Workshop on Naturally

Fractured Reservoirs
A Workshop for XX
February 11 & 12, 2008

Ronald A. Nelson
Broken N Consulting, Inc.
Cat Spring, Texas

nelson_consulting@hotmail.com
www.BrokenN.com
Liesegang
Banding in
Aztec Ss,
Nevada

Nelson (2005)
 Ron Nelson
Discipline Structural Geologist

Location Broken N Consulting, Simonton, TX

History 30 yrs with Amoco, XX and as

Consultant

Education BS, MS, PhD in Geology

Skills Fractured Reservoirs, Technology

Management, Technical Reviews,
Recruiting, Structural Interpretation
in Thrust Belts and Rifts

Publications 90 citations; including a textbook

“Geologic Analysis of Naturally
Fractured Reservoirs” (1st & 2nd ed)
 Course Outline
1. Introduction
2. Workflows for Fractured Reservoirs
3. Fracture Origin & their characteristics
a. Tectonic fractures
• Fault Related
• Fold Related
b. Regional fractures
c. Contractional fractures
d. Surface related fractures
4. Fracture morphology
 Course Outline (cont.)

5. Fracture/matrix interaction
6. Fractured reservoir classification
7. Fracture intensity measurement,
quantification & prediction
8. Effects of the reservoir stress state
9. Production characteristics
10. XX participant examples
 This Course Builds On:
• Nelson, R. A., 1985 & 2001, Geological Analysis
of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs: 1st ed. Gulf
Publishing, 2nd ed. Butterworth-Heiniman, 320 p.
• Material presented in the AAPG Fractured
Reservoir Analysis School, 1984-1996, fractured
reservoir schools for NExT, PTTC, and AAPG,
1997-2003.

•Numerous in-house and professional

society courses 1996-present.
 For 450 .pdf or .ppt slides go to
Butterworth-Heinimann website
(www.bh.com)

-Search for author (Nelson)

-Select this book
-Go to “about the author”
-Select “companion website”

Other downloads available at

www.BrokenN.com

(2001)
Naparima Hill in Outcrop, Trinidad

S. Serra
Generalized Fractured Reservoir Workflow
Is this a Fractured Screening
Ownership
Reservoir? Tools of Studies
Quantitative
Fracture Reservoir Fluid &
Data Properties Pressure Data
G&G
Fracture Fracture/ Flow & Test
Origin & Matrix
Data
Distribution Interaction
Exploration
Applications In Situ Stress
Static Field Dynamic Integrated
Conceptual Conceptual
Model Model

Reserves & Fractured Inhomo. &

Rates Reservoir Type Anisotropy
Res Eng
Is This economic?
Integrated Static
& Dynamic Description

Which Modeling Style? Numerical Reservoir

Simulation
Sanction & Development? History Match
& Iterate
Pick Well Locations Completion
& Well Paths /Depletion Strategies

Monitor Performance
Restudy?
& Adjust

Nelson (2004)
 Steps in Creating a SCM in a Fractured Reservoir
Aperture
Scales of surface geology
Scales of subsurface geology Obtain Obtain Fracture porosity
Quantitative Reservoir Fracture permeability
Geophysical structure &
attributes Fracture Properties Saturation
Statistical representations Population of Fracture Anisotropy
Data System
Constrained modeling Production Inhomogeneity

Empirical Templates
Determine Core observation &
Regional Quantify analyses
Fracture Origin Fracture &
Faulting Cross flow term
& Apply Matrix
Folding Distribution “sigma”
Interaction
Compaction Models Reachable reserves

Log breakouts and

Create Measure or induced fractures
Static Model In Earthquake data
Conceptual Situ Stress
Strain relief
Model State
A Quantitative Diagenetic
Visual sequencing

Representation 4-D Flow anisotropy

Nelson (2004)
 Why Use a Static Conceptual Model in
Simulating Fractured Reservoirs
1. Need a visual
representation of the
fracture/fault features that
can be used over time
during multiple simulation
models of varying
complexity and scales of
investigation.
2. SCM communicates the
discontinuity data,
including its’ regularity
and variability, to all team
members involved w/
simulation, exploration
and development.

Nelson (2004)
 Static Conceptual Model
Requires the Following:
1. Statistical representation of
the elements of the fracture
system.
2. Permeability anisotropy &
fracture porosity (spacing,
aperture, orientation of each
fracture set).
3. Spatial variation in
fracture/reservoir properties.
4. Effect of multiple sizes or
scales of fractures.
5. Applicability to both
continuum and discrete
simulation.

Nelson (2004)
Included should be N
spacing of swarms,
background fracture
direction & intensity,
width of swarms, and
fracture intensity within
swarms
 Avoid

“Fracture Denial”
 “Fracture Denial”
Keeps Us From:
• Gathering important static data early
• Optimizing our well locations & paths
• Designing our secondary recovery
patterns correctly
• Accurately predicting field rates & recovery
• Economically depleting our field

Nelson (2001)
Late Recognition of Fractures Resulted in
12% Drop in Expected Reserves
Context Cupiagua
Large Oilfield Fracture
in South Understanding
America
Dynamic
Data Collection
Fracture "Denial"
Integration
Fractures

Condensate Production (mbd)

200,000
Cumulative UBI Data (mbd)

40,000

Discovery
Well Sanction
30,000 150,000

A1 C3 B4 Q6 E7 H11
Main Facilities
20,000 Start up 100,000

UBI data
10,000 50,000

0 0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Lynch et.al. (2000)

Aberdeen Subsurface Forum 2000
Shear & Extension Fractueres in Porous
Tertiary Ss, Galeota Pt, Trinidad

(Pocket knife for scale) Courtesy of D.B. Felio

 Fractures & Stress State

Maximum Compressive
A = Extension Stress
Fracture
B = Right-Lateral
Shear Fracture
C= Left-Lateral
Shear Fracture

Minimum
Compressive Stress

Nelson (1985)
Fractures & Strain State

Maximum
Shortening

Extension

Nelson (1985)
Conjugate Shear Fractures (Normal Faults) in Outcrop

GSA Bull.
Assumption:

Fracture orientations faithfully

depict the state of stress at the
time of fracturing

Nelson (1985)
 Sandstone
Laboratory Deformed
Rock Samples

Limestone
Increased Confining
Stress and/or
Temperature

Center for Tectonophysics,

TAMU
House for Scale

Tectonically
Uplifted and
Fractured Granite
Basement
Royal Gorge, CO
 Fracture System Origin
• Based on empirical models of fracture
distribution
• Uses underpinning of geologic and rock
mechanics data
• Necessary for effective extrapolation on
interpolation of limited existing subsurface
observations

Nelson (1985)
 Natural Fracture
Classification
(A Genetic Classification)
• Tectonic Fractures
– Fold-related, Fault-related
• Regional Fractures
– Joints, Cleat
• Contractional Fractures
– Chickenwire, Diagenesis-related, Columnar
Joints
• Surface-related & Induced
– Unloading, Spall, Weathering

Nelson (1985)
Fault Fold

Fracture
System
Origin

Origin
Defines
Geometry &
Continuity
Regional Diagenetic

Nelson (2006)
Assumption:

Rocks in the laboratory fracture

in a manner qualitatively similar
to equivalent rocks in nature

Nelson (1985)
 Tectonic Fractures
• Tectonic fractures are those whose origin
can, on the basis of orientation,
distribution, and morphology, be attributed
to or associated with a local tectonic
event.
– Fault-Related
– Fold-Related

Nelson (1985)