An introduction to ‘Carbonate Reservoirs: Applying Current Knowledge to Future Energy Needs’

More than a century of exploitation of carbonate petroleum reservoirs has placed the geoscience subsurface community in a strong position to supply a wealth of knowledge and technology to our future energy needs. This special publication presents the latest learnings from carbonate oil and gas fields in key areas such as Brazil, the Middle East and North Africa, and demonstrates how the skills and workflows learnt in this industry can be directly applied to geothermal and radioactive waste disposal evaluations in carbonate successions. Particular reference is made to producing geothermal assets in Germany (Jurassic Malm reservoir), ultra-deep geothermal exploration projects in The Netherlands (Carboniferous reservoirs) and feasibility studies of a deep geological repository for radioactive waste disposal in France (Jurassic). A common theme running through the special publication is the importance of recognizing high-permeability zones, which can have an enormous impact on producibility, whether in oil, gas or geothermal reservoirs. High-permeability zones can result in high production rates but can also be detrimental, whether owing to early water breakthrough, resulting in bypassed oil, or H 2 S migration resulting in sour gas production. As we transition to alternative energy sources, this special publication looks back on the positive contributions of the oil and gas industry to our scientific knowledge and understanding, and discusses the ways in which carbonate and associated evaporite successions will play a critical role in our future energy needs.