Hydrocarbon indicators on seismic data: Insights from poroviscoelastic modeling, amplitude, and frequency variation with offsets from the Drake Point gas field, Western Arctic Islands, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. SP45-SP59
Author(s):  
Mathieu J. Duchesne ◽  
Bernard Giroux ◽  
Kezhen Hu
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Frequency Variation ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Seismic Amplitude ◽  
Impedance Modeling ◽  
Western Arctic

The evaluation of drilling prospects is frequently based on seismic amplitude anomalies. To decipher “true” seismic prospects from “false” ones, we used poroviscoelastic (PVE) models, as opposed to other formalisms such as acoustic, elastic, viscoelastic, and poroelastic models, that provided a solution that takes into account solid and fluid attenuation mechanisms separately to model the earth’s response to the propagation of a seismic wavefield. Here, a PVE impedance modeling scheme was tested using seismic and well-log data collected on a conventional gas reservoir in the Canadian Arctic. Comparisons between seismic-to-well ties achieved using acoustic and PVE media indicated that the latter provided more realistic synthetic seismograms. Although prestack analysis revealed that the present lithological context was of class I amplitude variation with offset (AVO), the seismic signature observed was of class III AVO. Consequently, the increase in amplitude with offset was interpreted to be induced not by a lithological change (i.e., shale to sand) combined with a gas-charged interval, but rather by an increase in porosity within the sandstone reservoir itself where the gas has accumulated. Frequency variation with offset analysis using spectral decomposition, image low-frequency shadows on the far offsets attributed to the gas accumulation that were correlative with the AVO anomaly. This highlighted the importance of far offsets in anomalous amplitude and frequency events attributed to the occurrence of gas reservoirs observed on stacked data and that these events can be missed if seismic hydrocarbon indicators were solely investigated on stacked data. Finally, the method of analysis emphasized the importance of combining indirect arguments coming from the observation of prestack and stacked seismic data in the time and frequency domains for reducing risk to an acceptable level before a prospect can be drilled.

Quantitative interpretation using facies-based seismic inversion

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. SL1-SL8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehsan Zabihi Naeini ◽  
Russell Exley
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Seismic Inversion ◽  
Quantitative Interpretation ◽  
Frequency Model ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Limited Bandwidth ◽  
Seismic Amplitude ◽  
Primary Signal

Quantitative interpretation (QI) is an important part of successful exploration, appraisal, and development activities. Seismic amplitude variation with offset (AVO) provides the primary signal for the vast majority of QI studies allowing the determination of elastic properties from which facies can be determined. Unfortunately, many established AVO-based seismic inversion algorithms are hindered by not fully accounting for inherent subsurface facies variations and also by requiring the addition of a preconceived low-frequency model to supplement the limited bandwidth of the input seismic. We apply a novel joint impedance and facies inversion applied to a North Sea prospect using broadband seismic data. The focus was to demonstrate the significant advantages of inverting for each facies individually and iteratively determine an optimized low-frequency model from facies-derived depth trends. The results generated several scenarios for potential facies distributions thereby providing guidance to future appraisal and development decisions.

A Study of Downhole Drillable Pulsing Cementing Device with Low Frequency Self-Excited Hydraulic Oscillation and its Field Application

2012 ◽  
Vol 450-451 ◽  
pp. 1536-1539
Author(s):  
Cui Ping Nie ◽  
Deng Sheng Ye
Keyword(s):  
Setting Time ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Field Application ◽  
Displacement Efficiency ◽  
Cement Slurry ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Gas Well ◽  
Hydraulic Oscillation ◽  
Injection Technology

