http://aip.scitation.org/toc/apc/1862/1
Published by the American Institute of Physics
 Carbonate Reservoir Characterization with Pore Type
Inversion Using Differential Effective Medium (DEM) Model
at “X” Field, East Java
M. S. Rosid1, a), S. D. Wahyuni1, and M. W. Haidar2
1
Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA),
Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia
2
JOB – Pertamina Petrochina East Java, Menara Kuningan Lt. 18 and 20, Jakarta 12940, Indonesia
a)
Corresponding author: syamsu.rosid@gmail.com

Abstract. Pore system in the carbonate reservoirs is very complex than in clastic rocks. There are three types of
classification of pore types in carbonate rocks: interparticle, stiff, and crack. The complexity of the pore types can cause
changes in P-wave velocity by 40 %, as well as create a carbonate reservoir characterization becomes difficult when the S
wave estimation is done only with the type of dominant pore (interparticle). Therefore, modeling the elastic moduli of
rocks become essential to solve the problem of complexity of pore types in carbonate rocks. Differential Effective
Medium ( DEM ) is a method of modeling the elastic moduli of rocks that takes into account the heterogeneity of types of
pores in carbonate rocks by adding pore-type inclusions little by little into the parent material (host material) until the
proportion of the material is reached. In addition, to the elastic moduli which have taken into account the heterogeneity of
pore type. The inversion result shows that carbonate reservoir at "X" field is dominated by crack pore type and the
relation between S wave and P wave is expressed by VS = −0.05VP2 + VP − 1.1 and not in linear correlation.

INTRODUCTION

Carbonate reservoir contains almost 60 % of total hydrocarbon reserves of the world and has an estimated
50% of total production of hydrocarbons [1]. One of the main challenges of the carbonate reservoir
characterization lies in identifying hydrocarbon reserves that could be improved the production and has high
economic value. Productivity can be increased if the permeability of the reservoir can be predicted, which
permeability has a strong correlation to the pore structure of the rock itself [2].
Pore system in the carbonate reservoirs is very complex than the pore system of clastic rocks. In clastic
rocks, pore types are intergranular and nearly homogeneous, while the porous carbonate rock types are divided
into three types of interparticle (reference pores), stiff pores and cracks [2]. Recent research also suggests that
the type of pores in carbonate rocks can cause changes in P-wave velocity by 40 % [1]. This indicates that the
type of pores in carbonate rock is the dominant factor in the physics of carbonate rocks [3]. But the complexity
and heterogeneity of the pore types of carbonate reservoirs make characterization becomes difficult when the S
wave estimation is done only with the type of dominant pore (pore types are considered homogeneous).
Inspired by this, we conducted research that makes the inversion algorithm using the type pore model of
Differential Effective Medium (DEM). The working principle of inclusion DEM models is infused with the
inclusion of factors such as porosity fraction. The output of the model of DEM inclusion is bulk modulus and
shear modulus as the function of porosity which is then used as inputs for the manufacture of Vp modeling. The
first model in the form of Vp reference will then be compared to Vp of well data. If the Vp measurement greater
than the Vp reference, the aspect ratio used is the value for stiff pore aspect ratio. Vp modeling was then made
which will be compared to the value of Vp measurement. In this process will use algorithms to find how large a

International Symposium on Current Progress in Mathematics and Sciences 2016 (ISCPMS 2016)
AIP Conf. Proc. 1862, 030179-1–030179-9; doi: 10.1063/1.4991283
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1536-2/$30.00

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portion of the pore stiff such that the previous algorithm requirements are fulfilled. The same thing was repeated
for Vp measurements less than the Vp reference which indicating the aspect ratio is the dominant crack. Then the
algorithm was repeated to calculate how large a portion of the crack. The outputs of this study are percentage of
secondary pore type in the value of total porosity, pore types, as well as the estimated value of Vs.

REGIONAL GEOLOGY AND LITERATURE REVIEW

This research area is the formation of Tuban as part of Rembang zone members in the North East Java Basin.
Geographically, the North East Java basin is located between 110° 30' E and 6° 00' to 7° 30' LS [4] and stretches
from West to East from Semarang to Surabaya with a length of about 250 km and a width of 60-70 km. The regional
stratigraphy of the North East Java Basin is shown in Fig. 1. The Tuban Formation which is dominated by limestone
is the formation target of our study.

