Clastic Hydrocarbon Reservoir Sedimentology

This book presents a comprehensive assessment of clastic sedimentology and its application to reservoir geology. It covers the theoretical foundations of the topic and its use for scientists as well as professionals in the field. Further, it addresses all aspects of reservoir sedimentology, clastic sequence stratigraphy, sedimentation, reservoir diagenesis and heterogeneity, as well as depositional systems (alluvial, fluvial, lacustrine, delta, sandy coast, neritic, deep-water) in detail. The research team responsible for this book has been investigating clastic sedimentology for more than three decades and consists of highly published and cited authors. The Chinese edition of this book has been a great success, and is popular among sedimentologists and petroleum geologists alike.

This book presents a comprehensive assessment of clastic sedimentology and its application to reservoir geology. It covers the theoretical foundations of the topic and its use for scientists as well as professionals in the field. Further, it addresses all aspects of reservoir sedimentology, clastic sequence stratigraphy, sedimentation, reservoir diagenesis and heterogeneity, as well as depositional systems (alluvial, fluvial, lacustrine, delta, sandy coast, neritic, deep-water) in detail. The research team responsible for this book has been investigating clastic sedimentology for more than three decades and consists of highly published and cited authors. The Chinese edition of this book has been a great success, and is popular among sedimentologists and petroleum geologists alike.

Knowledge of the principles and methods of petroleum sedimentology is essential for oil and gas exploration and exploitation. This book is designed as an introductory text for students in petroleum geology and applied sedimentology as well as a useful companion for advanced technicians, explorationists, geophysicists and petroleum engineers. Source rock, lithology and type of trap define the quality of a hydrocarbon accumulation. This interrelationship is exemplified by seven case histories worldwide (NW Europe, Saudi Arabia, U.S.A., Mexico, CIS, China). Moreover, successful exploitation and enhanced oil recovery often depend on an adequate knowledge of the sedimentology of a reservoir. Photographs illustrate macroscopic and microscopic aspects of source rocks as well as reservoir sandstones and limestones that are most important for hydrocarbon exploration. A comprehensive list of references encourages further study.

In summary, physical, biogenic, and chemical sedimentary structures are important to many aspects of reservoir characterization and should be included in every characterization, whether the analyst is using cores, borehole-image logs, or an analog outcrop. Sedimentary structures provide important information about the depositional environment of the reservoir rock, and from that information, one can determine the extent and geometry of the reservoir, its trend, and any likely impediments to hydrocarbon production. Porosity and permeability and, in particular, fluid-flow paths are also affected and guided by how the sediment grains are arranged into specific structures. Finally, one should bear in mind that some sedimentary structures can produce misleading or erroneous well-log results.

An integrated perspective to sandstone reservoir description and analysis. The twelve chapters, divided in 3 sections, describe the use of sequence stratigraphy to catalog, identify and predict marine clastic reservoir facies, examine importance of rigorous sedimentological and geomorphic description, and review marine depositional environments.

Reservoir quality is studied using a wide range of similar techniques in both sandstones and carbonates. Sandstone and carbonate reservoir quality both benefit from the study of modern analogues and experiments, but modelling approaches are currently quite different for these two types of reservoirs. There are many common controls on sandstone and carbonate reservoir quality, but also distinct differences due primarily to mineralogy. Numerous controversies remain including the question of oil inhibition, the key control on pressure solution and geochemical flux of material to or from reservoirs. This collection of papers contains case-study-based examples of sandstone and carbonate reservoir quality prediction as well as modern analogue, outcrop analogue, modelling and advanced analytical approaches.