3D modeling of deepwater turbidite lobes:a review of the research status and progress

Deepwater turbidite lobe reservoirs have massive hydrocarbon potential and represent one of the most promising exploration targets for hydrocarbon industry.Key elements of turbidite lobes internal heterogeneity include the architectural hierarchy and complex amalgamations at each hierarchical level leading to the complex distribution of shale drapes.Due to limitation of data,to build models realistically honoring the reservoir architecture provides an effective way to reduce risk and improve hydrocarbon recovery.A variety of modeling techniques on turbidite lobes exist and can be broadly grouped into pixel-based,process-based,process-oriented,surface-based,object-based and a hybrid approach of two or more of these methods.The rationale and working process of methods is reviewed,along with their pros and cons.In terms of geological realism,object-based models can capture the most realistic architectures,including the multiple hierarchy and the amalgamations at different hierarchical levels.In terms of data conditioning,pixel-based and multiple-point statistics methods could honor the input data to the best degree.In practical,dif?ferent methods should be adopted depending on the goal of the project.Such a review could improve the understanding of existing modeling methods on turbidite lobes and could benefit the hydrocarbon exploration activities of such reservoirs in offshore China.

Architecture of deepwater turbidite lobes: A case study of Carboniferous turbidite outcrop in the Clare Basin, Ireland

Through lithofacies analysis and architecture anatomy of the Carboniferous Ross Sandstone turbidites outcropped at western Ireland,the depositional model of deepwater turbidite lobes is established.Seven types of lithofacies are recognized including goniatites-rich shale,laminated shale,laminated siltstone,massive sandstone,fine-medium sandstone with mud-clast,basal gravel,and chaotic mudstone,which can be subdivided into units of three origins,turbidite lobe,turbidite channel,and slide-slump;and four hierarchical levels,lobe complex,lobe,lobe element and single sandstone layer.The lobes show apparent compensational stacking pattern,lobe elements display typical thickening-upward cycles on vertical profile,and the higher the hierarchical level,the better the preservation of the hierarchical boundary is.In general,turbidite lobe deposits appear as tabular,parallel/sub-parallel sandstone and mudstone interbeds,and change from thick,massive sandstone in the proximal end to thinner sandstone and mudstone interbeds from axis to fringe,with the sand-shale ratio and degree of sandstone amalgamation decreasing.