SPWLA 40’”Annual Logging Symposium, May 30-June 3,1999

THIN BED RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION

IN THE BALDER GAS CAP, NORWEGIAN NORTH SEA
F. M. Haynes’, D. Bergslien’, 0. M. Bwtz’, and M. S. Munkholm2
’Esso Norge AS, 2Baker Atlas Geosciences NN
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION
The Balder Field is located 190 km west of Stavanger,
The gas cap of the Balder Field is contained in thinly
Norway on the easternmargin of the Viking Graben in
bedded,deepwaterTertiary sandsof variable facies and
the Norwegian sector of the North Sea (Figure 1). The
reservoir quality. Although the gas cap has now been
three main hydrocarbon-bearingreservoir units consist
penetrated by numerous exploration and development
of Paleocene/Eocenedeep water submarine fan sands
wells, uncertainty remains as to its size, distribution, and
deposited on the western flank of the Utsira High.
ultimate effect on reservoir performancedue to internal
Sedimentation process is dominated by high-density
geologic complexity (thin beds, injected sands,multiple
gravity flows originating from the East Shetland
facies, and faulting). With a depletion plan involving
Platform. However, there has also been considerable
both gas and water injection, geologic/reservoir
soft-sediment deformation (slumps, slides), discordant
characterizationof the complex gas cap is considered
injection of sand into overlying shale, and faulting
critical for prudent resource management during
superimposedon the original fan geometry. Reservoir
depletion. To this goal, resistivity modelling and core-
thickness varies rapidly among the mounded sand
basedthin bed reservoir description from the first phase
bodies with the high-relief geometry attributed to a
of development drilling have been integrated with
complex interaction of depositional features and syn-
seismic attribute mapping.
and post-depositionsoft sedimentdeformation processes
(Jenssenet. al., 1993; Bergslien et. al., 1996).
Detailed core descriptions, core permeability and grain
a size distribution data delineate six facies and help in
The massive unconsolidated sandstones consist of
distinguishing laterally continuous massive and
moderateto well sorted, fine to medium grained, clean
laminated sands from potentially non-connected
quartz sands. Grain size distributions indicate minimal
injection sands and non-reservoir quality siltstones and
variation in mean grain size and sorting, which is
tuffs. Volumetric assessmentof the gas-cap,thin sand
supportedby consistentlog- and core-basedporosity of
resourcehas been enhancedby 1D forward modelling of
32-36% and absolutepermeability of 2-6 darcies. As is
induction log responseusing R&AN. After defining
typical of other unconsolidated sands, the small
beds and facies with core and high resolution log data,
variation in permeability correlatesbetter with grain size
the deep induction log (AIT-H:AHF60) was modelled as
parametersthan with porosity (Sprunt et. al., 1993)
a 6FF40 device. Becausemany of the beds were thinner
than 6FF40 resolution, the modelling is considered to
Seventeen exploration wells defined a number of
provide a lower bound on Rt. However, for most beds
distinct mounded oil sand reservoirs within the
this model-basedRt is significantly higher that provided
Paleocene sands that could be correlated both
by one foot resolution shallow resistivity data (AHOlO),
seismically and biostratigraphically (Hanslien, 1987).
and is thought to be the best available estimate of true
This early drilling indicated a uniform oil/water contact
formation resistivity. Sensitivities in STOOlP were
at -1760m ss and provided sufficient encouragementto
accessedwith multiple Rt earth models which can later
permit a developmentdecision based on oil reservesin
be testedagainstproduction results.
the Paleocene/Eocene reservoir sands.
Sand thickness models constrained by this log- and
These early wells hinted at the complexity of the
core-based petrophysical analysis were used to build
interbedded sandstones,shales, and tuffaceous units in
impedance seismic synthetic sections from which
the Balder Formation, but did not allow for detection of
seismic attributescould be extractedand calibrated. The
the gas cap (Figure 2). In addition to inadequatelog
model-basedattribute calibration was then applied to the
resolution, water-basedmuds washed out the shale and
real impedance3D cube permitting sand thickness to be
intervening thin sands of the Balder Formation. This
mapped and reservoir geology to be modelled with
precluded wireline pressuretesting in the upper sections
significantly more detail than previously possible.
of the wells. Deep invasion of mud filtrate eliminated a
gas effect on the density-neutronlogs.

