Application of photogrammetry to generate quantitative geobody data in ephemeral fluvial systems

Outcrop studies are often used as analogues to subsurface sedimentary reservoirs, with photogrammetry representing a useful technique to obtain quantitative geometrical data of sedimentary architectures. Digital photogrammetric techniques were used to study fluvial sediments of the Lower Jurassic Kayenta Formation of the western USA. Model-extracted statistics for channel and sheetflood elements, relevant to reservoir modelling, were compared with 1D and 2D datasets from the same outcrops. Results suggest that the 1D/2D data significantly underestimated element dimensions and ranges in ephemeral fluvial systems. Consequently, this study demonstrates the value of photogrammetric techniques for obtaining statistically relevant and more accurate reservoir modelling input data from outcrops.