3.

Facies Modeling

Topics

What is Facies, Rock Type, and Facies

Modeling ?
Why do we need to do Facies Modeling ?
How do we do Facies Modeling ?

Facies at Well Location

3D Facies Distribution

Case Study Example of Facies Modeling.

What is Facies, Rock Type and Facies

Modeling?

Geological Facies

Definition :

Ideally, a facies is a distinctive rock unit that forms

under certain conditions of sedimentation, reflecting a
particular process or environment
Facies are distinguished by what type of the rock is
being studied (e.g., Lithofacies (based on petrological) ,
Biofacies (based on fossil),

Facies are a body of rock with specified characteristics.

Lithofacies classifications are a purely geological grouping

of reservoir rocks, which have similar texture, grain size,
sorting etc.
Each lithofacies indicates a certain depositional environment
with a distribution trend and dimension.

Knowledge in Facies is important as it provides

information on how the rock is ditributed in the
reservoir

Reservoir Rock Type (RRT)

Definition :

RRT is grouping of geological rock based on

both geological facies and petrophysical
grouping (porosity, permeability, capillary
pressure and saturation).

The objective of generating RRT is to link

property with geology

Facies distribution may be interpreted by

geological knowledge but not necessarily the
property due to diagenesis

What is Facies Modeling ?

The term Facies Modeling is used to represent the

modeling of Geological Rocks, which may be grouped
according to :

Geological Facies (represents depositional environment, such as

channel, bar, flood plain, reef, etc.)
Simple Lithology : Sand and Shale
More Complex Lithology : Clean Sand, Shaly-sand, Shale
Other Lithology : Dolomite, Limestone, Shale, etc.
Rock Type : 1, 2, 3, , n.

Facies Model may consist of Hierarchical System.

First Level : Model to represent environment (channel, bar, flood

plain)
Second Level : Model to represent rock groups within each
environment (lithology within each depositional environment
group)

What is Facies Modeling ? (contd)

In all cases, Facies Model is represented by

Discrete Variables.
Which Grouping to be used as the Facies
Model should be determined by the
Geologist.

Reservoir Modeler is responsible to generate

3D Distribution of the discrete variables that
was believed to represent the actual geology of
the reservoir.

Why do we need Facies Model?

Why do we need Facies Model ?

To obtain consistent description between

petrophysical properties and the underlying
geological interpretation.

Static Model :

Porosity, Permeability, and Sw should be inline with the

Facies description.

Dynamic Model :

In addition to variables modeled as static variables (poro,

perm), facies model will be useful also for assigning the
Saturation Function (Rel. Perm and Capillary Pressure)

Interdependence of
Reservoir Attributes
Seismic
Attribute(s)

Facies

Porosity
Contact
Permeability
(J-Function)

Height
Above Contact

Saturation

Example of Consistent Properties with

Facies Model
Facies

Porosity

Permeability

Sw

How do we do Facies Modeling ?

1. Facies at Well Locations

How do we get Facies at Well ?

Petrophysical Analysis / Well Log

Interpretation

Sand-Shale
Channel, Crevasse-Splay, Floodplain, etc.

Statistical Analysis (Electrofacies Approach)

Rock Typing Process through Detail Integrated
Reservoir Analysis,

reconcile geological intrepretation, log, core, and

capillary pressure data,
followed by Prediction at Uncored Well Locations

Example 1 :
Facies at Well Locations

No. of Discrete Variables = 3

1. RRT-1 (Red)
2. RRT-2 (Green)
3. RRT-3 (Blue)

Example 2 :
Facies at Well
Locations

Permeability

Example 3 :
Depositional Facies vs. Property

Ridge
Ridge Margin
Shelf Fines
Shelf Mud

Porosity

Permeability

Example 3 (contd) :
Rock Type vs. Property

Rock Type 1 (SMA)

Rock Type 2 (SPL1)
Rock Type 3 (SPL2)
Rock Type 4 (SB)
Rock Type 5 (MS)
Rock Type 6 (Mud)

Porosity

Rock Type and Saturation

Example of Facies and Rock Type at Well Locations

Facies

Rock Type

How do we do Facies Modeling?

