Physical Sciences/ Engineering/Environmental Sciences

Reservoir Characterization and Reserve Estimation in Akings Field, Niger Delta, Nigeria .
Ogbamikhumi A. Andrew C.K.

Department of Geology, Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City.

EXTENDED ABSTRACT
Abstract

This research work attempts to access the economic viability of the C reservoir in the Akings Field. Suites of
wireline well logs from four wells and 3D seismic datasets of the Akings field were evaluated to characterize the
reservoir. 32 faults and the horizon of C reservoir were mapped across the seismic volume. Having carried out a
well-seismic tie, time and depth surface maps of the reservoir were generated using different seismic attributes such
as RMS amplitude and average energy. C reservoir, has a net thickness of about 176.5ft, payzone thickness:129.90ft.
It has total porosity of 30%, effective porosity: 26% permeability: 2239.70mD, fluid type: oil and water; water
saturation: 47%, and a prospect area of about 1049.46 acres. The combination of the aforementioned information,
therefore was used to estimate the reservoir fluid volume at subsurface condition; which is about 168,159,707bbl.
This information therefore will guide developmental decision-making process.
Keywords: economic viability, seismic attributes, prospect area.
Background
Hydrocarbon reservoir characterization is a very crucial and critical petroleum exploration process which helps the
geoscientist to evaluate the nature of petroleum reserves, as well as optimize its extraction and production. One of
the ultimate goals of the oil and gas industry is to identify and characterize reservoirs, and estimate the volume of oil
and gas in place (Kurah et al.,2021). The rate and efficiency at which petroleum is extracted from the subsurface
largely depends on the nature of the reservoirs. In order to reduce uncertainties, and avert the wastage of resources,
it is essential to understand the nature of these reservoirs as well as estimate the amount of the hydrocarbon it
contains. This process entails the use of 3D seismic data in combination with well log datasets to determine the
reservoir’s petrophysical properties (such as porosity, permeability, water saturation, net-to-gross ratio and shale
volume), the reservoir’s prospect areas and lastly, mathematically estimating the amount of petroleum reserve in
place.
The study field is situated in the Niger Delta Basin. The Basin is located in the Gulf of Guinea, at the southern part
of Nigeria. The spatial extent of this basin is about 75000 km2, filled with clastics of about 12,000 m (Weber,
1987). The Niger Delta ranks amongst the world’s most prolific petroleum producing tertiary deltas, which together
accounts for about 5% of the world’s oil and gas reserves (Osaki et al.,2016). The basin contains three major
Formational units (Akata Formation, Agbada Formation and the Benin Formation). Most prospective reservoirs
including the studied reservoir is embedded within the intercalated Agbada Formation.
Structurally, the Basin is subdivided into five depobelts, whose formation processes were a function of sediment
supply and of accommodation space created by subsidence of the underlying basement rocks. Growth faults which
are triggered by a contemporaneous deformation of deltaic sediments are the dominant structuration style in the
Niger Delta. Petroleum in the Niger Delta is produced from sandstone and unconsolidated sands which are
commonly reservoir rocks of Eocene to Pliocene in age, associated with the intercalated Agbada Formation. These
rocks are often stacked and ranges in thickness from less than 15 meters to about 45 meters (Evamy et al., 1978).
Based on geometry and quality of the reservoirs, the lateral variation in reservoir thickness is greatly controlled by
listric faults, with the reservoir increasing in thickness towards the faults of the downthrown block (Weber and
Daukoru, 1975).
Ogbamikhumi and Igbinigie(2020), in their work on rock physics attribute analysis for hydrocarbon prospectivity in
the Eva field onshore Niger Delta, validated a direct hydrocarbon indicator(DHI) of an undrilled region as a
hydrocarbon bearing sand with the use of amplitude and structural maps as well as the analysis of rock physics
attributes while Obiekezie and Bassey(2015) worked on the petrophysical analysis and volumetric estimation of Otu
 Field using 3D seismic and well log datasets, which helped to delineate a prolific hydrocarbon bearing reservoir.
The present study will integrate evaluation of structural and attribute maps to evaluate the target reservoir and
estimate hydrocarbon reserves to determine how prolific the field is, for further developmental and production
studies.
The aim of this research is to characterize the C reservoir in Akings Field and estimate the volume of hydrocarbon it
contains. The objectives are;
1. To carryout 3D seismic interpretation to identify structures present in the reservoir.
2. Undertake well log evaluation and petrophysical analysis of reservoir rock
3. To generate a seismic-well tie
4. To generate time surface map and depth structure map of the reservoir.
5. Identification of prospect areas.
The methodology employed in this research work can be summarized into: (a) well log evaluation and petrophysical
analysis; (b) identification and mapping of structures; (c) generation of a synthetic seismogram; and (d) generation
of structure maps and amplitude maps of the reservoir top. All these were carried out using a reservoir simulation
software (petrel), and excel was used for some statistical analysis of the data.
The well log evaluation revealed the presence of interbedded sand and shale units in the study area. Three
hydrocarbon bearing sands: A, B and C (reservoirs) were identified, but this study is only focused on the C reservoir
which shows the greatest lateral extent of hydrocarbon in the field (Fig.1). Akings02 and Akings03 wells have been
displaced downward by fault relative to the other wells and the distance between the four wells ranges from about
646m to 1.656km.

