Reservoir heterogeneity and fluid flow implication of the Late-Jurassic Arabian stromatoporoid-coral buildup facies during waterflood: an insight from 3D outcrop analog

Abstract

This study constructs a 3D high-fidelity outcrop-based analog reservoir static model of the Late-Jurassic Arabian stromatoporoid-coral facies assemblages. The resulting model is used in reservoir simulation to investigate the collective influence of the facies heterogeneity on fluid flow and recovery during waterflood. Results show the permeability contrast and flow connectivity between the stromatoporoid/coral buildup facies with their contemporary interbuildup strata that can be mud-supported or grainstone facies. Thirty-five years of flow simulation during water flooding using a vertical 5-spot pattern with a 1 km spacing suggests different sweep efficiency at different stratigraphic levels. A substantial amount of oil remains in the analog reservoir, suggesting that the reservoir with these typical facies is still underutilized and has the potential to be developed further to improve ultimate recovery.