Uncertainties associated with fault sealing analysis

Recent advances in understanding how faults restrict fluid flow in sandston e reservoirs have led to improved models for reservoir simulation. Neverthe less, there are still many uncertainty factors that can render even the mos t detailed simulation model useless, On a detailed scale, these uncertainti es include variations in lateral continuity of faults, properties and thick ness of fault zones, and the influence of deformation bands within and outs ide damage zones. Subseismic features such as small-scale relay zones, drag features and frequency and distribution of small faults around the fault z one further decrease the confidence level of simulation modelling results. Detailed analyses of seismic and well data from the Gullfaks Field, Norther n North Sea, have helped understand the detailed structural reservoir chara cteristics. The results from these analyses can, in many cases, be used as input to further enhance models for reservoir simulation in order to increa se the validation of the models. Furthermore, the studies carried out on th e Gullfaks Field demonstrate that a sound approach to knowledge management for increased oil recovery based on fault seal analysis requires sharing of gained knowledge from many oil and gas fields rather than monopolizing inf ormation that cannot be fully utilized by studies from a single held.