New vuggy porosity models-based interpretation methodology for reliable pore system characterization, Ordovician carbonate reservoirs in Tahe Oilfield, North Tarim Basin

What is it about?

The work discusses the use of rock-physics modeling and image analysis techniques to develop a new procedure for determining and partitioning total porosity into fractions of its components and establish new vuggy porosity models. To do so, we modify Lucia’s approach (Lucia and Conti, 1987) by integrating (standard and advanced) geophysical logs, core analysis data, and digital-rock image data. Compared with the Wyllie acoustic transform (Wyllie et al. 1956), the results show that the generalized Wyllie transform (Saleh and Castagna, 2004) applies to better estimate vuggy porosity using acoustic velocity data.

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Why is it important?

The newly-proposed vuggy-porosity models provide higher and improved prediction accuracy, compared with models in the literature. The study enables to accurately understand the pore-system heterogeneity, and the results are relevant for further petrophysical modeling in naturally fractured vuggy carbonate reservoirs, such as the Ordovician carbonates in Tahe Oilfield, North Tarim Basin.