Deformation bands and their impact on fluid flow: Insights from geometrical modelling and multi-scale flow simulations in sandstones

Abdullah  Awdal; Ramyar  Suramairy; Kamaljit  Singh; Gilles  Fabre; Ian Alsop

doi:10.1016/j.jsg.2020.104215

Deformation bands and their impact on fluid flow: Insights from geometrical modelling and multi-scale flow simulations in sandstones

Abdullah Awdal^* (Corresponding Author), Ramyar Suramairy, Kamaljit Singh, Gilles Fabre, Ian Alsop

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Deformation bands may show permeabilities that are a few orders of magnitude lower than the surrounding host rocks and therefore have a negative impact on fluid flow in sandstone hydrocarbon reservoirs. Understanding the geometrical attributes of individual bands and their patterns is a critical step in quantifying their connectivity and interpreting how they may compartmentalise reservoirs in the subsurface. In order to gain insights into the shapes, cross-cutting relationships and connectivity of these structures, we developed 3D geometrical models (scaled to centimetres) of deformation bands and joining ladder structures, using a sliced small-scale rock sample from outcrops at Hopeman, Moray Firth (Scotland) and near Goblin Valley, Utah (USA). This 3D geometrical model is used for two-phase flow simulations (water-oil and gas-oil) in order to investigate the effect of deformation bands on time to water breakthrough, waterfront propagation and sweep efficiency. We also investigated capillary effects on flow. Flow simulation results show that the presence of deformation bands led to various time to water and gas breakthroughs, irregular shape of water and gas front propagation and various sweep efficiency for different flow-system. Furthermore, understanding the dynamic behaviour of flow through these structures can lead to better predictions of the influence of deformation bands on fluid flow in subsurface reservoirs.

Original language	English
Article number	104215
Number of pages	19
Journal	Journal of Structural Geology
Volume	141
Early online date	17 Oct 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2020.104215
Publication status	Published - 31 Dec 2020

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements
We thank Schlumberger Ltd. for access to the academic licenses for Petrel and Eclipse software. We also thank Midland Valley Ltd. for access to the academic license of Move. We thank the Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering at the Heriott Watt University for the Pore Scale Network Simulator. We extend our gratitude to Haakon Fossen for his revision of an early version of the manuscript. Thoughtful and constructive reviews by Atle Rotevatn and an anonymous referee have significantly improved the clarity of the manuscript. We are indebted to Martin Blunt from Imperial College London for his permission to use their labs for MicroCT scans. We thank Tim Wynn from TRACS International Ltd for his advice on assigning petrophysical values to the grid. We thank David Healy from University of Aberdeen for his thoughtful ideas and assistance in the field. We are grateful to Colin Taylor from University of Aberdeen for his assistance in the rock sample slicing.

Keywords

deformation band
Ladder
X-Ray micro -CT
Pore-scale simulation
Flow simulation
sandstone

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jsg.2020.104215Licence: Unspecified

Cite this

@article{2ef6666ab84e48a2a72fe86f8655f280,

title = "Deformation bands and their impact on fluid flow: Insights from geometrical modelling and multi-scale flow simulations in sandstones",

abstract = "Deformation bands may show permeabilities that are a few orders of magnitude lower than the surrounding host rocks and therefore have a negative impact on fluid flow in sandstone hydrocarbon reservoirs. Understanding the geometrical attributes of individual bands and their patterns is a critical step in quantifying their connectivity and interpreting how they may compartmentalise reservoirs in the subsurface. In order to gain insights into the shapes, cross-cutting relationships and connectivity of these structures, we developed 3D geometrical models (scaled to centimetres) of deformation bands and joining ladder structures, using a sliced small-scale rock sample from outcrops at Hopeman, Moray Firth (Scotland) and near Goblin Valley, Utah (USA). This 3D geometrical model is used for two-phase flow simulations (water-oil and gas-oil) in order to investigate the effect of deformation bands on time to water breakthrough, waterfront propagation and sweep efficiency. We also investigated capillary effects on flow. Flow simulation results show that the presence of deformation bands led to various time to water and gas breakthroughs, irregular shape of water and gas front propagation and various sweep efficiency for different flow-system. Furthermore, understanding the dynamic behaviour of flow through these structures can lead to better predictions of the influence of deformation bands on fluid flow in subsurface reservoirs.",

keywords = "deformation band, Ladder, X-Ray micro -CT, Pore-scale simulation, Flow simulation, sandstone",

author = "Abdullah Awdal and Ramyar Suramairy and Kamaljit Singh and Gilles Fabre and Ian Alsop",

