Integrated Geology, Geophysics and Reservoir Engineering Reservoir Modelling and History Match in a North African Oil field

This paper illustrates, through a real-life example, how a fully integrated modelling process, encompassing all subsurface disciplines, results in the best possible representation of a hydrocarbon field, and provides the most descriptive production forecasts and uncertainty analysis. This paper describes how this methodology has been used, through an iterative multidisciplinary process, to history match a producing oil field in North Africa.

Process relied on iterative sequences of G&G modelling followed by Assisted History Match of the resulting realizations to obtain relevant feedback for a new G&G modelling.

The starting phase was the creation of 400 static realizations covering main field uncertainties. Assisted History Match then narrowed range and type of uncertainties based on dynamic behaviours compatible with field history. Results reverted as feedback for G&G disciplines and the process was restarted. This workflow was repeated six times until multiple valid history matched scenarios were obtained through modifications based on geo-scientific basis.

It is still unusual to find the resources to complete a truly integrated reservoir modelling workflow. But, this has not only enabled obtaining a more robust understanding of uncertainties, effectively constrained by dynamic information, but also provided multiple equally valid history matched scenarios and their related production forecasts.