Permeability prediction in shaly formations: The fuzzy modeling approach

This paper shows how fuzzy rule-based systems help predict permeability in sedimentary rocks using well-log responses. The fuzzy rule-based approach represents a global nonlinear relationship between permeability and a set of input log responses as a smooth concatenation of a finite family of flexible local submodels. The fuzzy inference rules expressing the local input–output relationships are obtained automatically from a set of observed measurements using a fuzzy clustering algorithm. This approach simplifies the process of constructing fuzzy systems without much computation effort. The benefits of the methodology are demonstrated with a case study in the Lake Maracaibo basin, Venezuela. Special core analyses from three early development wells provide the data for the learning task. Core permeability and well-log data from a fourth well provide the basis for model validation. Numerical simulation results show that the fuzzy system is an improvement over conventional empirical methods in terms of predictive capability.