Avoiding pitfalls in geostatistical reservoir characterization: A survival guide

Abstract

Geostatistics provides a powerful framework for combining sparsely sampled but accurate well information with densely sampled but less precise 3-D seismic information. When used correctly, it can provide accurate estimates of reservoir properties and an assessment of the uncertainty and risks associated with reservoir models. However, geostatistical tools can be easily abused when the assumptions underlying their use are violated. Neglecting geology and geophysics reduces geostatistics to a purely statistical process that may give false confidence in spurious results.