SMACKOVER RESERVOIR STUDY – MAFLA AREA
Even though it is a major producer, drilling costs to the Smackover Formation are considerable and success rates are often low. A major reason for the low completion rate of wildcat wells is the complexity of Smackover reservoirs which make porosity predictions difficult. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the geologic reservoir facies is required for exploration success. In addition, an understanding of reservoir petrophysical characteristics of these highly variable Smackover reservoirs is essential for exploitation. As a result of these requirements, Core Laboratories initiated the Smackover Reservoir Study which is a regional, sedimentological, petrographic, and petrophysical study of Smackover reservoirs in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The Smackover Reservoir Study comprehensively defines the interrelationships of depositional environments, diagenesis, and reservoir quality.
Depositional environments were interpreted through detailed core description and thin section petrography. One-hundred (100) conventionally cored wells were selected according to location, quality, completeness, and client requests. Sedimentary facies were defined from the combination of core and thin section descriptions. Diagenesis was analyzed and evaluated through detailed petrographic analysis including x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Advanced rock property measurements performed on the selected core samples were used to further characterize reservoir quality by defining reservoir performance and petrophysical parameters according to pore type.
The combination of petrographic analyses, conventional and advanced rock property data allows for improved evaluation and downhole electric log calibrations. The data is presented in individual well reports. The final report contains a synthesis of these data and detailed discussions of the controls on reservoir quality and trends of high reservoir within the study area.
- 100 wells
- 11,099 feet of conventional core
- Mississippi, Alabama and Florida