note = "Acknowledgements We thank Schlumberger Ltd. for access to the academic licenses for Petrel and Eclipse software. We also thank Midland Valley Ltd. for access to the academic license of Move. We thank the Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering at the Heriott Watt University for the Pore Scale Network Simulator. We extend our gratitude to Haakon Fossen for his revision of an early version of the manuscript. Thoughtful and constructive reviews by Atle Rotevatn and an anonymous referee have significantly improved the clarity of the manuscript. We are indebted to Martin Blunt from Imperial College London for his permission to use their labs for MicroCT scans. We thank Tim Wynn from TRACS International Ltd for his advice on assigning petrophysical values to the grid. We thank David Healy from University of Aberdeen for his thoughtful ideas and assistance in the field. We are grateful to Colin Taylor from University of Aberdeen for his assistance in the rock sample slicing.",

year = "2020",

month = dec,

day = "31",

doi = "10.1016/j.jsg.2020.104215",

language = "English",

volume = "141",

journal = "Journal of Structural Geology",

issn = "0191-8141",

publisher = "Elsevier Limited",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Deformation bands and their impact on fluid flow

T2 - Insights from geometrical modelling and multi-scale flow simulations in sandstones

AU - Awdal, Abdullah

AU - Suramairy, Ramyar

AU - Singh, Kamaljit

AU - Fabre, Gilles

AU - Alsop, Ian

N1 - Acknowledgements We thank Schlumberger Ltd. for access to the academic licenses for Petrel and Eclipse software. We also thank Midland Valley Ltd. for access to the academic license of Move. We thank the Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering at the Heriott Watt University for the Pore Scale Network Simulator. We extend our gratitude to Haakon Fossen for his revision of an early version of the manuscript. Thoughtful and constructive reviews by Atle Rotevatn and an anonymous referee have significantly improved the clarity of the manuscript. We are indebted to Martin Blunt from Imperial College London for his permission to use their labs for MicroCT scans. We thank Tim Wynn from TRACS International Ltd for his advice on assigning petrophysical values to the grid. We thank David Healy from University of Aberdeen for his thoughtful ideas and assistance in the field. We are grateful to Colin Taylor from University of Aberdeen for his assistance in the rock sample slicing.

PY - 2020/12/31

Y1 - 2020/12/31

N2 - Deformation bands may show permeabilities that are a few orders of magnitude lower than the surrounding host rocks and therefore have a negative impact on fluid flow in sandstone hydrocarbon reservoirs. Understanding the geometrical attributes of individual bands and their patterns is a critical step in quantifying their connectivity and interpreting how they may compartmentalise reservoirs in the subsurface. In order to gain insights into the shapes, cross-cutting relationships and connectivity of these structures, we developed 3D geometrical models (scaled to centimetres) of deformation bands and joining ladder structures, using a sliced small-scale rock sample from outcrops at Hopeman, Moray Firth (Scotland) and near Goblin Valley, Utah (USA). This 3D geometrical model is used for two-phase flow simulations (water-oil and gas-oil) in order to investigate the effect of deformation bands on time to water breakthrough, waterfront propagation and sweep efficiency. We also investigated capillary effects on flow. Flow simulation results show that the presence of deformation bands led to various time to water and gas breakthroughs, irregular shape of water and gas front propagation and various sweep efficiency for different flow-system. Furthermore, understanding the dynamic behaviour of flow through these structures can lead to better predictions of the influence of deformation bands on fluid flow in subsurface reservoirs.

AB - Deformation bands may show permeabilities that are a few orders of magnitude lower than the surrounding host rocks and therefore have a negative impact on fluid flow in sandstone hydrocarbon reservoirs. Understanding the geometrical attributes of individual bands and their patterns is a critical step in quantifying their connectivity and interpreting how they may compartmentalise reservoirs in the subsurface. In order to gain insights into the shapes, cross-cutting relationships and connectivity of these structures, we developed 3D geometrical models (scaled to centimetres) of deformation bands and joining ladder structures, using a sliced small-scale rock sample from outcrops at Hopeman, Moray Firth (Scotland) and near Goblin Valley, Utah (USA). This 3D geometrical model is used for two-phase flow simulations (water-oil and gas-oil) in order to investigate the effect of deformation bands on time to water breakthrough, waterfront propagation and sweep efficiency. We also investigated capillary effects on flow. Flow simulation results show that the presence of deformation bands led to various time to water and gas breakthroughs, irregular shape of water and gas front propagation and various sweep efficiency for different flow-system. Furthermore, understanding the dynamic behaviour of flow through these structures can lead to better predictions of the influence of deformation bands on fluid flow in subsurface reservoirs.

KW - deformation band

KW - Ladder

KW - X-Ray micro -CT

KW - Pore-scale simulation

KW - Flow simulation

KW - sandstone

U2 - 10.1016/j.jsg.2020.104215

DO - 10.1016/j.jsg.2020.104215

M3 - Article

SN - 0191-8141

VL - 141

JO - Journal of Structural Geology

JF - Journal of Structural Geology

M1 - 104215

ER -

Deformation bands and their impact on fluid flow: Insights from geometrical modelling and multi-scale flow simulations in sandstones

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this