Characterization of the 3-D Properties of the Fine-Grained Turbidite 8 Sand Reservoir, Green Canyon 18, Gulf of Mexico

Understanding the internal organization of the Lower Pleistocene 8 Sand reservoir in the Green Canyon 18 field, Gulf of Mexico, helps to increase knowledge of the geology and the petrophysical properties, and hence contribute to production management in the area. Interpretation of log data from 29 wells, core and production data served to detail as much as possible a geological model destined for a future reservoir simulation. Core data showed that the main facies resulting from fine-grained turbidity currents is composed of alternating sand and shale layers, whose extension is assumed to be large. They correspond to levee and overbank deposits that are usually associated to channel systems. The high porosity values, coming from unconsolidated sediment, were associated to high horizontal permeability but generally low kv/kh ratio. The location of channel deposits was not obvious but thickness maps suggested that two main systems, with a northwest-southeast direction, contributed to the 8 Sand formation deposition. These two systems were not active at the same time and one of them was probably eroded by overlying formations. Spatial relationships between them remained unclear. Shingled stacking of the channel deposits resulted from lateral migration of narrow, meandering leveed channels in the mid part of the turbidite system. Then salt tectonics tilted turbidite deposits and led to the actual structure of the reservoir. The sedimentary analysis allowed the discrimination of three facies A, B and E, with given porosity and permeability values, that corresponded to channel, levee and overbank deposits. They were used to populate the reservoir model. Well correlation helped figure out the extension of these facies.