Fractured reservoirs present a number of challenges. While assumptions can be made about the nature of a fault system in a given region and for a given formation, fractured zones are more difficult to predict, and they may or may not conform with existing fault systems. Fractures zones can also occur at points of strong flexure. Regardless of the mode of formation, the significant difference in permeability relative to a formation’s normal matrix will affect the reservoir’s flow pattern.
Surrounding formations
Depending on the thickness of surrounding formations above and below the target reservoir, connections to other porous rock units could be established, with a risk of losses or of accelerated water breakthrough.
Resoptima solutions
Resoptima uncertainty-centric workflows run the data conditioning of the subsurface model concurrently with history matching. Every uncertainty is represented in full detail, resulting in ensembles with millions of them. New data from e.g. new producing or new injection wells is added to the model as soon as it is available, so the ensemble evolves to continue to fit the entire available data old and new. By preserving every uncertainty that is not resolved by data, evolving circumstances can bring into focus possible reservoir characteristics that may have seemed improbable at the outset.