This study provides independent analysis of Residual Oil Zones (ROZs) in the Permian Basin from a regional perspective, focusing on the formation mechanism and present ROZ locations. Results demonstrate widespread potential for ROZs, defined here as thick volumes of reservoir rock containing near-residual saturations of predominantly immobile oil formed by natural imbibition and displacement of oil by dynamic buoyant or hydrodynamic forces. Previous work suggests hydrodynamic forces generated by regional tectonic uplift drove widespread oil remobilization and ROZ creation. To test the hypothesis, uplift and tilting are quantified and the resulting peak regional potentiometric gradient used as a physical constraint to compute and compare predicted ROZ thicknesses from hydrodynamics for several ROZ-bearing San Andres fields with known ROZ thicknesses. Late-Albian Edwards Group geologic contacts, which are interpreted to have been deposited near sea level prior to uplift, are used as a regional datum. Approximate elevations determined for the present datum show ~1800 m of differential uplift since Edwards deposition, with an average regional slope of ~0.128˚. This post-Edwards tilting increased the pre-existing regional structural gradient of the San Andres Formation to ~0.289˚. Using the calculated post-Edwards gradient results in to prediction of ROZ thicknesses from hydrodynamics that is consistent with measured ROZ thicknesses at several fields. When compared with countervailing buoyancy forces, hydrodynamics is calculated to be the more dominant driving force of oil movement for reservoirs with structural dips less than 1.5˚, which is the common dip for San Andres Formation platform deposits where ROZs have been identified. To predict the location of ROZs, ROZ-related oil field properties were identified and analyzed for over 2,800 Permian Basin reservoirs. A strong basin-wide correlation between API and crude sulfur content is consistent with the expected outcome of oil degradation driven by oil-water interaction, and supports the use of API and sulfur content as proxies for ROZ potential in the Permian Basin. Spatial analysis of sulfur data shows that the highest probability for ROZ existence exists in Leonardian through Guadalupian-age reservoirs, distributed primarily in shelf and platform areas of Permian structures. Combined, these results support the widespread potential for ROZs across the Permian Basin generated primarily by regional scale tilting and resultant hydrodynamic forces. / text

Groundwater interactions at a regional scale are of great importance to characterize subsurface flow processes. Extensive researches have been conducted previously to determine the main factors controlling the regional implications on groundwater flux circulation. Groundwater circulation occurs due to variation in the groundwater table (hydraulic gradient) across the spatial scale. Previous research highlighted the correlation between groundwater table with both topography variation and the recharge from precipitation. This study aims to highlight the impact of these boundary conditions. Five catchments located across different regions of Sweden with different topographical, hydrological, and meteorological properties considered for this study: Bodalsån, Forsmarksån, Tullstorpsån, Sävaån, and Krycklan. Relevant data were collected and numerical models were set up in steady- state conditions for each of these catchments, using 3D Multiphysics COMSOL. Models were set up for both of the boundary conditions, using 10 m grid resolution.Groundwater flux profiles along the depth of the catchments were obtained as a result, in which significant differences were observed. This was associated predominantly with the difference in the nature of the topography, the slope and soil permeability in these regions. The data thus collected and the models so established have increased the understanding in these regions from a research perspective. / En ökad förståelse för hur grundvatten interagerar med ytvatten är av stor betydelse för att karakterisera underjordiska flödesprocesser. Omfattande undersökningar har tidigare genomförts för att bestämma de viktigaste faktorerna som styr de regionala konsekvenserna för cirkulationen av grundvattenflöde. Grundvattencirkulation uppstår på grund av variationer i grundvattentabellen (hydraulisk gradient) över den rumsliga skalan. Tidigare forskning belyste korrelationen mellan grundvattentabellen med både topografivariation och laddning från nederbörd. Denna studie syftar till att belysa effekterna av dessa gränsförhållanden. Fem avrinningsområden placerade över olika regioner i Sverige med olika topografiska, hydrologiska och meteorologiska egenskaper som beaktas för denna studie: Bodalsån, Forsmarksån, Tullstorpsån, Sävaån och Krycklan. Relevanta data samlades in och numeriska modeller sattes upp under steady-state-förhållanden för vart och ett av dessa avrinningsområden med användning av 3D Multiphysics COMSOL. Modeller konfigurerades för båda gränsförhållandena med 10 m nätupplösning. Grundvattenflödesprofiler längs avrinningsdjupet erhölls som resultat, där signifikanta skillnader observerades. Detta var främst förknippat med skillnaden i topografins natur och lutningen i dessa regioner. De data som samlats in och de så etablerade modellerna har ökat skapat en värdefull grund för vidare hydrologisk forskning i dessa regioner.