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Hydraulic flow unit and facies analysis integrated study for reservoir characterisation: a case study of Middle Jurassic rocks at Khashm El-Galala, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

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Abstract

The geological attributes, the nature of permeability barriers, and petrophysical properties are substantial for defining the different hydraulic units which do not necessarily coincide with the geological facies boundaries. The integrated study between facies analysis and classic discrimination of hydraulic flow units is very important to categorise rock quality and heterogeneity as a reservoir. The lithofacies and petrographic microfacies analyses are carried out based on subjective geological observations, whereas the graphical and statistical hydraulic flow unit discriminations are carried out based on permeability-porosity empirical relationships. The reservoir quality heterogeneity is in charge of characterising the hazard in delineating a new discovery in the field. In this study, the authors defined and described five facies (F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5) in light of the geological attributes of the Jurassic rocks at Khashm El-Galala. Facies F5, which is coarse to medium-grained quartz arenite sandstone, represents the best reservoir quality. Three hydraulic flow units (HFU1 through HFU3) were described precisely in the studied rocks with flow zone indicator (FZI) values referring to a wide range of hydraulic characteristics. Quartz constitutes the dominant framework mineral in the sandstone samples. Compaction and cementation are the most effective porosity-reducing diagenetic processes that change the reservoir rock quality.

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Acknowledgements

Mostafa Teama would like to thank the Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI) CoreLab, Ministry of Scientific Research, Egypt, for access to lab facilities for conducting part of this work. The authors would like to thank those who offered help during sample preparation, measurements and data interpretation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Exploration, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI), Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed A. Kassab

  2. Mathematical & Science Engineering Department, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Suez University, Suez, Egypt

    Mostafa A. Teama

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  1. Mohamed A. Kassab
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  2. Mostafa A. Teama
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Correspondence to Mostafa A. Teama.

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Highlights

• Our main aim is to study the effect of petrophysical parameters on reservoir quality.

• Reservoir quality of our sandstones was controlled by type diagenetic processes and facies dominated.

• Facies 5 is the dominant in HFU3 and characterized by good petrophysical properties.

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Kassab, M.A., Teama, M.A. Hydraulic flow unit and facies analysis integrated study for reservoir characterisation: a case study of Middle Jurassic rocks at Khashm El-Galala, Gulf of Suez, Egypt. Arab J Geosci 11, 294 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3595-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3595-2

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