EN 
BR Incorporation of Conceptual Geological Model for Fracture Distribution in 3D Reservoir Modeling: An Example of Brazilian Pre-Salt Carbonate Reservoir
Abstract
Conceptual Geological Models (CGM) serve as a robust tool for 3D reservoir model building, since they allow the representation of geological knowledge in the subsurface, guiding the depiction of fault and fracture distribution, providing insights into their local occurrences, densities, orientations, and aperture. The Brazilian pre-salt carbonate reservoirs are characterized by complex fault systems and natural fractures, with variations related to structural geology, paleotopography, and stratigraphy. This study aims to integrate a CGM into 3D reservoir modeling, focusing on faults and fractures below seismic resolution foran area within an oilfield in the Santos Basin (Santos Outer High), centered on the Barra Velha Formation (BVE), where a PSDM seismic volume, wells (with conventional and special logs), and core samples and thin sections were available. Data analysis resulted in the interpretation of the main horizons in the area and the preferential distribution of fracture families (P10, P20, and P21). Findings from a CGM of fracture distribution were incorporated into reservoir modeling through the Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) methodology, in particular, that the fractures in the BVE are generally correlated with silica-rich zones of the formation. From this, maps of silica distribution were elaborated for the different stratigraphic units of the BVE and used as a constraint for the creation of the fracture networks and the DFN model. Preliminary results show that the use of a CGM proved to be advantageous in the DFN model creation process.