PETROLEUM

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

PROCESSES AND DATA

INTEGRATION
(Basin Modeling)
 IES
Integrated Exploration Systems

An Introduction to
Petroleum Systems Modeling with PetroMod

©IES Integrated Exploration Systems, October 2000

Bastionstr. 11-19, 52428 Juelich, Germany
Tel: +49-2461-936010, Fax: +49-2461-936090, Email: support@ies.de
 PetroMod 2D/3D: Modules and Workflow (6.0)

2D 3D
Data source module module Data source

Landmark Landmark
or GeoQuest IESX and/or GeoQuest IESX
or Charisma
SeisStrat 2D SeisStrat 3D and/or Charisma
or ascii and/or grids
and/or ascii

3D grids
Input 2D/3D

PetroCharge
Simulation 2D/3D
Express

Output Suite:
1D / Burial / 2D / MapView / 3D

Fig.1
 SeisStrat 2D/3D
The input data editors in the Input module provide simultaneous table and graphical data viewing for
both thickness and depth values, with linked zoom functions.
SeisStrat 2D
SeisStrat 2D has direct binary access to DepoMap
Landmark and GeoQuest's seismic and
well data bases (SeisWorks,
OpenWorks, IESX, Charisma,
GeoFrame).

Integrated depth conversion, multi-

window displays in two-way-time, depth
and geologic time, and a linked mapping
tool (DepoMap) provide a complete
seismic-stratigraphic interpretation tool.

SeisStrat 3D enables full 3D model

building and editing in a completely new
development.

The Preprocessor enables the grid

orientation of the data to be changed in
any direction when generating simulator
input files.
SeisStrat 3D

Fig.2
 PetroMod 2D/3D Input
The input data editors in the Input module provide simultaneous table and graphical data viewing for
both thickness and depth values, with linked zoom functions.
Map viewer
Select any layer in
the model and
simultaneously view
the data values and
a map.

Select a 2D section
and view it in the
cross section
viewer.

View paleo-sections
to QC the data
model.

Cross-section viewer

Fig.3
 PetroMod 2D/3D - Simulation Packages

PetroCharge
Express PetroCharge PetroGen 2D/3D PetroFlow 2D/3D

maps Input: 2D and 3D

Simulation: Simulation: Simulation: Simulation:

No temperature, Multi-1D temperat., 2D/3D temperature, 2D/3D temperature,
pressure, generation generation, pressure, generation pressure, generation
expulsion modeling!
expulsion expulsion expulsion

Flowpath
migration modeling Flowpath no migration 2D/3D migration,
migration modeling modeling incl. hybrid Darcy /
Flowpath modeling

Output:
Map Viewer - with Output:
flowpath analysis 2D and 3D Viewer - with links to 1D/2D/Burial History
tools
Map Viewer - with flowpath analysis tools

Fig.4
 PetroCharge Express
Injecting oil and gas into carriers can be done at specified points (point injection) or within digitized polygons
(area injection), e.g. above a mature kitchen area in a source rock. The injected oil and gas is then evenly
distributed in the area and assigned to the separate drainage areas.

1. Press the Area Gas/Oil

Injection icon, then digitize Undo/Redo Injection
the polygon (use the right icons enable you to
mouse button to close). return to previous
injection models.
2. Move the cursor into the
polygon (a hand will appear)
and it can now be moved. Or
use the right mouse button to
pop up a menu to inject oil
and gas into the area, or to
delete, save, select or erase.

2. Inject enables you to put

oil and/or gas volumes into
the selected polygon.

In this example, a large oil

injection area was defined by a
specified contour in the western
area, while a smaller gas source
area was assumed in the deep
Northwest of the area.
inject oil and gas box

Fig.5
 PetroCharge
Flowpath modeling is fully integrated into the 3D simulator. The flowpath functions are used to display
catchment areas, flowpaths and accumulations as separate oil and gas bodies.

Remarks:
• All possible flowpaths
(blue lines) are switched
on in this image
• Potential gas (red) and
oil (green) accumulation
sites are shown
• White contour lines on
the right hand side
indicate the deep,
currently active source
areas
• The single green and
red flowpath lines
crossing the lower part of
the image show traces
from specific points in the
active source area.

Fig.6
 Integrated (Hybrid) Darcy/Flowpath Modeling
Full-3D Finite Element Analysis
(sampled = macro-cell)

Sat. = 80%

Flowpath Modelling
(micro-cell)

Vol. =50 mill. m³

Fig.7
 Hybrid 3D Hybrid Darcy/Flowpath modeling is performed by the 3D simulator. The
Modeling flowpath functions are used to calculate and display separate oil and gas
bodies.
Remarks:

• Gas (red) and oil

(green) accumulations
are shown as well-
defined reservoir bodies
on the original high
resolution (or micro-cell)
grid.

