Comparing Flume and Computer Simulated Turbidite Flows – Implications for Sediment Deposition Patterns and Reservoir Quality

A better understanding of turbidite systems is important for constraining potential reservoir location and quality. We have compared experimental turbidite flows simulated on a scaled realistic palaeobathymetry, with computer generated flows on the same surface. A comparison of the different modelling techniques has been made for a range of outcomes including the impact of boundary conditions, on both sediment thickness and location. For the computer simulated flows reservoir quality, sand fraction and sorting index, has also been analysed.

Results of the two modelling systems were compared by collection of X, Y, Z data from the flume experiments using an acoustic bed profiler before and after each experimental run. These X, Y, Z data were loaded into the modelling package, used to run the computer simulated flows, and surfaces were created from the point data. The original and post flow surfaces from the flume model were up-scaled to basin size for the computer simulated flows and for comparison of results. The results were analysed by colour mapping surfaces for different attributes and by ‘drilling' pseudo-wells through the model to derive sediment thickness from horizon-well intersection information for specific points of interest.

In the experiments funnelled flow, constrained within a palaeochannel was compared, with a more distributed flow, extending onto a saddle next to the channel. We found that the bathymetric features of the modelled seafloor control local patterns of flow and deposition for both the computer simulated and flume model flows. Our experiments allow comparison of the inter-relationships between the bathymetric controls and the flow input parameters to be considered and the relative impacts of each defined for different flow models.