Structural Modeling of the Top Turonian Reservoir in the Northern Seme Oilfield (Benin, West-Africa)

Abstract

The Sèmè oilfield is located in Benin’s offshore coastal sedimentary basin, near the Benin-Nigeria border, and contains two important oil bearing structures called “Sèmè North” and “Sèmè South”. In this coastal basin, Turonian sandstones of Abeokuta formation (Cenomanian-Turonian to Early Senonian age) form two reservoir units differentiated by two seismic horizons H6 and H6.5. The H6 seismic horizon represents the upper reservoir unit and is the main reservoir from which, more than 22 million barrels of crude oil had previously been produced in Sèmè oilfield. In order to improve knowledge of field petroleum geology, the present study presents the structural features of this upper reservoir unit. The use of Petrel software modules for the integration of 15 wells data, allowed presenting a structural model and illustrative cross sections that precise the geometry and specifying the structural characteristics of this reservoir unit within Sèmè field. The displayed structural architecture shows that the upper Turonian sandstones unit is composed of 11 layers including 7 reservoir layers (A, B, C1, C2, D1, D2, E) and 4 intra-reservoir layers (1, 2, 3 and 4) controlled by faults systems. The model provides basic framework necessary for geological characterization of the reservoir through a static model. The results of this study can be used for petrophysical modeling, Gross Rock Volume (GRV) determination and technical redevelopment of the field.