Abstract The Tyra Field in the central North Sea is located in Palaeogene and Upper Cretaceous chalk. It contains a natural gas zone underlain by an oil leg. Based on analysis of logs and core data from ten wells drilled prior to the field being put into production, normalized water saturation depth-trends from logs were compared with normalized water saturation depth-trends predicted from capillary pressure core data. The ten wells lie close to a SW–NE cross section of the field. For the gas–oil contact, a free contact measured in one well corresponds to a practically horizontal contact interpreted from logging data in the remaining wells. A westerly dipping oil–water contact was found from logging data. Comparison of the depth-wise trends in normalized water saturation among the different wells indicates a regional pattern: in the western side of the field, the trends correspond to a situation of imbibition, where the free water level overlies an interval of residual oil, whereas in the eastern part of the field, the depth-wise trends in normalized water saturation correspond to a situation of drainage. The free water level apparently dips to the east due either to hydrodynamic action or to pressure inequilibrium in the aquifer following tectonic tilting.

Abstract A biostratigraphic review, conducted on 34 wells from the chalk of the Eldfisk Field, Norwegian Central Graben, has been integrated with petrophysical, geophysical and sedimentological information resulting in a revised lithostratigraphic framework for the chalk on this structure. Chalk of Danian to Turonian age is divided into five formations: the established Ekofisk Formation of Danian age and Tor Formation of Maastrichtian age, together with a new three-fold division of the Hod Formation, namely the Magne Formation of Campanian age, the Thud Formation of Santonian age and Narve Formation of Coniacian to Turonian age. This work demonstrates the application of this three-fold division of the Hod Formation. Internal field specific subdivisions of all formations are also presented for the Eldfisk Field. This lithostratigraphic framework is applied across the Eldfisk Field, together with the recognition of erosional features, unconformities, areas of non-deposition, reworking and lateral changes in biofacies. The results have also allowed recognition of the following regionally synchronous tectonic phases for the first time on a Norwegian chalk structure: Stille's Ilsede phase (Late Turonian–Coniacian) and Wernigerode phase (Late Santonian–‘earliest’ Campanian), Mittel–Santon phase (Middle Santonian) of Niebuhr et al. and Reidel's Peine phase (‘latest’ Early Campanian), together with un-named phases of ‘latest’ Campanian, intra Mid Maastrichtian and (previously unrecognized?) intra Danian age. Evidence for these tectonic phases is compared with work from Denmark, Germany and the Anglo-Paris Basin. An innovative approach to mapping lateral biofacies (principally water depth) variations has been applied using the microfaunal database. This enhances understanding of the timing of structural phases when integrated with time lines generated by nanoplankton data. Biofacies proxies for silica content in the sediment may also correlate with changes in reservoir quality. Biofacies interpretations have also facilitated the identification and mapping of allochthonous bioclastic rich debris flow deposits. The fully calibrated biostratigraphic, lithostratigraphic and tectonostratigraphic frameworks presented can be applied to chalk structures regionally.

Abstract At South Arne a highly repeatable time-lapse seismic survey (normalized root-mean-square error or NRMS of less than 0.1) allowed us to reliably monitor reservoir production processes during five years of reservoir depletion. Time-lapse AVO (amplitude v. offset) inversion and rock-physics analysis enables accurate monitoring of fluid pathways. On the crest of the field, water injection results in a heterogeneous sweep of the reservoir, whereby the majority of the injected water intrudes into a highly porous body. This is in contrast to a pre-existing reservoir simulation model predicting a homogeneous sweep. On the SW flank, time-lapse AVO inversion to changes in water saturation Δ S w reveals that the drainage pattern is fault controlled. Time-lapse seismic data furthermore explain the lack of production from the far end of a horizontal producer (as observed by production logging), by showing that the injected water does not result in the expected pressure support. On the highly porous crest of the reservoir compaction occurs. Time-lapse time shifts in the overburden are used as a measure for compaction and are compared with predictions of reservoir compaction from reservoir geomechanical modelling. In areas where compaction observations and predictions disagree, time-lapse seismic data give the necessary insight to validate, calibrate and update the reservoir geomechanical model. The information contained in time-lapse seismic data can only be fully extracted and used when the reservoir simulation model, the reservoir geomechanical model and the time-lapse seismic inversion models are co-visualized and available in the same software application with one set of coordinates. This allows for easy and reliable investigation of reservoir depletion and gives deeper insight than using reservoir simulation or time-lapse seismic individually.