TABLE OF CONTENTS Reservoir rock properties are distributed by contouring and digitizing geologic maps. The mapping-contouring process is the point where the geological and geophysical interpretations have their greatest impact on the final representation of the reservoir. This chapter discusses methods for distributing rock properties.
The distribution of rock properties depends on the type of flow model that will be used. Flow models may be classified into three different types: full field models, sector or window area models, and conceptual models. Full field models are used to match performance of the entire field. They take into account the interaction between all wells and layers. The disadvantage of using full field models is that the number of gridblocks may need to be large or the grid size may need to be relatively coarse to include the entire field.
Sector or window area models are designed to look at smaller areas of the field. In the following, we use the term window area model as a synonym for both sector models and window area models. Window area models are often constructed from a full field description. They allow finer grid resolution or shorter turnaround time if the model runs faster than a full field model. The window area models are useful for studying recovery mechanisms and for determining reasonable grid preparation criteria for use in full field models, especially with regard to layering. Full field models require sufficient layering to track fluid contact movement or other depth dependent information...