Abstract: Usually we pay more attention on how to improve gas well cementing quality in engineering design and field operations, and there are so many studies on cement agents but few researches on cement slurry injection technology. The field practice proved that conventional cementing technology can not ensure the cementing quality especially in gas well and some abnormal pressure wells. Most of the study is concentrated on cement agents and some cementing aspects such as wellbore condition, casing centralization etc. All the factors analysis on cementing quality has pointed out that a combination of good agents and suitable measurements can improve cementing quality effectively. The essential factor in cementing is to enhance the displacement efficiency, but normal hole condition and casing centralization are the fundamental for cementing only. Pulsing cementing is the technology that it can improve the displacement efficiency especially in reservoir well interval, also it can shorten the period from initial to ultimate setting time for cement slurry or improve thickening characteristics, and then to inhibit the potential gas or water channeling. Based on systematically research, aiming at improving in 7″ liner cementing, where there are multi gas reservoirs in long interval in SiChuan special gas field, well was completed with upper 7″ liner and down lower 5″ liner, poor cementing bonding before this time. So we stressed on the study of a downhole low frequency self-excited hydraulic oscillation pulsing cementing drillable device and its application, its successful field utilization proved that it is an innovative tool, and it can improve cementing quality obviously.

Anisotropic correction of sonic logs in wells with large relative dip

Geophysics ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. E1-E5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lev Vernik
Keyword(s):  
Reservoir Characterization ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Seismic Amplitude ◽  
Avo Inversion ◽  
Pore Pressure Prediction ◽  
Siliciclastic Rocks ◽  
Dip Angle ◽  
Sonic Logs

Seismic reservoir characterization and pore-pressure prediction projects rely heavily on the accuracy and consistency of sonic logs. Sonic data acquisition in wells with large relative dip is known to suffer from anisotropic effects related to microanisotropy of shales and thin-bed laminations of sand, silt, and shale. Nonetheless, if anisotropy parameters can be related to shale content [Formula: see text] in siliciclastic rocks, then I show that it is straightforward to compute the anisotropy correction to both compressional and shear logs using [Formula: see text] and the formation relative dip angle. The resulting rotated P-wave sonic logs can be used to enhance time-depth ties, velocity to effective stress transforms, and low-frequency models necessary for prestack seismic amplitude variation with offset (AVO) inversion.

3-D seismic imaging and seismic attribute analysis of genetic sequences deposited in low‐accommodation conditions

Geophysics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 1351-1362 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. Hardage ◽  
D. L. Carr ◽  
D. E. Lancaster ◽  
J. L. Simmons ◽  
D. S. Hamilton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Sediment Accumulation ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Seismic Attribute ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Reservoir System ◽  
Depositional Processes ◽  
Genetic Sequences ◽  
Data Windows ◽  
Reservoir Facies

A multidisciplinary team, composed of stratigraphers, petrophysicists, reservoir engineers, and geophysicists, studied a portion of Boonsville gas field in the Fort Worth Basin of North‐Central Texas to determine how modern geophysical, geological, and engineering techniques could be combined to understand the mechanisms by which fluvio‐deltaic depositional processes create reservoir compartmentalization in a low‐ to moderate‐accommodation basin. An extensive database involving well logs, cores, production, and pressure data from 200‐plus wells, [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] of 3-D seismic data, vertical seismic profiles (VSPs), and checkshots was assembled to support this investigation. The reservoir system we studied was the Bend Conglomerate, a productive series of gas reservoirs composed of Middle Pennsylvanian fluvio‐deltaic clastics 900 to 1300 ft (275 to 400 m) thick in our project area. We were particularly interested in this reservoir system because evidence suggested that many of the sequences in this stratigraphic interval were deposited in low‐accommodation conditions (that is, in an environment where there was limited vertical space available for sediment accumulation), and our objective was to investigate how fluvio‐deltaic reservoirs were compartmentalized by low‐accommodation depositional processes. Using an extensive well log database (200 plus wells) and a core‐calibrated calculation of rock facies derived from these logs, we divided the Bend Conglomerate interval into ten genetic sequences, with each sequence being approximately 100 ft (30 m) thick. We then used local VSP and checkshot control to transform log‐measured depths of each sequence boundary to seismic two‐way time coordinates and identified narrow seismic data windows encompassing each sequence across the [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] 3-D seismic grid. A series of seismic attributes was calculated in these carefully defined data windows to determine which attributes were reliable indicators of the presence of productive reservoir facies and which attributes could, therefore, reveal distinct reservoir compartments and potentially show where infield wells should be drilled to reach previously uncontacted gas reservoirs. Our best success was the seismic attribute correlations we found in the Upper and Lower Caddo sequences, at the top of the Bend Conglomerate. These sequences were deposited in a low‐accommodation setting, relative to other Boonsville sequences, and we found that reflection amplitude and instantaneous frequency, respectively, were reliable indicators of the areal distribution of reservoir facies in these low‐accommodation sequences.

