Reservoir properties determination using fuzzy logic and neural networks from well data in offshore Korea

Petroleum reservoir characterization is a process for quantitatively describing various reservoir properties in spatial variability using all the available field data. Porosity and permeability are the two fundamental reservoir properties which relate to the amount of fluid contained in a reservoir and its ability to flow. These properties have a significant impact on petroleum fields operations and reservoir management. In un-cored intervals and well of heterogeneous formation, porosity and permeability estimation from conventional well logs has a difficult and complex problem to solve by statistical methods. This paper suggests an intelligent technique using fuzzy logic and neural network to determine reservoir properties from well logs. Fuzzy curve analysis based on fuzzy logic is used for selecting the best related well logs with core porosity and permeability data. Neural network is used as a nonlinear regression method to develop transformation between the selected well logs and core measurements. The technique is demonstrated with an application to the well data in offshore Korea. The results show that the technique can make more accurate and reliable reservoir properties estimation compared with conventional computing methods. This intelligent technique can be utilized as a powerful tool for reservoir properties estimation from well logs in oil and natural gas development projects. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.