The application of petrophysics to resolve fluid flow units and reservoir quality in the Upper Cretaceous Formations: Abu Sennan oil field, Egypt

•We model two formations (Abu-Roash and Bahariya) in the Egyptian western desert.•Laboratory petrophysical parameters measured using the petrophysical devices.•Increasing Rh and R35% will improve the porosity–permeability relationship and vice versa.•Permeability prediction model constructed with high coefficient of correlation.

Petrophysical flow unit concept can be used to resolve some of the key challenges faced in the characterization of hydrocarbon reservoirs. The present study deals with petrophysical evaluation of some physical properties of the Upper Cretaceous rock samples obtained from the Abu-Roash and the Bahariya Formations at southwest of Sennan oil field in the Western Desert of Egypt. The aim of this study was achieved through carrying out some petrophysical measurements of porosity, bulk density, permeability, mean hydraulic radius (Rh), irreducible water saturation, and radius of pore throat at mercury saturation of 35% in order to determine reservoir characteristics.In this study, the relationships obtained between the measured petrophysical properties such as porosity, permeability and pore throat flow unit types were established for 53 sandstone core samples obtained from two different stratigraphic units. Flow zone indicator (FZI) has been calculated to quantify the flow character of the Abu-Roash and Bahariya reservoir rocks based on empirically derived equations of robust correlation coefficients. The correlations among porosity, permeability, bulk density, mean hydraulic radius and pore throat flow properties reflect the most important reservoir behavior characteristics. The calculated multiple regression models indicate close correlation among petrophysical properties and Rh and R35%.The obtained models are able to predict Rh and R35% by using porosity and permeability, to map reservoir performance and predict the location of stratigraphic traps.