Voight-Reuss Hill Method

Rock physics is a science to study the relationship between geophysical observation and physical properties
of rocks, such as mineral composition, porosity and fluid content that resides in porous rock.
The Voight Reuss Hill method used to calculate the elastic modulus of solid rock by using the Equation 1,
where solid rock is a rock that does not have and has not been saturated pore fluid.
N N
1 f
M v = ∑ f i M i and =∑ i (1)
i −1 M R i −1 M i
M +MR
M VRH = V
2
where:
Mv : Voight elastic modulus
MR : Reuss elastic modulus
fi : ith mineral fraction
Mi : ith elastic modulus mineral
MVRH : Voight-Reuss Hill elastic modulus

FIGURE 1. Regional stratigraphy of the North East Java Basin [5]

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 Wood Relation
Wood’s Relation can be used to obtain the elastic modulus value of mixing fluid within a rock by using an
Equation 2 as,
1 Sw S S gas
= + oil + (2)
K fl K water K ol K gas

Differential Effective Medium (DEM)

Theory of Differential Effective Medium (DEM) used to model two-phase composite by adding the inclusions to
the matrix phase. Matrix began as an initial phase when the concentration of inclusions is zero, then changed at
every step along with the addition of material inclusions. The process continues until the desired proportion of the
material is reached. This scheme simulates porosity within a composite of two phases by adding a pore in small
quantities (of inclusions) into the matrix [2]. There is a certain matrix or parent material (host material), and the
effective modulus depends on the development path taken to achieve or obtain the final composite. For various
forms of inclusion or material, the effective modulus does not only depend on the volume fraction of the end of the
matter but also how these additions were made. The process of adding inclusion into the matrix is a thought
experiment and should not be considered to present an accurate depiction of the evolution of the real rock porosity in
nature.
The equation of state for the value of the effective bulk modulus and shear modulus are shown in Equation 3 as
follows:

(1 − y ) d [ ]
K * ( y ) = (K 2 − K )P (*2 ) ( y )
dy
(1 − y ) d µ * ( y ) = (µ 2 − µ )Q (*2 ) ( y )
[ ] (3)
dy
Berge and Berryman [6] give the formula shown in Equation 4 to calculate the value of bulk and shear modulus as,
nc
K * ( y + dy ) = K ( y ) +
1
[K 2 − K ( y )]∑ yi Pi dyi
3 i =c (1 − yi )
nc
1 dy i
µ * ( y + dy ) = µ ( y ) + [µ 2 − µ ( y )]∑ y i Pi (4)
5 i =c (1 − y i )
with initial condition K(0) = Km and µ(0) = µm, where and are bulk and shear modulus respectively of mother
rock (material) or background material (matrix phase), and are bulk and shear modulus respectively of mix
fluid inclusion and y is porosity and dy is inclusion increment. P and Q are the geometric factors which depend on
ratio aspect value of each pore type.

Method of Estimation Vs
The empirical method developed by Castagna et al. [7] through Vp-Vs experiments in the laboratory by using
rock samples saturated with water. In the empirical method, shear wave velocity calculation is based only on the
data relationship to the speed of the P-wave. Therefore, it does not take into account the factors and pore fluid
saturated in the rock directly. In this method, there are some equations based on rock samples, namely:
a. Sandstone line, Vs = Vp*0.80416 – 0.85588
b. Quartz line, Vs = Vp*0.8029 – 0.7509
c. Limestone line, Vs = – 0.05508*Vp2 + 1.01677*Vp – 1.03049
d. Dolomite line, Vs = Vp*0.58321 – 0.07775
e. Shale line, Vs = Vp*0.76969 – 0.86735
f. Mud line, Vs = Vp*0.8621 – 1.1724

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 METHODS
Refer to Fig. 2 above, the study carried out in accordance with the following groove:
1. Define the value of aspect ratios for all three types of pores namely crack, reference (interparticle), and stiff
that most suitable for carbonate reservoir in research areas,
2. Put the value of Vpmeasurement and porosity values of the data,
3. Calculate Vpreference assuming that the only type of pore reference that fills the pore space. Then use the
DEM method to calculate the value of Vpreference with aspect ratio predetermined previously. Modulus of
elasticity obtained from DEM formulation as shown in Equation 4,
4. Compare the value of Vpreference to Vpmeasurement. If the value of Vpreference is greater than the value of
Vpmeasurement then the porosity type that plays a role is the interparticle + crack, therefore, use the value of
the aspect ratio α1 as interparticle, α2 as crack,
5. Use DEM and modeling methods to calculate the value of Vpmodeling. This algorithm count as much as 99
value of Vpmodeling with the addition of inclusions of secondary pore type each 1 percent.

