INDONESIAN PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION (IPA)

SHORT COURSE, SHERATON SURABAYA, 8-12 SEPTEMBER 2014

10.
Carbonate Reservoirs:
Sedimentology & Characteristics

by: Awang H. Satyana

 Shallow Water Carbonate
Environments
Environments characterized by carbonate deposits generated
by biochemical processes in shallow water (< 100 m).

Carbonate rocks can have good reservoir characteristics

depending on the importance of diagenetic effects. When
dissolution has occurred, the porosity and permeability are
very high. Other diagenetic effects reduce the porosity. The
permeability is often related to the presence of fractures which
occur frequently in such rocks. Carbonate reservoirs can be
very thick and have a large extension. Source rocks are often
close to the reservoir rocks. Cap rocks are composed of either
shale or anhydrite beds.
 Coral Reefs

Skinner et al. (2004)

Coral Reefs, Society Islands, Pacific Ocean

 INDONESIAN ASSOCIATION OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS (IATMI)
Seminar : Carbonate Complexity : Characterization, Modeling and Simulation
Yogyakarta, 22 - 25 April 2008

Geologic Controls on
Carbonate Reservoirs
in Indonesia : Regional
Overview
Awang Harun Satyana
 Late Eocene Early Oligocene
Cenozoic
Evolution of
Carbonates in
Indonesia
Wilson (2006)
Late Oligocene

Recent

Early Miocene

Late Miocene Middle Miocene

Cenozoic Carbonate Reservoirs: Distribution

mod. Wilson (2006)

~50% Indonesias reservoirs

 General Properties of
Carbonate Reservoir Rocks
dolomite
LITHOLOGY grainstones
boundstones
interparticle
PRIMARY intraparticle
intercrystalline
POROSITY moldic
SECONDARY vuggy
intercrystalline

INNER-SHELF FAIRWAY
POSITION OUTER-SHELF FAIRWAY
ON PROFILE MIDDLE-SHELF HIGHS
DEEP-WATER REEFS/ATOLLS
STEADY SUBSIDENCE
DIAGENESIS SINGLE UPLIFT
MULTIPLE UPLIFTS
Carbonate Rock Classification (Dunham, 1962)
Petrographic photo of carbonate reservoirs
Carbonate Facies
Idealized Carbonate Facies
Carbonate Facies
Jordan and Wilson (1994)
Jordan and Wilson (1994)
Jordan and Wilson (1994)
Jordan and Wilson (1994)
Jordan and Wilson (1994)
Jordan and Wilson (1994)
Jordan and Wilson (1994)
 James (1984)

Sun and Esteban (1990) Carbonate Platform of SE Asia

W E

Depositional facies within reef (Arun Reef as an example)

Jordan and Ali (1984)
Esteban (1991)
 CARBONATE FACIES AND
RESERVOIR HETEROGENEITY
Carbonate reservoir are much less willing to yield
their hydrocarbons than standstone counterparts.

American Institute of Petroleum data demonstrates

through primary plus secondary recovery efficiency
carbonates generally yield less than one third of their
original oil in place. This is a result of complexity of
carbonate reservoir.
 DIAGENETIC PHENOMENA
AFFECTING CARBONATES
MINERALOGIC STABILIZATION SILICIFICATION
ARAGONITE, CALCITE PRESSURE SOLUTION /
NEOMORPHISM (REPLACEMENT) COMPACTION
CALCITE, CALCITE DISSOLUTION /
DOLOMITIZATION KARSTIFICATION
CALCITE, DOLOMITE BRECCIATION / FRACTURING
CEMENTATION
VOID-FILLING CALCITE,
DOLOMITE or
EVAPORITES
Diagenetic Phenomena
Diagenetic Phenomena
Evolution of carbonate
reservoirs through
time
PROBLEMS with
CARBONATE RESERVOIR
Heterogeneous porosity and
permeability, complex depositional
environments, diagenetic overprints

Ascaria (2003)
What are the most important controls on
reservoir quality in carbonate sequences?

The main controls on reservoir quality (porosity and

permeability)
in carbonate sequences are :

depositional fabric (primary lithofacies, texture)

mineral dissolution (creation of secondary porosity)
mineral precipitation (cementation and replacement)
karstification (an important form of mineral
dissolution/precipitation)
compaction
fracturing
Ascaria (2003)
 Effects of meteoric diagenesis
on reservoir quality

Effects on RQ
if yes
Meteoric Diagenesis

Was there an aragonite precursor? (I.e. of Pre-

Cambrian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic or +ve
Tertiary age)
Was it a humid climate at time of exposure? +ve
(Palaeogeographic position)
Was there a high rate of water drainage? (elevation, +ve
climate, size of hinterland)
Was reprecipitation of dissolved CaCO3 as cement +ve
limited (due to high drainage)?

Ascaria (2003)
 Effects of karstification
on reservoir quality
Sequence Boundary Karst Effects on RQ
if yes
Is there a joint/fracture system which may have had
+ve
high water throughout? (may be so if in faulted/folded
terrain, if uplifted or recognizable on seismic)
Was there an aragonite precursor? (I.e. of Pre-
+ve
Cambrian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic or
Tertiary age)
+ve
Is the reservoir close to the unconformity/above the
water table?
Is the pore system matrix dominated? (vuggy porosity
+ve
may have poor permeability, caverns may be detrimental
to drilling)
+ve
Can overlying clays/shales be ruled out? (May infiltrate
porous zone beneath)
Ascaria (2003)
Porosities of Carbonate Reservoirs

Choquette & Pray (1970)

Carbonate Reservoirs of Arun and NSO Fields, North Sumatra

Avianto and Widarmayana (2006)

 Parigi

Main and Massive Cibulakan

Baturaja

Carbonate Reservoirs of
West Java Basin

Yaman et al. (1991)

Kasim play type (high relief)

Play Types of
Carbonate Build-Ups
of the Salawati Basin

Matoa-SWO play type (low relief)

Satyana (2003)
 CARBONATE CONCLUSIONS
Detailed description on core, swc and cutting to determine
facies variation and diagenetic phenomena vertically and
pin point the candidate reservoir and permeability barrier

Determine depositional environment and platform

morphology for reservoir distribution and reduce risk for
tight area.

Integrated well data which have been described with

seismic and run seismic modelling to helps determine the
heterogenity of reservoir laterally

If these methods applied properly will reduce risk and have

a chance of success in carbonate play.
Ascaria (2003)
 Carbonate Reservoirs: Conclusions

First, inner shelf, outer shelf, and slope lithofacies belts are prime
exploration fairways that are relatively predictable.
Second, middle shelf prospects are variable in their size and distribution
and present more difficult exploration problems.
Third, slope facies may exist as a porous downslope extension of an outer
shelf fairway, formed as debris flow deposits, and may host belts of porous
pinnacle reefs.
Finally, basinal or oceanic settings may produce porous chalk facies or may
have shallow water carbonate facies deposited as atolls on horst blocks or
volcanic pedestals, producing rimmed margins of outer shelf facies that
encircle a central lagoonal area with numerous middle shelf patch reefs.

Jordan and Wilson (1994)