• The saturation values

(in this image: gas) used
for the Darcy
calculations can be seen
as colours on the grid.

• The grid colours in the

area of the reservoir
show the sampled
macro cells. In this case,
the sampling rate for the
Darcy calculations was
3x3.

Fig.8
 PetroFlow 2D: hybrid 2D migration modeling
Hybrid Darcy/Flowpath modeling is performed by the PetroFlow 2D simulator and used to calculate
and display separate-phase oil and gas bodies.

Gas (red) and oil (green) accumulations are

shown as well-defined reservoir bodies.

Hydrocarbon properties in the reservoirs can be

interrogated and overlay values, in this example
temperatures, can be displayed.

Hydrocarbon column heights at

each point in a reservoir are
accurately calculated and are
not effected by the cell sizes.

All reservoir calculations, for

example of column heights vs.
capillary pressure contrasts and
spill points, are therefore scale
independent ... down to meter-
scale!

Fig.9
 PetroFlow 3D:
Hybrid 3D Migration
Modeling

... bridging the gap

between basin scale
and reservoir
modeling

This known reservoir has been simulated

within the basin scale framework using fully
PVT-controlled relationships of the fluid and
vapour petroleum phases based on a
symmetrical black oil model.

Fig.10
 PetroFlow 3D: Hybrid Darcy/Flowpath
Application: North Sea

The model correctly mirrors

the multiple pay
accumulations in both
Tertiary and Jurassic
reservoirs
and enables improved
predictions in new
prospects

Present day petroleum migration and reservoir distribution (data courtesy of Norsk Hydro)
 Petroleum Systems Analysis:
Three-Dimensional Modeling

SeisStrat 3D enables full 3D model building and editing in a completely new development. The Preprocessor
enables the grid orientation of the data to be changed in any direction when generating simulator input files.
 Petroleum Systems Analysis:
Prediction of Components/Phases
Gas (red) and oil (green)
accumulations are shown as well-
defined reservoir bodies.

Column heights at each point in a

reservoir are accurately calculated,
regardless of its geometric
complexity or size. All calculations,
for example of column heights vs.
capillary pressure contrasts and
spill points, are therefore scale
independent (down to meter-scale!)
and are not effected by the cell
sizes.

Hydrocarbon components in each

phase can be shown for a selected cell
or reservoir in a pie chart (gas in the
inside, oil in the outside circle) and as
values in a table.
oil and gas component display
 Petroleum Systems Analysis:
Prediction of Catchment Areas
Flowpath modeling is fully integrated into the 3D simulator. The flowpath functions are used to display
catchment areas, flowpaths and accumulations as separate oil and gas bodies.

Remarks:
• All possible flowpaths
(blue lines) are
switched on in this
image
• Potential gas (red) and
oil (green)
accumulation sites are
shown
• White contour lines on
the right hand side
indicate the deep,
currently active source
areas
• The single green and
red flowpath lines
crossing the lower part
of the image show
traces from specific
points in the active
source area.
 Petroleum Systems Analysis:
Integration with Remote Sensing and Piston Coring

SANTOS BASIN
 Petroleum Systems Analysis:
Regional scale application - Reserves Assessment

Extract reserves information for a specific

carrier/reservoir directly from regional scale
model for statistics or sensitivity testing.
 Petroleum Systems Analysis:
Integration of Different Migration Modeling Methods

Darcy flow
modeling of
pressure
driven
leakage from
reservoir.

Flowpath modeling
of lateral transport in
effective carrier.

Data courtesy Norsk Hydro, Bergen

 Petroleum Systems Analysis:
Hybrid Darcy/Flowpath
(application in the North Sea)

The model correctly mirrors the

multiple pay accumulations in both
Tertiary and Jurassic reservoirs
and enables improved predictions
in new prospects

Petroleum migration and reservoir distribution (data courtesy of Norsk Hydro)

 Petroleum Systems Analysis :
Regional scale application – Reserves Assessment

Reservoir scale
information is
retained on this
regional scale
model.

Example is an entire country in the Middle East!

Data courtesy USGS

 Linking
Structural and Petroleum Systems Modeling

IES PetroMod Development Review

Structural Modeling: Never underestimate the complexity of the task!