1
SPWLA 40* Annual Logging Symposium,May 30-June3,1999
The first unequivocal evidence of a gas cap was
acquired in the mid-1990’s when development wells
targeting crestal locations penetrated sands with
unmistakable evidence of gas. Strong gas crossover in
neutron-density logs was observed in a number of wells
(including the C-3H in Figure 2). The change to an oil-
base mud permitted complete pressuregradient profiling
in the thinner sands which led to the definition of a
consistent field-wide GOC at -1695m ss. The data
suggested that the lo-60m of Sele shale separating the
Paleocene and Eocene reservoirs did not provide a
reservoir barrier, at least not in a geologic time frame.
The presenceof a gas cap and the growing appreciation
of the complexity of the Eocene sands (Figure 3) led to
additional questions. How does the reservoir quality of
the thin-bedded and discordant injection sands compare
to that of the massive sands? How would the Balder
reservoir system respond to concomitant water and gas
injection? Will the mounds communicate in the time
scale of production, as they apparently do geologically?
Can the increasing amount of wellbore data be used to
calibrate ongoing seismic analysis?
To address these questions and others, the Lower
Eocene Balder Formation and Paleocene Zone II were
completely cored in a 1998 pilot location in one of
Balder’s southern mounds. Seismic evidence, coupled
with an early exploration well in the area, suggestedthis
location would provide an optimum location to study
the complex geology of the youngest reservoir interval.
BALDER 25/11-B14H
The 25/11-B14H well was a pilot hole for a horizontal
oil producer (B-11) targeting Balder Formation Zone
III-2 sandsin Mound 4. The wellbore was S-shapedand
penetrated the reservoir section less than 3” from
vertical. With the exception of a few high angle
injection sands, the relative angle between bedding and
wellbore averagedless than 10”. A full set of logs was
run, including Schlumberger’s Array Induction Tool
(AlT-H), and Integrated Porosity Lithology Tool
(IPLT). Core was obtained in both the overlying thin
sands of the Balder Formation (Zone III-2) and in the
Paleocene. Core recovery and condition was excellent.
The uppermost Eocene sands were penetrated above the
field-wide GOC. Density-neutron separation indicated
one 2m sand (1777-1779m MD) and two thinner sands
(179Om, 1797m) in the gas leg. (Figure 5). Interlayered
oil sands and shaleswere also detected in the lowermost
Eocene (18151825m MD). However, the core
indicated additional thin sands of variable reservoir
quality between these sands, all of which were too thin
2
for accurate Rt assessmenteven with the AIT-H one
foot resolution log data.
RESISTTS’ITY MODELLING
Obiectives - The primary objective of resistivity
modelling was to constrain Rt in the thinly bedded
hydrocarbon-bearing sands of the Balder Formation.
Core-log calibration indicated that the one foot
resolution ATT-H log data (A0 curves) did detect gas
and oil-sands as thin as O.l-0.2m, but the log data did
not provide accurate assessmentof Rt in beds less than
about lm thick. Using the core to block lithology, it
was hoped that 1-D resistivity modelling would
significantly improve assessmentsof the true formation
resistivity in these hydrocarbon sands.
In addition, Esso Norge has acquired AlT logs in seven
other development wells in the Balder Field, none of
which included core. It was hoped that learnings from
the B-14H core-based resistivity modelling would
improve the net/gross estimation in those wells by
reducing the uncertainty in identifying thin beds. With
multiple reservoir and non-reservoir facies present in the
Eocene, the optimized Rt might allow further inferences
of reservoir quality.
The improved netlgross appreciation within the thin-
bedded Balder would be applied directly to volumetric
assessmentand geologic modelling of the Lower Eocene
reservoir. Further, the improved sand definition would
optimize the well control for seismic attribute work
directed at mapping sand distribution away from the
well control.
