Utilizing NMR Workflow to Optimize Power Water Injector Placement in the Presence of Tar Barriers

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this work is to optimize the placement of horizontal power water injector (PWI) wells in stratified heterogeneous carbonate reservoir with tar barriers. The key to successful reservoir navigation is a reliable real-time petrophysical analysis that resolves rock quality variations and differentiates tar barriers from lighter hydrocarbon intervals. An integrated workflow has been generated based on logging-while drilling (LWD) triple combo and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) logging data for fluid identification, tar characterization and permeability prediction. The workflow has three steps; it starts with the determination of total porosity using density and neutron logs, the calculation of water-filled porosity from resistivity measurements and an additional partitioning of porosity into bound and free fluid volumes using the NMR data. Second, the total and water-filled porosity, the NMR bound fluid and NMR total porosity are used as inputs in a hydrocarbon compositional and viscosity analysis of hydrocarbon-bearing zones for the recognition of tar-bearing and lighter hydrocarbon intervals. Third, in the lighter hydrocarbon intervals, NMR logs are further analyzed using a multi-cutoff spectral analysis to identify microporous and macroporous zones and to calculate the NMR mobility index. The ideal geosteering targets are highly macroporous rocks containing no heavy hydrocarbons. In horizontal wells, the method is validated using formation pressure while drilling (FPWD) measurements. The procedure has been utilized in several wells. The original well path of the first injector was planned to maintain a safe distance above an anticipated tar-bearing zone. Utilizing the new real-time viscosity evaluation, the well was steered closer to the tar zone several feet below the original plan, setting an improved well placement protocol for subsequent injectors. In the water- or lighter hydrocarbon-bearing zones, spectral analysis of NMR logs clearly accentuated micro- and macroporous carbonate intervals. The correlation between pore size and rock quality has been corroborated by FPWD mobility measurements. In one well, an extremely slow NMR relaxation may indicate wettability alteration in a macroporous interval. An integrated real-time evaluation of porosity, fluid saturation, hydrocarbon viscosity and pore size has enhanced well placement in a heterogeneous carbonate formation where tar barriers are also present. The approach increased well performance and substantially improved reservoir understanding.