Modelling the diagenetic tipping points in the porosity-permeability evolution of a carbonate reservoir rock

Carbonate rock typing methods aim to associate texture with petrophysically similar rocks. Here, we use 2D thin sections of carbonate reservoir rocks to create 3D pore space models and extract pore networks from these to obtain their multiphase flow properties using pore network flow models. This novel rocktyping method is applied to a typical Middle East Cretaceous carbonate reservoir rock, where multiple 3D realisations were obtained. Based on knowledge of the major pore-occluding or pore enhancing diagenetic processes, we created synthetic images of the former states of the rock (diagenetic backstripping). For each stage in the paragenetic sequence, flow properties were calculated. When upscaled to flow units in reservoir models this method has the potential to identify (diagenetic) tipping points during the evolution of the carbonate reservoir during burial.