Earth Model - An initial earth model was constructed
using bed boundaries and facies constrained by core.
All beds thicker than O.lm were identified with depth
assignments at O.Olm increments. Based on AHF60
responses in adjacent thick units, massive sand facies
were assigned an initial resistivity of 20 ohmm,
laminated, slumped, or otherwise affected sands were
assigneda resistivity of 5-10 ohmm, and shales were set
at 0.7m. Depth alignment to logs was consummatedby
aligning a core image window with the RiBAN
modelling tracks and employing all available high
resolution log data (AH010 and high resolution density,
HROM were the most useful). Whenever the data
indicated the need for “stretching” the core to permit
alignment, this stretching was done in a shale unit;
sand thickness observed in the core were honored.
Modellinn Method - RtBAN software was employed to
forward model the induction log responseexpectedfrom
the core-based earth model (Kennedy, 1995, Anderson
et. al., 1997, p. 49). For this 1D modelling study, the

AHF60 (4’ resolution, 60” depth of investigation curve
from the AIT-II) was accepted as a 6FF40 equivalent
curve. It is recognized that this is not rigorously true,
but comparison of ILD and AHF60 logs from other
locations suggests that the differences should not
jeopardize the objectives, namely, identifying thin sands
from induction logs and improving the Rt (and
ultimately SW) assessment.
After a model was initialized, sand and shale resistivity
were interactively adjusted to optimize the fit between
modelled response and measured AHF60. In a few
instances,this required that beds thinner than O.lm that
had beenoriginally omitted be included. It also required
that some shale layers be adjusted to higher resistivity,
reflecting either tuffaceous character or hydrocarbon-
chargedsiltstone/sand. To enhancemodel development,
the core image was digitally imported and scaled to
match the RtBAN modelling window (Figure 4).
Results - Earth models output from RtBAN significantly
improved the basecasepetrophysicalcharacterizationof
the interval and high/low side cases permitted
quantification of various sensitivities. By comparison,
standardlog analysis methods using normal resolution
data would have missed most of the thin bed pay,
identifying only 6.5m of the 16.7m of known
hydrocarbonsand documentedin the core. On the other
hand, early petrophysical evaluations honoring the
known thin sandsby employing high resolution log data
and liberal shale and reservoir cutoff values over-
estimated net sand while underestimating average
porosity and hydrocarbonsaturation.
In addition, the modelling demonstratedthat O.l-0.5m
sands within the Balder Formation that read only 1;2
ohmm to standard resolution induction logs can be of
excellent reservoir quality, with Rt of greater than 20
ohmm (i.e. Swirr < 12%) (Figure 5). This observation
allowed the saturation height fun&or 1s developedfrom
log and core data in thicker zone III-2 sands to be
..--:---+I
rl~srgueuC^LUCL-
me LL1----
uuuuer l--1- -I-- uespite
beds also, de.. the lower log
resistivity values.
Other Wells - Seven other AIT logs were available from
developmentwells in the Balder Field that included at
least one penetration in each of the first six mounds
drilled. The lack of core precluded resistivity modelling
as the lack of discrete bed boundarieswould cause too
much uncertainty in earth model definition. However,
the net sand was re-evaluatedusing the learnings from
the B-14H modelling and the A010 log data over
correlative intervals in each of three mapped zones in
the Balder Formation. The result was a significant
increasein the potential net pay sandin thesewells. Six
SPWLA 40thAnnual Logging Symposium, May 30-June 3,1999
of the sevenwells yielded additional net pay sandto this
analysis with the total cumulative net sandin the 7 wells
increasingfrom 64.9m to 80.lm (+23%). Although not
as rigorously “proven” as in the cored well, it is our
judgement that the new higher values for net pay
representthe most likely case. NN
Limitations - The modelling revealed that Rt could not
be uniquely modelled in the thinner sands (O.l-0.7m).