FIGURE 2. The study is done as this flowchart

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 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Velocity Model
Well to be used as a reference wells is SKT-14 well. It’s proven that between Vp and Vs modeling and Vp and Vs
measurements have a high correlation value, i.e. 0.99985 and 0.93444 for the Vp and Vs correlation respectively. As
the correlation coefficient is very high, this method can be used to estimate the value Vs for wells that do not have
data Vs where the value of Vp correlation as a controller. The correlations of Vp value for all three wells are shown
in Fig. 3 to Fig. 6.

Crossplot of Vp-Vs Correlation

Here is the cross plot result of the correlation between Vp and Vs modeling for SKT-14, SKT-15, and SKT-35
wells shown by Fig. 7, Fig. 8, and Fig. 9, respectively. These pictures show that between Vp and Vs has a high
correlation value, but the relationship is not linear but quadratic polynomial. Based on empirical research of
Castagna et al. [7], if the relationship between Vp and Vs is quadratic, then the rock which dominates in the reservoir
is limestone.

FIGURE 3. Crossplot of correlation at SKT-14 well. FIGURE 4. Crossplot of Vs correlation at SKT-14 well

FIGURE 5. Crossplot of correlation at SKT-15 well FIGURE 6. Crossplot of correlation at SKT-35 well

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FIGURE 7. The correlation of - modeling at well SKT-15 is likely parabolic rather than linier

FIGURE 8. The correlation of - modeling at well SKT-35 seems parabolic rather than linier

FIGURE 9. The correlation of - modeling at well SKT-14 seems parabolic rather than linier

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 Pore Type
North East Java Basin was first formed as a result of the rifting process during the early Eocene. At the time
happened extensional reactivation of reverse fault formed during Crustaceous old (age old Limestone) which
resulted in a basin. Then came sea water charging at the end of the Eocene, which was then during all-time
Oligocene occurred carbonate charging and deposition in the back arc of shallow sea. Formation formed during the
Oligocene was the Ngimbang Formation, which became the host rock at the North East Java Basin. Then during the
Late Oligocene to early Miocene a new formation formed above Ngimbang Formation, which is now known as
Tuban Formation. During that time also occurred maturation of organic material in the host rock that later formed
the hydrocarbon [8].
Tuban Formation is the formation of the target in this study. The formation is accompanied by the occurrence of
lifting processes that cause stretching and rifting in some parts. The phenomena exactly appeared the type of pore
crack. Tectonic process firstly creates a path for hydrocarbons to migrate. After that occurred collision between the
Asian plate and the Australian plate during the Pliocene-Recent age. The collision forming fractures that cause so
many cracks pores in the formation.
The collision on the Pliocene-recent causes the faults and cracks regionally. Therefore, the presence of cracks
pore type in all of the wells is reasonable. The crack has been there since the beginning of the forming process of the
basin. Once that happens the rifting process in the Pliocene that leads the formed carbonate rocks have exposed to
the surface, and then there was the diagenesis process by the meteoric water. The acidic nature of meteoric water
caused the dissolution which later formed the type of pore stiff (vuggy) which also cause porosity of carbonate rocks
become larger. The domination of vuggy pores is quite evident from the results of the inversion type of pores in the
well SKT-35. However, the existence of stiff pores types in Tuban Formation become a very nice place to trapped
hydrocarbon after migrating through the crack formed in the past given the type of pore stiff cause increased
porosity and pore type of crack can increase the permeability of the reservoir. All three wells SKT-14, SKT-15 and
SKT-35 have two types of secondary pores in each percentage (see Fig. 10, Fig. 11, and Fig. 12). Hence the area
covered by all three of these wells can be identified and categorized as a good reservoir.

FIGURE 10. Log Clay content, Log , Log , dan Log of pore type at well SKT-14

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 FIGURE 11. Log Clay content, Log V_p, Log V_s, dan Log of pore type at well SKT-15

FIGURE 12. Log Clay content, Log , Log , dan Log of pore type at well SKT-35

CONCLUSIONS
DEM as one method of modeling elastic properties of rocks proved able to model the elastic parameters of
carbonate rocks with very high accuracy. Porous rock types in the study area proved to consist of interparticle, stiff,
and crack.
For reference well of SKT-14 wells, the correlation of Vpmodel - Vpmeasurement is 0.9998, while the
correlation it’s Vs is 0.9344. The method is believed to be able to predict Vs with a good and high accuracy.

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 In wells SKT-35 and SKT-15, the correlation of Vpmodel - Vpmeasurement is 0.99503 and 0.9954 respectively.
Correlation between Vp and Vs in wells SKT-14 SKT-15, and SKT-35 is shaped quadratic polynomial with
correlation coefficients of 0.9867, 0.9758, and 0986 respectively. Based on these results, the reservoir area "X" is
dominated by Limestone.

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