This comprehensive course explains how to derive and use capillary pressure saturation height functions in your daily petrophysical work and how to incorporate them seamlessly into your default evaluations. All aspects of saturation height are covered in detail including the core-log prerequisites, selecting samples, correcting and fitting lab results, avoiding common mistakes and how to apply a saturation-height function with core or logs. The porous plate, centrifuge, air-brine, oil-brine, drainage and imbibition lab procedures are explained and contrasted with mercury injection (MICP) to understand their different applications. Reservoir types and reservoir rock types, including complex vuggy carbonates and laminates are included.
All commonly used fitting functions are explained and worked through and their applications discussed from the simple FOIL (BVW) to the author’s Modified J as well as Lambda, Skelt-Harrison, Brooks Corey and Thomeer. Excel Solver fitting techniques and check plots are shown to ensure precise functions. Two long and detailed, step-by-step workshops, from lab to reservoir HPV, are an important backbone to this course and run parallel to the theory. The workshops provide participants with a simple, reusable saturation-height template which they have developed themselves and understand. Following derivation of the SCAL function the practical goes on to determine the problematic reservoir IFTcosTheta and to fully integrate each routine core analysis plug’s reservoir J value with logged resistivity – a unique feature of this course. This process produces a modern, real-world, fully integrated petrophysical model from the {SCAL – RCA – Log driven} equation for use in the geo-model, or well, by any team member, geo-modeler, reservoir engineer or petrophysicist. This full petrophysical model can be quickly re-run using log analysis or directly within geo-models, by varying any uncertainty including FWL, IFT, Theta, Fluid densities, facies, porosity, k etc. Integrating the saturation height model with RCA and resistivity logs in this manner – so the full model can be quickly re-run by anyone – provides a powerful and transparent quality control which focuses and harmonizes team thinking from geologist to engineer.
Thin beds and complex carbonate pore systems are covered with thin sections, SEMs and image logs to address real-world saturation-height issues which are usually glossed over, including how to properly model IFTcosTheta, vugs, fractures, wettability and viscous oil/tar. Pore throat radius calculations and estimates from poroperm plots are included and the impact of complex bimodal pore systems on Swi and Sor is shown and explained.
A similar process is then outlined, but this time deriving the [por-Sw-k-height] relationship from resistivity or NMR logs – a method employed where the petrophysicist believes logs reveal the true reservoir saturation more properly than the available core. The course shows how the full NMR T2 spectrum can be used to create a robust, calibrated saturation-height model, far superior to the standard reservoir engineering porosity band method.
Applications include: common-use equation set for geo model and petrophysics; core-log n; thin bed shaly sands; vuggy carbonates; missed/bypassed pay and tracking OWC rise.

Course Level: Skill

How we build your confidence

The course is interleaved with micro-practicals, videos, PetroDB-WEB demos, class practicals, class discussions and timely recaps to achieve a dynamic and engaging training session - training which can be taken back to the office and applied immediately.

The benefits from attending

This course explains the industry wide saturation-height method and shows how to integrate all routine core analysis plugs and logs with special core analysis.

Customer Feedback

"The course is structured like a good-quality cookbook, with all the ingredients and quantities of components needed, plus some examples of tasty dishes (spreadsheets). So at the end of the day, I can try to cook myself. No BS like in many other courses." - Geoscientist

"Dr. Mark’s course on capillary pressure and Saturation Height Modeling was excellent and highly insightful. His clear explanations and practical focus made the material engaging, technically robust, and directly applicable to reservoir evaluation. I like the best Dr. Mark’s approach to the J-function." - Petrophysicist at SLB

"Mark is very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject and the content is very good and comprehensive." - Petrophysicist at EBN