Publications

The development of architectural element and depositional process concepts and their application to outcrop studies is relatively advanced and has demonstrated value for well correlation, sequence stratigraphy, and the interpretation of depositional environments. In addition, the interpretation of data acquired using dipmeter and borehole image log technologies is also advanced. However, the value of image logs for well correlation, sequence stratigraphy and the analysis of depositional environment remain underutilised despite these data often being included in the log acquisition program. The description and geometry of depositional elements are crucial for interpreting fluvial regimes and changes in depositional style through time. An important part of analysis is the recognition of the bounding surfaces which must be identified and ranked. The Echo-Yodel field, located on the NW Shelf of Australia, is used to illustrate how the principles of architectural element analysis, usually applied to 2 and 3D outcrops, can be successfully applied to borehole image and dip meter data. The Echo-Yodel study illustrates the efficacy of dipmeter and borehole image logs in providing data from which reservoir architecture can be constructed in areas of poor seismic control or resolution.