A new exploration tool for subtle stratigraphic traps in the offshore Nile Delta, Egypt

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 434-447
Author(s):  
Amir M. S. Lala ◽  
Amr Talaat
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Nile Delta ◽  
The Other ◽  
Class I ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Gas Reservoir ◽  
Seismic Amplitude ◽  
Amplitude Anomaly ◽  
Exploration Tool ◽  
Gas Bearing

The offshore Nile Delta Basin is considered as one of the most promising hydrocarbon provinces in Egypt, with an excellent potential for gas and condensate reserves following future exploration. Most of the discoveries in this basin, such as the reservoirs of the Upper Miocene and the Middle–Upper Pliocene, have been enabled by the use of a direct hydrocarbon indicator (DHI), based on a class III seismic amplitude v. offset (AVO) anomaly. However, there are gas-bearing formations in the Lower Pliocene that have been successfully tested where the sand did not show any seismic amplitude anomaly in full stacks or in near- and far-offset sub-stacks. The AVO analysis of this sand reservoir is referred to as AVO class II-P. Another case of a subtle AVO class I anomaly in a Lower Pliocene gas reservoir has also been tested by three wells.These variations in AVO types push us to find a new methodology to reduce the risk of unsuccessful exploration wells, mainly using seismic data. The enhanced AVO pseudo-gradient attribute (EAP) has previously been used in other studies, mainly to highlight AVO class III anomalies. However, in the present paper, we demonstrate a workflow to identify all the principal AVO classes observed in this province. Computing the EAP attribute from our data, we find that AVO class I has negative EAP values, while the other classes have positive values. Class III and classes II and II-P may be distinguished from each other as the former yields a strong positive EAP value, whereas the latter two classes yield weak EAP responses.After determining the AVO class, we define and use a new model attribute, herein termed NM, to differentiate between gas- and water-bearing formations for each class of AVO anomaly found in this province. This new method was successfully tested in many areas in the Nile Delta Basin, where it has helped to identify subtle anomalies and thereby open the gate for further exploration activities in the area.

Value of information analysis and Bayesian inversion for closed skew-normal distributions: Applications to seismic amplitude variation with offset data

Geophysics ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. R151-R163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javad Rezaie ◽  
Jo Eidsvik ◽  
Tapan Mukerji
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Value Of Information ◽  
Bayesian Inversion ◽  
Information Analysis ◽  
Amplitude Variation ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Seismic Amplitude ◽  
Value Of Information Analysis ◽  
Skew Normal

Information analysis can be used in the context of reservoir decisions under uncertainty to evaluate whether additional data (e.g., seismic data) are likely to be useful in impacting the decision. Such evaluation of geophysical information sources depends on input modeling assumptions. We studied results for Bayesian inversion and value of information analysis when the input distributions are skewed and non-Gaussian. Reservoir parameters and seismic amplitudes are often skewed and using models that capture the skewness of distributions, the input assumptions are less restrictive and the results are more reliable. We examined the general methodology for value of information analysis using closed skew normal (SN) distributions. As an example, we found a numerical case with porosity and saturation as reservoir variables and computed the value of information for seismic amplitude variation with offset intercept and gradient, all modeled with closed SN distributions. Sensitivity of the value of information analysis to skewness, mean values, accuracy, and correlation parameters is performed. Simulation results showed that fewer degrees of freedom in the reservoir model results in higher value of information, and seismic data are less valuable when seismic measurements are spatially correlated. In our test, the value of information was approximately eight times larger for a spatial-dependent reservoir variable compared with the independent case.

