Compression-based modelling of the Ross Formation




Duration - 01/05/2021 - 30/04/2023

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow - Deirdre Walsh

Principal Investigator - Tom Manzocchi

Funding - iCRAG (Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences) project funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), and cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund and iCRAG industry partners.

Project description
Compression-based modelling is an innovative method for generating stochastic facies models in which the interconnectivity of individual depositional elements, such as channels or lobes, is determined by user-defined parameters that can be varied for different facies or in different model realisations. This adds a degree of freedom relative to conventional approaches, allowing exceptionally realistic models to be generated. The method is particularly suited for deposits characterised by high net:gross ratios but poor connectivity: a common combination in deep-water deposits that makes them hard to model reliably.
This project will apply compression-based modelling to build high resolution geomodels of the Ross Formation of County Clare. Results will provide a demonstration of the approach and enhance our understanding of these world-class outcrops. It will also establish sensitivities to fluid injection/production scenarios using high fidelity turbidite geomodels. If successful the project will demonstrate that compression-based modelling is practical and is capable of generating realistic models of deep-marine deposits, even in circumstances where detailed heterogeneities have a strong influence on subsurface flow. Any such success could lead to the adoption of the compression method in geomodelling workflows.


Contact: Deirdre Walsh
Tel: +353 1 7162611
EMAIL