Naturally Fractured Reservoir Characterization

Naturally fractured reservoirs present unique and specialized challenges to hydrocarbon extraction. Naturally Fractured Reservoir Characterization seeks to confront many of these challenges by providing an introduction to the engineering and geological character of naturally fractured reservoirs. The focus is on understanding fractures in a reservoir – how to determine whether fractures are important to hydrocarbon producibility, and if so, how to analyze the fracture system for the purpose of improved reservoir management. Topics discussed include the geological character of fracture systems, how to recognize and describe them, their effect on reservoir performance, how to distribute them in a reservoir model, and different approaches to flow simulation. A blend of engineering and geological data and tools are used to optimize our understanding of this class of reservoirs. Case histories of several naturally fractured reservoirs are presented to show that a range of strategies may be required to successfully address the complexity of this diverse class of reservoirs.

Author Biography

Wayne Narr is a Structural Geologist at Chevron Energy Technology Company in San Ramon, CA, where he works on both technology development and consulting projects involving naturally fractured reservoirs. His earlier industry experience includes a variety of structural-geology interpretation work, mainly involving complexly deformed fold-thrust belts. Wayne’s previous positions at Chevron include leader of the Structural Geology Team, and exploration geologist, with focus on Colombia. Prior to this, he held both exploration and research positions at Gulf Oil Corporation. Wayne earned a Ph.D. in geology from Princeton University (1990), an M.Sc. from the University of Toronto (1978), and a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University (1976).