Clinoform surfaces control aspects of facies architecture within shallow-marine parasequences and can also act as barriers or baffles to flow where they are lined by low-permeability lithologies, such as cements or mudstones. Current reservoir modeling techniques are not well suited to capturing clinoforms, particularly if they are numerous, below seismic resolution, and/or difficult to correlate between wells. At present, there are no modeling tools available to automate the generation of multiple three-dimensional clinoform surfaces using a small number of input parameters. Consequently, clinoforms are rarely incorporated in models of shallow-marine reservoirs, even when their potential impact on fluid flow is recognized.
A numerical algorithm that generates multiple clinoforms within a volume defined by two bounding surfaces, such as a delta-lobe deposit or shoreface parasequence, is developed. A geometric approach is taken to construct the shape of a clinoform, combining its height relative to the bounding surfaces with a mathematical function that describes clinoform geometry. The method is flexible, allowing the user to define the progradation direction and the parameters that control the geometry and distribution of individual clinoforms. The algorithm is validated via construction of surface-based three-dimensional reservoir models of (1) fluvial-dominated delta-lobe deposits exposed at the outcrop (Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone Member, Utah), and (2) a sparse subsurface data set from a deltaic reservoir (Jurassic Sognefjord Formation, Troll Field, Norwegian North Sea). Resulting flow simulation results demonstrate the value of including algorithm-generated clinoforms in reservoir models, because they may significantly impact hydrocarbon recovery when associated with areally extensive barriers to flow.