Characterizing tight sand gas reservoirs using 3D3C seismic data in Sulige gas field

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daxing Wang ◽  
Yuhua Zhao ◽  
Mengbo Zhang ◽  
Yonggang Wang ◽  
Xinwei He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Tight Sand Gas

Interpretation of full-azimuth broadband land data from Saudi Arabia and implications for improved inversion, reservoir characterization, and exploration

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. T167-T176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian P. Wallick ◽  
Luis Giroldi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Acoustic Impedance ◽  
Reservoir Characterization ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Frequency Model ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Limited Bandwidth

Interpretation of conventional land seismic data over a Permian-age gas field in Eastern Saudi Arabia has proven difficult over time due to low signal-to-noise ratio and limited bandwidth in the seismic volume. In an effort to improve the signal and broaden the bandwidth, newly acquired seismic data over this field have employed point receiver technology, dense wavefield sampling, a full azimuth geometry, and a specially designed sweep with useful frequencies as low as three hertz. The resulting data display enhanced reflection continuity and improved resolution. With the extension of low frequencies and improved interpretability, acoustic impedance inversion results are more robust and allow greater flexibility in reservoir characterization and prediction. In addition, because inversion to acoustic impedance is no longer completely tied to a wells-only low-frequency model, there are positive implications for exploration.

Amplitude variation with offset analysis of nonbright spots for gas channel identification: A case study from the western Sichuan Basin, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. T1133-T1141
Author(s):  
Feng Tan ◽  
Jun-Xing Cao ◽  
Xing-Jian Wang ◽  
Peng Bai ◽  
Jun Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Sichuan Basin ◽  
Bright Spot ◽  
Amplitude Variation ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Western Sichuan ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Gas Channel ◽  
Wave Trough

The Shaximiao Formation in the Zhongjiang Gas Field of the Sichuan Basin was initially a high-productivity gas field with the bright spot channel as the vital exploration target. With further development, gas wells were obtained in some nonbright spot areas, which caused interpreters to pay great attention to the channels with nonbright spot abnormal amplitudes. We have developed a method to delineate nonbright spot channels from the complicated sand-mudstone contact relationship. First, we classified sandstone into types I, IIa, IIb, and III, depending on the responses of the amplitude variation with offset from the drilled data, to produce a forward model. We the explain why the hidden channel cannot be identified using the full-angle stack seismic data based on this model. Afterward, we put forward a difference, between the synthetic seismogram responses of bright and nonbright channels, in creating seismic-to-well ties for nonbright channels. This difference from bright channels is that the synthetic data’s wave peak is not corresponding to the peak of the real seismic data. The wave trough has the same situation. Finally, we used far-angle stack seismic data to calculate coherent energy and instantaneous spectral attributes (the latter produced for red-green-blue blending) to identify the hidden channel. We observed that parts of the channel are more clearly visible in the far-angle stack than in the full-angle stack data. In the latter situation, we cannot describe the geometric shape of the channel elaborately. The Shaximiao Formation example is a relatively effective analog for nonbright spot plays compared with elsewhere.

Poroelastic analysis of amplitude-versus-frequency variations

Geophysics ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. N41-N48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haitao Ren ◽  
Gennady Goloshubin ◽  
Fred J. Hilterman
Keyword(s):  
Low Frequency ◽  
Bright Spot ◽  
Frequency Dependent ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Seismic Amplitude ◽  
Nondispersive Medium ◽  
Seismic Anomalies ◽  
Frequency Variations ◽  
Lower Frequencies

Although significant advancement has occurred in the interpretation of seismic amplitude-variation-with-offset (AVO) anomalies, a theory is lacking to guide the interpretation of frequency-dependent seismic anomalies. Using analytic equations and numerical modeling, we have investigated characteristics of the normal-incident reflection coefficient (NI) as a function of frequency at an interface between a nondispersive medium and a patchy-saturated dispersive medium. Because of velocity dispersion, the variation of NI magnitude is divided into three general classes. These classes are (1) low-frequency dim-out reservoirs, in which NI magnitude decreases toward lower frequencies; (2) phase-shift reservoirs, in which NI is a small negative value at low frequencies but becomes positive at higher frequencies; and (3) low-frequency bright-spot reservoirs, in which NI magnitude increases toward lower frequencies. This classification could provide insight for frequency-dependent seismic interpre-tation.

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