Diagenetic impacts on hydraulic flow unit properties: insight from the Jurassic carbonate Upper Arab Formation in the Persian Gulf

The Upper Arab reservoir in the central Persian Gulf was examined for depositional, diagenetic, sequence stratigraphic and petrophysical features. This succession is composed of eight sedimentary facies that deposited on a carbonate ramp. Three-third-order sequences prograded across the Late Jurassic Arab Platform. This interval was complicated by multiple diagenetic phases including eogenesis and mesogenesis that strongly influenced reservoir properties. Dolomitization, dissolution, cementation and compaction are major diagenetic processes which played an essential role in increasing or decreasing reservoir quality. Four hydraulic flow units (HFU) were determined by flow zone indicator approach for evaluation of the reservoir quality. In addition to depositional features, diagenetic alterations have changed general HFUs characterizations such as porosity, permeability and pore-throat size. Likewise, via Lucia classification, HFUs of the Arab reservoir were grouped based on the integration of geological and petrophysical attributes in detail. Among diagenetic processes, dolomitization and dissolution have positive effects while cementation and stylolitization have a negative effect on HFUs characteristics in the studied reservoir. Put another way, since diagenetic alterations lead to the intensification of heterogeneity in carbonate reservoir, prediction of the relationship between pore type and pore throat size is a problematic issue. Recognition of the hydraulic flow units considered as a practical tool for grouping reservoir rocks and characterizing heterogeneity using porosity and permeability relationship. Finally, specifying of the contribution of various diagenetic imprints in each hydraulic flow unit in a sequence stratigraphic framework results in a conceptual reservoir model that could predict reservoir quality variations across the field.