Geological Characterization and Modeling of a Carbonate Reservoir from the Brazilian Pre-salt.
In the last decades, several studies on the geology of the Campos and Santos Basins have been produced, with a focus on understanding the characteristics of the pre-salt carbonate reservoirs. The motivation for these studies is related to the great economic potential of these reservoirs.
According to the National Petroleum Agency (ANP), in January 2020, for example, pre-salt production broke a record in Brazil and accounted for 66.37% of Brazilian production. For the production and exploration of the pre-salt, it is necessary to understand the heterogeneities of the carbonate deposits and how is the variability of these rocks in the oil reservoirs.
Research line 3 (RL3), entitled “Characterization and geological modelling of the Brazilian pre-salt carbonate reservoir”, aims to study the geological processes related to the development of the Brazilian pre-salt carbonate reservoirs.
The pre-salt reservoirs are found below an extensive layer of salt that can reach up to 3 km in thickness. These carbonate rocks were formed millions of years ago, during the period when the continents of South America and Africa were separating. During this geological period, oil accumulated in these carbonate rocks and the salt layer served as a sealing rock, keeping the oil trapped until today.
In this context, RL3 works on the generation of geological models, with the representation of the main heterogeneities of the reservoir, and has the following research activities:
- Seismic interpretation applied to stratigraphic analysis;
- Petrophysical and faciological analysis of the reservoir;
- Fault/fracture interpretation and representation in the geological model;
- Characterization of karst features of the reservoir;
- Generation of geological models of the reservoir and uncertainty analysis;
Why do we do it?
The pre-salt reservoirs are very complex, represented by heterogeneous carbonate rocks with distinct geological characteristics. It is essential to know how these rocks are distributed and the factors that control the quality of the reservoir.
How do we do it?
Through multiscale geological analysis (seismic, well record, core sample) and integration through multidisciplinary studies.
What do we do?
We process and interpret seismic data (horizons and fractures) and correlate with well records and core data to generate a 3D model of the reservoir.
