Estimating formation properties in inter-well regions by monitoring saturation and salinity front arrivals

摘要

The present invention discloses a method and system of monitoring the movement of at least one front in an inter-well region, comprising: providing a first well representing the origination of at least one front (such as a saturation front or a salinity front); providing one or more monitoring locations, each equipped with at least one sensor; and monitoring the arrival of at least one front at one or more monitoring locations. The origination well may be any type of permanent or temporary well, but is preferably an injector well. Likewise, the monitoring location(s) may be any type of permanent or temporary well such as an observation well, a production well, an exploratory well, and an appraisal well. Information regarding front arrival times may be used to characterize or appraise the formation. Front arrivals may be monitored as a function of time to develop their respective time evolution and shape.