2. 3D Facies Modeling

10

Facies Modeling Techniques

Hierarchical System

Facies Model consists of at least 2 level system

:

Level 1 :

Depositional Environment (e.g., Channel System)

Has the tendency to be more deterministic model based
on geological understanding

Present of trend to control areal distribution is very critical

Possible Technique : Object Based Modeling, MPS, TGS

Level 2 :

Rock Property Group (i.e., rock type) within each Facies

of Leval 1.
Has the tendency to be more stochastic
Possible Technique : SIS, TGS

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Sequential Indicator Simulation

(SIS)

Well Data

Variogram is needed for each Facies

Sequential Indicator Simulation

(SIS)

Control of How Probability of

Each Facies is Constrained.

12

Sequential Indicator Simulation

Constrained to Well Data Only

Sequential Indicator Simulation

(SIS)

In this set-up, probability is

constrained to both Vertical
Proportion and 2D Trend Map

13

Sequential Indicator Simulation

Constrained to VPC and 2D Map

3D Result
(Real #1)

3D Result
(Real #2)

Vert.
Prop.
Curve

2D Trend
Map

Truncated Gaussian Simulation

TGS

Only 1 Variogram is Needed

14

TGS Well Control Only

3D Result
(Real #1)

3D Result
(Real #3)

3D Result
(Real #2)

3D Result
(Real #4)

Trend Modeling

Calculates Probability
of Each Grid Cells
based on Well Data,
Variogram , and 2D
Trend
Available in PETREL
2010
Can be used as input
for TGS or SIS

15

Result from Trend Modeling

Probability of
Facies 1

Probability of
Facies 3

Probability of
Facies 1

Probability of
Facies 4

TGS Constrained to
Probability from Trend Modeling

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TGS for Hierarchical Facies Modeling

Ex. Rock Type constrained to Depo Facies

Constrained to
DEPO Facies

Must be
consistent
with Rock
Type Scheme

From Trend
Modeling

Rock Type Distribution

(consistent with Depo Facies)

Rock Type

DEPO Facies

Facies

Rock Type

Ridge (RED)

1, 2, 3, 4 (RED, YELLOW, GREEN, PINK)

Ridge Margin (YELLOW)

1, 2, 3, 4 (RED, YELLOW, GREEN, PINK)

Shelf Fines (BLUE)

5, 6 (BLUE, LIGHT BLUE)

Shelf Muds (GREY)

6 (LIGHT BLUE)

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Key Issue in Facies Modeling

Conceptual Geological Model is needed in

order to QC the result and/or used as the
trend.
Integration with other information, other
than well data, in the form of 2D or 3D
distribution is critical in order to obtain
reliable result.
Possible trend for Facies Modeling :

Seismic Data
Probability Map of Facies Distribution
Diagenesis Model

Other Example of
Conceptual Geological Model

Concept Derived from Well Correlation

Concept Derived from Seismic Data

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Object Based Modeling

Objective :

Application :

Sparse wells in clastic reservoir, with limited number of objects

Advantage :

To obtain deposition model of facies distribution by simulating

various geological objects with different shapes, sizes and
distributions

Honors the distribution and interrelationship among different

geological objects

Disadvantage :

Difficult to condition data at various well locations

Difficult to transfer to grid block properties suitable for flow
simulation
External data requirement is significant

Object Based Modeling

Conditioning Data

Sand
Shale

(modified from Srivastava, 1994)

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Object Based Modeling

Honoring Well Data
Sand bodies randomly located
to coincide with sands in wells

(modified from Srivastava, 1994)

Object Based Modeling

Interwell Bodies
Random sand body conflicts with
well and must be dropped or moved

(modified from Srivastava, 1994)

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Object Based Modeling

Final Realization
Sand bodies added until net-to-gross
ratio reaches desired target

(modified from Srivastava, 1994)

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Multi Point Statistics

Grid Based Method but produce result similar to

object based models.
Use Sequential Simulation Methodology

Compare to SIS, produce models considerable more

geological complexity
Compare to Object Based, it is capable of conditioning
to data more easily

Facies distribution is mainly controlled by Training

Image (TI). This variable is equivalent to Variogram
for SIS.