C
Reservoir

Figure 1: well log evaluation of the four wells

Petrophysical analysis of the C reservoir was carried out using well log information from the four wells. The
analysis revealed that the water saturation across the well locations of the reservoir ranges from 28% to 63% in some
areas; shale volume: 9% to 22%; total porosity: 27% to 34%; effective porosity: 23% to 31%; permeability:
1899.42mD to 2942.17mD; net-to-gross: 74% to 100% (Table1). Thirty-two faults were identified and mapped
throughout the seismic volume with the aid of variance edge volume attribute (Figure 2).
The sonic log from Akings01 well was calibrated with a check shot data from the same well. This was used in
combination with density log and extracted seismic wavelet to generate a synthetic seismogram; connecting the top
of the C reservoir to its associated reflector on the seismic data (Figure 3). This reflector was mapped across the
seismic volume to generate the time and depth surface map of the reservoir top.
The structural map (Figure 3) and RMS amplitude map (Figure 4)of the C reservoir were used to meticulously
delineate a prospect area of 1049.46 acres. The amplitude map show a correlation between positive structure and
 high amplitude, which is indicative of hydrocarbon acumulation. This means that the trapping mechanism of
hydrocarbon in the study area is basically structural in nature.

Wells NTG Shale Total Effective Water Hydrocarbon Permeability Payzone

Volume Porosity Porosity Saturation Saturation Thickness
AKINGS 1.0 0.09 0.34 0.31 0.28 0.72 2942.17 184.34
01
AKINGS 0.91 0.14 0.30 0.25 0.63 0.37 2197.02 64.17
02
AKINGS 0.98 0.1 0.27 0.24 0.58 0.42 1920.16 68.89
03
AKINGS 0.74 0.22 0.28 0.23 0.38 0.62 1899.42 202.22
04
AVERAGE 0.91 0.14 0.30 0.26 0.47 0.53 2239.70 17.73
Table 1:Result of petrophysical analysis of the wells.

Figure 2: Mapped faults and C horizon on inline section

Figure 3: Time surfaface map of C reservoir Figure 4: RMS amplitude map showing the prospect area
CONCLUSION
The average reading from the petrophysical analysis of C reservoir revealed that almost half of the volume of the
reservoir pore spaces is saturated with water (47%) which means 53% of the reservoir is occupied by oil. The
reservoir is fairly clean, having a shale volume of about 14%. It has a net thickness of about 176.5ft, an effective
porosity of 26 percent, total porosity of 30 percent, permeability of 2239.70mD. According to Orji et al., 2019, a
reservoir rock is considered to be an exploitable reservoir without stimulation, if its permeability is greater than
100mD. This implies that the C reservoir has excellent sand quality for exploitation. It has a pay zone thickness of
129.90ft, containing oil and water fluids, with an oil-water contact (OWC) at an average depth of about 6552.4ft.
The extraction of RMS amplitude and average energy surface attributes facilitated the delineation of a prospect area
of about 1049.46 acres. Evaluation of the structural and amplitude maps of the C reservoir indicates that the trapping
mechanism of the hydrocarbon in the prospect area is structural in nature.
With the use of formular for oil initially in place (OIIP), the volume of the hydrocarbon in the reservoir, was
estimated to be about 168,159,707bbl. The result from this research work has great implication and application in
the exploration of petroleum in the study area.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I honestly express my gratitude to the Almighty God Who made it possible for me to come this far in my academic
journey. I sincerely appreciate my project supervisor, Dr. Ogbamikhumi A., for his support and encouragement in
making this research work a success. Special thanks also go to the head of the department of geology, Dr. Salami
S.A., and also to all the lecturers and staff of the department. I sincerely appreciate my parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Alphonsus Ubido, for their love, support and care that made this a success. Lastly, I extend my gratitude to my
siblings and friends who stood by me to encourage me.

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