The technical presentation “Reservoir quality in deep sandstone prospects, what are the main controls” will be given by Olav Walderhaug from Equinor.
Abstract
Many deep oil and gas prospects have been drilled on the NCS during recent years, but even when hydrocarbons are encountered, reservoir quality is often poor and makes profitable development very challenging or impossible. It is therefore essential to understand the factors that control reservoir quality in deeply buried sandstone prospects. This talk gives an overview of these factors and how they affect reservoir quality. Processes discussed include both the composition and texture of the sands at deposition, and the diagenetic processes that operate during burial. Special attention is given to the most widespread and destructive of all diagenetic cementation processes at great depth and high temperature, i.e., quartz cementation. The myth claiming that oil emplacement stops diagenetic cementation will also be discussed.
Bio
Olav Walderhaug received his M.Sc. degree in petroleum geology from the University of Bergen in 1985 and his Dr. philos. degree from the University of Oslo in 1994. He is employed in Equinor’s exploration division at Equinor’s head office in Stavanger as a senior specialist within the fields of diagenesis and reservoir quality prediction. Before joining Statoil in 1996 Olav worked for almost ten years in Rogaland Research performing projects for most of the oil companies active in northwestern Europe. Prior to joining Rogaland Research he was employed at Norsk Hydro’s research centre in Bergen. His main research interests are within the field of diagenesis and related subjects, including the development of quantitative models of cementation, porosity evolution and basin subsidence. During the latest years he has also focused on using oil inclusions in diagenetic minerals to constrain temperature and time of oil emplacement in reservoirs and oil expulsion from source rocks. Olav has published numerous papers on sandstone diagenesis and related topics.