Integration of Cretaceous Morro do Chaves rock properties (NE Brazil) with the Holocene Hamelin Coquina architecture (Shark Bay, Western Australia) to model effective permeability

Effective permeability in coquina reservoirs, critical for pre-salt exploration in Brazil and Angola, is best estimated by integrating outcrop data with modern analogues. This study combines porosity and permeability measurements from a Cretaceous coquina bed in NE Brazil with the Holocene Hamelin Coquina architecture at Shark Bay, Western Australia, to model reservoir behavior. The research reveals that effective permeability lies between geometrical and harmonic averages of plug data, with moderate flow anisotropy favoring alignment along beach ridges. This approach improves reservoir characterization by leveraging both ancient outcrops and modern environments, offering a novel method for predicting fluid flow in coquina reservoirs.

Corbett, P. W. M., Estrella, R., Morales Rodriguez, A., Shoeir, A., Borghi, L., & Tavares, A. C. (2016). Integration of Cretaceous Morro do Chaves rock properties (NE Brazil) with the Holocene Hamelin Coquina architecture (Shark Bay, Western Australia) to model effective permeability. Petroleum Geoscience, 22(2), 105–122. https://doi.org/10.1144/petgeo2015-054