Unraveling key factors that influence and shape fluid flow dynamics in Brazilian salt Lagoon stromatolites: A case study in pre-salt analogues

Abstract

This study analyzes Brazilian stromatolites in Lagoa Salgada, serving as analogs for pre-salt rocks in the Santos and Campos basins. Despite their excellent petrophysical properties, such as high porosity and permeability, these reservoirs present challenges in fluid flow modeling and simulation. The research investigates various factors influencing the development of carbonate reservoirs, including diagenetic processes employing several techniques, such as microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) and digital rock physics (DRP), to study petrophysical and geological characteristics. Additionally, through numerical simulations, the properties of fluid flow in different microfacies of stromatolites are estimated, with particular emphasis on understanding and highlighting changes in the direction of fluid flow in the three characterized microfacies. These findings offer crucial insights into optimizing oil and gas exploration and production techniques in carbonate reservoirs, providing a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of fluid transport in porous media, especially in terms of directional changes within stromatolites.