Implementation of Digital Outcrop Models for Subsurface Extrapolation: A Pilot study in the San Jacinto Belt, Colombia

The prediction of reservoir architectures in frontier basins such as the Colombian Offshore has high uncertainty, because in these basins quantitative assessment has to be done with limited and dispersed information. The available seismic data is normally 2D, making the detailed delineation of reservoir geometries very challenging. A possible solution to this problem is the characterization of outcrop analogues for subsurface extrapolation.

In this pilot study a 3D outcrop digital model was created using terrestrial Laser Scanning (LIDAR), and integrated with detailed sedimentological descriptions. These results allow the quantification of sedimentary body geometries with a precision around 1cm. The implementation of this methodology allows the quantification of heterogeneities and dimensions of lithological units to be defined, and there is also a high potential for the architectural description of different geoforms. These data are very useful in the Colombian Offshore for the generation of reservoir models during the exploration or early development of fields.