3D spatial characterization of sand body for uranium reservoir based on geostatistical resistivity inversion
The current energetic transition policies reenabled the importance of producing nuclear energy in producing electricity. Uranium is the principal fuel used in nuclear power plants, and mineral deposits containing this element are of strategic importance. The successful development of sandstone uranium deposits benefits from three-dimensional (3D) geophysical characterization of sand bodies in uranium reservoir. To solve this problem, a method based on 3D geostatistical resistivity inversion is adopted. Firstly, we analyze the application of that method to the problem in hand and introduce a workflow for analyzing the data. Secondly, through petro-physical sensitivity analysis, we identify the logging parameters that can characterize sandstone in this context, and we use that as the parameter estimated by the geostatistical inversion outlined herein. Then, the 3D data of inversion representing the sandstone of uranium reservoir is obtained by the 3D geostatistical resistivity inversion, demonstrating an accuracy well within an acceptable level of accuracy. Finally, the 3D data of inversion is applied to 3D spatial characterization of a sand body in uranium reservoir inverting a field dataset. Our method is useful in determining the location of drilling wells for exploration and development of sandstone uranium deposits.