Fracture Detection and Prediction Using Subsurface Data and Reservoir Analog

The Mouydir basin is considered the less explored basin where only low-quality seismic 2D data is available. The negative wells were drilled on structures recognized through geological maps, gravity, and seismic refraction data. The Cambro-Ordovician is the main reservoir in the Mouydir basin. It is characterized by tight sandstone where the permeability ranges from 0.01 to 1 mD and porosity from 3% to 6% in the Cambrian and the Ordovician, respectively. A specific workflow is proposed to bring new insight and guide the future exploration in this basin using surface and subsurface data. The workflow includes surface data such as geological maps and digital elevation models and subsurface data such as gravity, seismic 2D, and core. The 3D fracture model is used to understand the fractures’ distribution, fractures’ connectivity, and fractures’ kinematics. The outcomes could be used to predict fractures’ extension and occurrence in the subsurface. The drilling of a horizontal pilot well perpendicular to the maximum horizontal stress could be a beginning of a new exploration era in Mouydir basin.