Top Lower

foreland pin plane

Carboniferous

Top ORS

Top Lower
Paleozoic
Thrusts/
detachment

KMF
e
Clar
Co. ry
stua
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nnon
a
Sh

? Caledonian
granite
y
Ba
le
ng

Bay
Di
ay

Bay
Bantry
eB

ay
basal

anus B

ter
mar

detachment

a
Ken

w
ring
Dunm

Roa
(Bresser & Walter 1999)
PetroMod Structure Link
 Structural and Petroleum Systems Models: Characteristics
(Bresser 2000)
Structural Model
Applications:
Used to interprete tectonically effected
geological models, especially in cases of salt,
extensional and compressional tectonics. The
creation of paleo-models provides a check on
the present interpretation.
Capabilities:
Lateral movements of objects and geometries
using surface (2D: line) or volume (2D: surface)
balancing and following rules for the behaviour
of rock units when stressed. Cannot use fixed,
vertical gridding.
PetroFlow 3D reservoir system image
Petroleum Systems Model
Applications:
Used to understand and then predict
hydrocarbon (HC) generation timing and
migration through geologic time. A complete
sequence of paleo-models is a result of the
geologic modeling.
Capabilities:
Vertical movements of cellular or mapped
geological objects are followed through burial
and uplift; temperatures, pressures and HC
generation and migration including complex
phase / component behaviours are simulated.
 Structural and Petroleum Systems Models: Integration Concepts
(Bresser 2000)
1. Create new integrated tool
Advantages:
Could provide improved feedback between both
modeling processes, e.g. pressures to
compaction to paleo-geometry.
Disadvantages:
Complexity of integrated tool means that both
the structural and the petroleum migration
modeling functionality and reliability will always
be limited compared to specialized tools.
PetroFlow 3D reservoir system image
2. Link existing tools (IES approach)
Advantages:
Users can continue to use advanced special
tools for both structural and petroleum systems
modeling. There is no need to learn how to use a
new tool. Superior functionality of both tools is
retained.
Disadvantages:
Possible loss of information during regridding
and loss of feedback between modeled
processes.
Hybrid Migration Modeling: Linking different modeling methods

Complete grid transformation

Input during each time loop!*

Complete transfer of all

geometric information,
including original high
resolution coordinates if
optional sampling is used
Temperature/ Complete transfer of all
pressure additional parametric information of
model:
migration
• porosities
modeling • permeabilities
main migration method • temperatures
modeling • pressures
method • boundary conditions
• etc.

Complete transfer of all

hydrocarbon information:
• phase states
• n-components
Output • properties
• etc.

* Complete grid transformations are an integral part of the IES hybrid approach!
 Edit structural models in PetroMod
Balanced paleo-models obtained with a structural modeling package (e.g. GeoSec 2D) can be imported,
edited and new timesteps can be created in the PetroMod Input module.

In this example, a balanced salt

model has been imported. The
balanced sections can be edited
in linked tables and graphically.
 Structural controls petroleum systems model: salt
Balanced paleo-models obtained with a structural modeling package (GeoSec 2D) control the geometry of
the petroleum systems model through time.

In this sequence
(shown with
temperatures at 70,
50 and 10 Ma)
all geometries are
controlled by the
structural model, in
this case GeoSec
2D.

Subtle changes
include salt seal
breakages leading
to hydrocarbon and
pressure
breakthroughs.
 3-phase / n-component modeling: flash calculations
Balanced paleo-models obtained with a structural modeling package (GeoSec 2D) control the geometry of
the petroleum systems model. 3-Phase / n-component migration modeling with flash calculations improve
the predictive capabilities for hydrocarbon properties.

1. This shallow reservoir is the only one with free-

phase light components, mostly methane (yellow).

3. In this deep 2. At this level

reservoir most of the fluid phase
the C15+ consists largely
components have of C15+
been cracked to components
lighter components (magenta).
(dark blue).
 Summary and Conclusions

Rationale:
• Many interesting exploration areas are characterized by structurally complex geologic histories.
Structural Modeling techniques are needed to interprete and reconstruct these histories.
• Petroleum Systems Modeling is then required to determine hydrocarbon generation and migration in
order to improve predictions of HC locations and properties.
• Integrating or linking these two techniques has obvious benefits.

Applications:
The main application areas are salt modeling, extensional and compressional tectonic environments.

IES Approach:
IES has decided to create links to structural modeling packages, instead of trying to create an
integrated package. The main benefits are that users can continue to work with known software tools,
and that the full functionality of each modeling tool is retained, for example with advanced phase /
component handling methods such as flash calculations for migration modeling.

Status and Development Plans:

A link to 2D balancing has been created and is being used for services work in salt tectonic
environments. Links to additional 2D/3D packages and enhancements are being developed based on
customer requirements. Test projects in extensional environments are currently being performed.

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