The incorporation of 3D Digitalcore analysis can greatly benefit an integrated acquisition and appraisal strategy for conventional reservoirs and lead to more effective reservoir characterization. Many studies have been undertaken which have highlighted the benefits of incorporating a 3D Digitalcore program with conventional acquisition of high quality wireline logs, core retrieval and analyses programs and pressure testing. This includes:

 

• Stronger link between petrophysical analysis and geological descriptions such as facies and depositional environments including;
• Basis for identifying petrophysical bed types at very high resolution. Developing ground-truth reservoir data for comparison with log-analysis data.
• Higher confidence in net-to-gross definition of porosity:permeability trends;
• Relating NMR response to mineralogy and calibration of NMR estimated permeabilities for different facies.
• Estimations of water saturations from 3D image data; measurement of Archie equation inputs for cementation (m) and saturation (n) exponents.
• Acoustic wave velocities, acoustic anisotropy, grain and grain contact orientations.

• The 3D Digitalcore analysis data can also be acquired with rapid turnaround times (data in days/weeks);
• Potential to acquire data from damaged or poorly consolidated core;
• 3D data remains available for future tests, case studies, “what if” scenarios and analysis of recoveries and reserve estimations (dynamic simulations and history matching).
• 3D petrographic information (>500,000 grains) such as grain size, shape, orientation and statistical distributions

 

A number of studies have been undertaken: examples of some to date have included:

• 3D distribution of total, effective, connected and clay-bound porosity in 3D:
• M. Knackstedt, S. Latham, R. Sok and M. Kumar, Rock Typing Across Disciplines;, Proceedings of the SPWLA 51st Annual Logging Symposium, June 19-23, 2010, Perth. copyrighted – see OnePetro
• Permeability anisotropy in laminated sands.
• Resistivity and Permeability Anisotropy measured in Laminated sands, A. Ghous, F. Bauget, C. Arns, A. Sakellariou, T. Senden, A. Sheppard, R. Sok, W. V. Pinczewski, R. Harris, G. F. Beck and M. Knackstedt, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts Annual Symposium, June 27-30, 2005, New Orleans, USA. copyrighted – see OnePetro
• Archie’s cementation and saturation exponents for clean to shaly sands.
• M. Kumar, R. Sok, M. Knackstedt, S. Latham, T. Senden, A. Sheppard, T. Varslot and C. Arns, Mapping fluid distributions in 3D at the pore scale: Quantifying the influence of wettability and saturation history on rock resistivity, Proceedings of the SPWLA 50th Annual Logging Symposium, June 21-24, 2009, Houston. copyrighted – see OnePetro
• Archie’s cementation and saturation exponents under variable wettability scenarios.

• M. Kumar, T. Senden, M. Knackstedt, S. J. Latham, A. P. Sheppard, Imaging of pore scale distribution of fluids and wettability, Paper SCA2008-16, 2008 Society of Core Analysts meeting, October 2008. Awarded best paper at 2008 SCA conference. see SCA

• Relative permeability and residual saturations
• M. Kumar, R. Sok, M. Knackstedt, S. Latham, T. Senden, A. Sheppard, T. Varslot and C. Arns, Mapping fluid distributions in 3D at the pore scale: Quantifying the influence of wettability and saturation history on rock resistivity, Proceedings of the SPWLA 50th Annual Logging Symposium, June 21-24, 2009, Houston. copyrighted – see OnePetro
• V. H. Nguyen, A. P. Sheppard, M. A. Knackstedt and W. V. Pinczewski, A dynamic network model for film-flow and snap-off in imbibition displacements, J. Petroleum Science and Engineering, 52, 54-70 (2006). see Elsevier

• Rock fabric & texture in 3D
• M. Saadatfar, M. Turner, C. Arns, H. Averdunk, T. Senden, A. Sheppard, R. Sok, W. V. Pinczewski, J. Kelly and M. Knackstedt, Rock Fabric and Texture from Digitalcore Analysis, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts Annual Symposium, June 27-30, 2005, New Orleans, USA. copyrighted – see OnePetro
• Acoustic and compaction properties
• M. Knackstedt, S. Latham, M. Madadi, A. Sheppard, T. Varslot & C. Arns, Digital Rock Physics: 3D imaging of core material and correlations to acoustic and flow properties, The Leading Edge, January issue, 260-264 to appear (2009). copyrighted – see SEG The Leading Edge
• H. Averdunk, J. Middleton, A. Sheppard, M. Knackstedt, M. Myers and L. Hathon, 3D Imaging and Analysis of Grain Compaction, 2008 AAPG Annual Symposium, San Antonio, TX, April 21, 2008. copyright AAPG
• NMR Response

• C. H. Arns, A.P. Sheppard, R. M. Sok and M. A. Knackstedt, NMR petrophysical predictions on digitized core images Petrophysics, 48 (3): 202-221 (2007).  copyrighted – see OnePetro