Instead, a lower bound on Rt was determined for each
sand, above which further increase of Rt in the earth
model did not change the model response. For most
sands in this well, this phenomena was observed at
about 20 ohmm.~ For some of the thinner sands
approaching0. lm, this threshold was reachedat slightly
lower resistivity. Sandsfor which only a “minimum”
Rt could be determined were flagged, and higher
resistivity was allowed for those sands in a high side
caseduring subsequentpetrophysical analysis.
A 1D model does not model invasion. Some invasion
of oil-basedmud filtrate was observedin core, however,
the effect of oil-based mud invading hydrocarbon
reservoir is consideredminimal, with resistive oil-mud
displacing resistive reservoir gas or oil. Unless
surfactant within the filtrate alters reservoir wettability
(LaVigne, et. al., 1997), formation resistivity should be
minimally effected by this invasion. Except for local
anomalies,the AIT data of variable investigation depths
overlay in the thicker sands, supporting either limited
invasion or minimal alteration of formation resistivity
due to invasion. Anomalies to invasion profiles are
encounteredin thinner bedded sections and potentially
discordant injection sands. The authors acknowledge
that improvementsin resistivity modelling results might
be possible by applying 2D modelling tailored
specifically for AIT log data (Barber et. al., 1998).
SEISMIC ATTRIBUTE ANALYSIS
Obiectives- The primary objective of seismic attribute
characterizationin this application was to extend the net
sand determinationsfrom well control into large regions
of Eocene sand section that had not been penetratedby
the bit. It was hoped that variations in reservoir quality
(i.e. porosity and mineralogy) would have minimal
effect and that fluid content could be effectively
modelled using known reservoir conditions. The goal
was to identify and map net sand for individual sand-
prone Eoceneunits.
Introduction - In 1996, the Balder Area 3-D seismic
data that had been acquired in 1988, was reprocessed.
Although the reprocessed dataset and the growing
number of well penetrations had improved Top and
Base Balder Formation maps, it remained difftcult to
SPWLA 40” AMU~ Logging Symposium,May 30-June3,1999
map individual sand packages within the Eocene.
Consequently, seismic attribute determination directly
from the reprocessed seismic had proven unreliable
within the Eocene.
Attribute Analvsk Method - In 1997, a two-fold study
was initiated with the goal of improving the seismic
understanding in the Eocene thin sand section, paying
particular attention to the gas cap region of the Balder
Field. The flow chart in Figure 6 outlines the study.
First, the real 3-D seismic cube (6A) was inverted to a
3-D impedance cube (6B). As a result, the top and base
of individual Balder Formation sand packages could be
mapped and tied to well penetrations. Three separate
zones within the Balder and one just above Top Balder
could now be mapped across the multi-mound Balder
Area, mapping that had previously not been possible
from amplitude data alone.
Second, seismic attribute analysis was initiated with the
hopes of defining an attribute, or set of attributes, that
could be used with the inversion cube to extend sand
thickness lmowlcdge away from the wellbore control
afforded by core and log modelling results.
The attribute analysis was supportedby a large database
of recent sonic (both standard monopole and dipole
tools) and density log data. Velocity and bulk density
were blocked (6C) and corrected for environmental
effects (invasion in gas zones, etc.), permitting a log-
based blocked impedance to be calculated.
Petrophysically-based net sand determinations were
scaled up to seismic “detection” level without
significantly altering the net sand values (i.e. three 0.3m
sandswere merged into a single lm sand). I match were examined carefully. Some could be
The impedance variation among wells and zones was
compared to known physical properties using core and
other log data (6D). Multi-variant analysis showed that
the fluid content of the sands was the only factor
significantly effecting sand impedance. This was
consistent with log and core data indicating minimal
variation in sand porosity and mineralogy.
Because the well penetrations provide too few
calibration points, geologic models were generated
which used log-based sand impedance as a guide, but
with variable sand/shalethickness (6E). The impedance
of each sand was held constant. Fluid density and
compressibility (determined analytically at reservoir
conditions for gas, oil, and water) were input to Biot-
Gassman fluid replacement equations (Biot, 1956,
Gassman, 1962) using field-wide known GOC and
WOC. Additionally, a random noise factor of +200
4
impedanceunits was introduced to simulate the effect of
minor variations in porosity and mineralogy. The
several hundred “pseudo-wells” generated by this
process significantly improved the robustness of the
attribute calibration step (6G).
