Date of Award
12-2008
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Geological and Environmental Sciences
First Advisor
Dr. G. Michael Grammer
Second Advisor
Dr. William B. Harrison III
Third Advisor
Dr. David A. Barnes
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Campus Only
Abstract
Silurian age (Niagaran) reefs in the Michigan Basin have long been interpreted as relatively homogeneous units. In an attempt to better illustrate reservoir heterogeneity in these reefs, a 3-D sequence stratigraphic model was produced for the Ray Reef Field. The Petrel model incorporates twenty-eight wells using a combination of gamma ray and neutron logs, porosity and permeability data, and facies descriptions. Six depositional facies were determined by analyzing rock fabric, depositional attributes, and faunal changes in eight full length cores distributed throughout the complex. Comparison of porosity and permeability values within the various depositional facies show clear trends related to the individual facies. Incorporating the sequence stratigraphic framework into the 3-D model illustrates the episodic nature of reef growth as exhibited by the stacked nature of reef and capping grainstones, often separated by well-developed exposure horizons. Utilization of the sequence stratigraphic approach also illustrates that the vertical reservoir heterogeneity typically observed in these reefs, may be predictable using a combination of the vertical stacking patterns of facies and the development of significant bounding exposure horizons.
Recommended Citation
Wold, Jessica Lynn, "Sequence Stratigraphy and 3-D Reservoir Characterization of a Silurian (Niagaran) Reef - Ray Gas Storage Field,Macomb County, Michigan" (2008). Masters Theses. 203.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/203