Systematic procedure for reservoir characterization: Annual report, October 1, 1986--September 30, 1987

The general objective of this work is to develop procedures to enhance the accuracy and reliability of numerical simulation of oil recovery processes. The approach is to encapsulate geological observations into a numerical/statistical format, convert these into a random field of properties and then to simulate fluid flow through the field. The procedure should retain the geologic insight of more traditional methods while incorporating more spatial variability and, we believe, more realism into simulation. In this report we deal with several topics which lead up to the general goal. We give results on hydrodynamic simulations of viscous fingering and on the theoretical calibration of a field minipermeameter, discuss applications of this device to two outcrops in the Page sandstone and a San Andres dolomite, give results on theoretical analysis of the bias and precision of autocorrelation measures and, finally, introduce fluid flow simulations in the Page sandstone outcrop as a means of validating reservoir characterization procedures. 33 refs., 82 figs., 3 tabs.