Abstract:

Subsurface reservoir architecture analysis has gradually become the important developing direction of hydrocarbon reservoir geology research in the past 10 years. Compared with outcrop architecture analysis, subsurface reservoir architecture characterization depends primarily on seismic and multiwell information, accordingly  two methods are developed: (1) Seismic Sedimentology (or Seismic Geomorphology), study the distribution of deposit units utilizing seismic imaging feature that was acquired by means of 3D seismic stratal slicing and other ways; (2) Multiwell pattern forecast, match various order quantitative architecture mode with well information (well log, core, test and dynamics) to infer interwell architecture unit distribution that restricted in different architecture order. This paper provides an overview of the origin, basic principle, application and problem of these two methods. According to actual production demand and technological development, further research trends are propounded:  (1) indeep research on 3D quantitative architecture mode; (2) recognition of seismic response of reservoir architecture units and seismic interpretation methods for reservoir architecture characterization; (3) improvement and innovation of multiwell pattern matching method.

Key words: subsurface reservoir architecture, reservoir characterization, status and prospect