Reservoir architecture, which is the internal fabric and structure of reservoirs, governs migration paths during hydrocarbon production. A detailed understanding of reservoir architecture is necessary for effective development of an oil or gas field. Because it is virtually impossible to determine the spatial distribution of reservoir properties from subsurface data alone, outcrop studies of reservoir analogs are used to gather data on (1) sandstone-body geometry, (2) positions and continuity of bounding surfaces between major sandstone bodies, (3) the internal architecture of sandstones, and (4) the distribution of permeability values. This information from outcrop is used to develop detailed geologic models that can be applied to reservoirs in analogous rocks.

In this module you will examine data collected in an outcrop study of fluvial sandstones, ranging from large-scale stratigraphic information to individual permeability measurements. You will be asked to map major features on a photomosaic, then compare your results with those of the field geologist. Bedding diagrams and permeability measurements made on the outcrop will illustrate the heterogeneity that can exist in fluvial sandstones.

Instructors: Mark D. Barton, Shirley P. Dutton

Product Code #912

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