Synthetic seismic sections constructed from these 2-D
geologic models were then inverted to 2-D impedance
lines (6F). The general character of these synthetic
sections was compared to the real 3-D close to well
control. Seismic attributes were then extracted from
vertical traces in these 2-D impedance sections in the
hopes of identifying attribute(s) yielding a strong
correlation between attribute value and the model’s net
sand thickness (6G).
This fitting step was done separatelyfor each of the four
Eocene sand-rich intervals and for each fluid leg
(gas/oil/water) while testing a number of possible
attributes. The integrated area under the impedance
curve (IAN) was consistently one of the most
meaningful attributes.
ResuZls - The calibration fit in 6G was applied to the
real 3-D impedance cube (6B). At this key step, the
predicted sand thickness from the calibrated seismic
attribute at each well location is compared to the log-
based total sand thickness in that interval (6H). The
seismic sand thickness is a totaZ thickness for the
interval and obviously provides no inference as to
whether that sand is present as a single massive sand or
as several thin sands.
The fit was considered good in most regions of the field
and zones, and adequatein others. Points that did not
explained by log quality, nearby faulting that affected
seismic, or suspected thin beds. In a few areas,
however, a less than optimal match could not be readily
explained. The quality of the fit allows areasor zones to
be flagged such that subsequentsand mapping in those
regions will be interpreted with additional caution.
The calibrated seismic attribute process allowed sand
thickness to be mapped by zone (69). Note that the
Eocene sands tend to flank the more massive Paleocene
sand accumulations, adding importance to the need to
apply seismic data to accurately map Eocene sand
outside the area of well control.
CONCLUSIONS
When adequatecore is available to define facies and bed
boundaries resistivity modelling may provide an
improved understanding of the distribution of reservoir
facies and quality. The increased confidence in model

output Rt values which significantly exceed log
measurementscan assist in volumetric assessmentand
in de-risking potential developmentdrill well locations.
The sand thickness data also provides valuable well
control for seismic attribute analysis aimed at mapping
sand thickness away from the well control. The added
detail provided by the calibrated seismic attribute maps
is thought to allow for more realistic geologic model
development. Further, reservoir simulation
incorporating the output from the resistivity modelling
and the seismic attribute sand thickness maps should
allow far more accurate reservoir simulation and
production matching to be conducted as the Balder
reservoiris depleted.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
R. McGarva is acknowledgedfor his assistancein facies
identification in the core. The authors also thank the
numerousEsso personnelwhose contributions to Balder
reservoir characterizationprovided a sound framework
for this paper. We thank Esso Norge for permission to
publish this paper.
REFERENCES
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS _
Fred Haynes is a Senior Petrophysicist currently
assignedto Esso Norge. In 11 years with Exxon he has
held geology and petrophysics positions in Thousand
Oaks, Ca., Midland, TX., and in Houston. He holds
B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degreesin Geology from Lehigh
University, The University of Arizona, and The
University of Michigan, respectively.
Dag Bergslien is a Senior Geologist currently working
the Balder Field for Esso Norge. In 17 years with Esso,
he has held exploration, production, and operation
assignmentswith Esso Norge. He also spent 2 years at
Exxon Production Research working Gulf of Mexico
and Arctic regional studies. He has Petroleum
Geology/Sedimentologydegreesfrom the University of
Bergen.
Olivier Burtz is a Senior Geophysicist currently
assignedto Esso Norge. In 10 years with Exxon, he has
worked as interpreter and geophysical applications
specialist in Bordeaux, France. He holds Engineering
and Geophysics degreesfrom Ecole Centrale de Lyon
and IFP-School in France.
Mette Munkholm is a Petrophysicist with Baker Atlas
Geoscience in Copenhagen, Denmark, working
primarily with resistivity modelling and full waveform
sonic data analysis. She holds a B.S. degreein Physics
and Chemistry and MS. and Ph.D. degrees in
Geophysicsfrom the University of Aarhus, Denmark.