High-resolution virtual fracture mapping for quantitative structural analysis in carbonate reservoir analog
Carbonate reservoir analog; Quantitative structural analysis; P20, P21 e P10; Power law and exponential law; Topology.
Carbonate reservoirs are complex and heterogeneous. Due to the presence of fractures and dissolution
processes, their petrophysical properties may change. Fractures are related to the texture of the rock,
affecting porosity and permeability. For this research, three outcrops located in Lajedo Arapuá were
selected (Arapuá I, II e III), in Felipe Guerra/RN, inserted in the Jandaíra Formation (Potiguar Basin).
The objective of this study is to highlight the importance of quantitative structural analysis using high-
resolution tools to improve the modeling of fractured carbonate reservoirs, covering investigation scales
not understood by traditional methods. This objective was achieved with the use of the following
methodologies: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), acquisition of scanlines and scanareas. To this end,
structural data collected were processed to obtain the values of P20, P21 and P10, and to carry out
statistical and topological studies. A variation in the aforementioned parameters was identified in relation
to the slab sectors and the proximity to the Apodi fold axis, arranged parallel to a NE-SW fracture
corridor. It is possible to verify an increase in the degree of deformation and connectivity between the
structural elements with proximity to the fold axis, with clusters of fractures associated with the N-S and
NW-SE sets occurring. Such characteristics, associated with more in-depth studies, indicate that the
carbonate rocks present in this zone are excellent analogues of geofluid reservoirs.