The TI is used to generate Multipoint Facies pattern

that will be used by the program as conditional
distribution of the facies.

Example of MPS Facies Model

22

Summary of Facies Modeling

Additional Material

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Sequential Indicator Simulation (SIS)

Procedure

Transform :

Variogram Analysis

Transform the original Facies into Probability

Perform Variogram for each Facies

Random Path Determination

Kriging : Estimate the probability of each
facies
Uncertainty Quantification by combining
probability for all facies
Back Transform : Random Sampling

Indicator Transform
0

Facies at Wells

0
0

Indicator
Transform

Facies 2
Facies 3

Category-1

Category-2

1
1

1
1

0
0

Facies 1

Facies Probability
0
at Wells

0
0

0
0

Category-3

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Indicator Kriging for SIS

Facies Probability
At Well Locations And
at Unsampled Locations

Facies Probability
At Well Locations

Category-1

Indicator
Kriging

0
0

0.9

0.3

0
0

Result of
Indicator
Kriging

1
1

0
0

1
0

0
1

Category-3

0 0.050

1
1

0
0

Category-2

0
0

Back Transform SIS

(Random Sampling)
Facies Probability
At an Unsampled Location

Category-1

0.05

PDF

PDF

0.05

Category-2

Category-3

CDF
1.0

0.04

Facies 3

0.76

Normalized
0.9

0.3

0.9

0.72

0.3

0.24

Facies 2

0.0

0.04
Facies 1

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Random Sampling for

Facies Assignment

Random
Number
1.0

CDF
1.0
Facies 3

0.76
Facies 2

0.04
0.0

0.0

If Random Number is
a) less than 0.04 then Facies = 1,
b) between 0.04 and 0.76
then Facies = 2,
c) greater than 0.76 then Facies = 3

Facies 1

Truncated Gaussian Simulation

(TGS)
Background :

SIS uses Random Number to decide which

facies to assign at a certain grid block.
Two neighboring cells that has very similar
facies probability may be assigned as different
facies due to random number. This may create
mosaic type of distribution
Mosaic Facies distribution may be
unrealisticfor certain geological environment.
A different way of sampling is implemented in
the SIS method to avoid this problem. This
method is known as TGS.

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Truncated Gaussian Simulation

Application :

Procedure :

Facies Modeling where the property of the facies

becomes better or worse according to the order of the
facies number
Use Indicator Kriging as in SIS, however,
For Sampling is based on SGS instead of random
sampling.

Advantage :

Creates smoother variation compare to SIS since SGS

uses spatial relationship information of all rocks

TGS Procedure
Gaussian
Transform

Facies At
Well Locations

Variogram Analysis
(single variogram)

Indicator
Transform

Ordinary
Kriging

Variogram Analysis
For Each Indicator

1.0
0.76

Indicator
Kriging

0.04
0.0
Probability Of Facies
At Unsampled Locations

Estimated Facies
In Gaussian Domain
(value range from -3 to +3)

1.0
0.76
0.04
0.0
Facies
Assignment

1.0

0.0

0
-3

Cumulative Normal Score

(range 0 to 1)

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Probability Model used in TGS for

PETREL

Petrel 2009 and before :

Petrel 2010 :

Probability Model should be generated by the

user before using TGS.
The default probability model is Global
Proportion.
Probability Model may be generated using a
module called Trend Modeling

Better trend model may be obtained if it is

guided by certain trend (2D or 3D)

Trend Modeling Module

in PETREL 2010

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TGS Example

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