Sedimentology and reservoir characterization of a shallow-marine to continental transition - a case study for Carbon Capture and Storage purposes

Abstract

Outcrop analogs can provide more information about a depositional environment than standard subsurface datasets, which can be used to better understand the sedimentological character of units below seismic resolution. For example, such outcrop data have been used for an ancient shallow marine to continental transitioning analog. The implication of correlating the possible reservoir beds was detected utilizing technical and sedimentological approaches to distinguish the vertical and lateral variability. This information could be used to distinguish heterogeneities of the reservoir unit and implemented for CO2 sequestration purposes. Modern analogs are added to acquire more information about the prospective depositional environment because such depositional environments are deposited in close proximity to one another and each exhibits a distinct reservoir architecture. Outcrop data from the Little Grand Wash Fault in Utah, USA, was utilized to create two depositional environment correlations in order to detect heterogeneities in probable reservoir depositional units in shallow marine to continental environments. Further investigation of modern analogs within these conditions has raised plausible consequences within correlation and depositional architecture of such depositional environments that are deposited in close proximity to each other. This study suggests that the selection of an appropriate correlation method is essential to provide information on the depositional environments and their corresponding possible reservoir units.