Vol. 337 No. 10 (2026)
DOI https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/10/5474
Modern achievements and problems of lithological-facial analysis in oil and gas geology: an analytical review and reliability criteria
Relevance. Increasingly widespread use of facies analysis is due to the fact that in the last 15 to 20 years, the number of complex-structured fields, which are usually small in size, has been noticeably increasing at all stages (search, exploration, and operation) in oil and gas geology. It is impossible to increase the efficiency of the search, exploration, and development of such fields without increasing the accuracy of the models on the basis of which the corresponding tasks are solved. One of the most promising methods for achieving the required accuracy of geological models is to take into account the lithological-facies structure of productive objects in modeling. Aim. To analyze the current state of the methodological and information base of lithological-facies modeling, identify the main problems, and substantiate the most relevant directions for their development in order to improve the accuracy of facies models and, as a result, geological models. Methods. A comprehensive approach to the genetic analysis of deposits includes several groups of methods: general geological; lithological; geochemical; paleoecological; paleogeographic; geophysical. Results. The main directions for improving the accuracy of lithological and facies models were substantiated. The most promising direction for the development of lithological and facies modeling is to increase the methods of recording empirical data, as well as to improve the accuracy of data by using higher-resolution measuring equipment. The prospects for the development of lithological and facies analysis are related to the expansion and more in-depth study of modern sediment accumulation environments, both through new types of ground-based measurements and through increased volumes and types of physical (laboratory) modeling of geological processes. Certain prospects for lithofacies analysis are associated with the creation and development of dynamic sedimentation modeling methods, which simulate the history of sedimentation, in other words, the process of changing sedimentation environments over geological time. Dynamic models allow for more reliable prediction of facies distribution outside the well data domain. Dynamic sedimentation modeling will allow for the integration of core, well, and seismic data at a higher scientific level.
For citation: Aleksandrov V.M., Belkina V.A., Sankova N.V., Mazurkevich V.V. Modern achievements and problems of lithological-facial analysis in oil and gas geology: an analytical review and reliability criteria. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Assets Engineering, 2026, vol. 337, no. 10, pp. 274–297. http://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/10/5474
Keywords:
oil and gas geology, facies analysis, lithological and facies structure, facies diagnostics, hydrocarbon resources and reserves, geological modeling
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