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SI P1.4

New Technology for direct hydrocarbon reservoir detection using seismic information
Xueping Hu*, Yajun Chen, Xiuwen Liang, KerangLang, BGP, CNPC
Summary
Hydrocarbon reservoir, as the main research target in oil
industry, is made up of multi-phase medium, namely the
porous rock matrix and the fluids such as oil, water and gas
in rocks pore. In this case, it is hard to get objective and
accurate description on the transmission characteristics of
real seismic wavefield using conventional single-phase
model.
Biot theory presumes that fluid may move relative to solid,
so when seismic wave transmits through double-phase
medium, between solid phase and fluid phase, there
produces displacement and interaction, making first P
wave (quick P wave) and second P wave (slow P wave),
the two kinds of wave with reverse polarities.
According to the results of numerical simulation, physical
model test and petrological analysis, It was found that oil
and gas reservoir shows the characteristics of LFR &
HFA(low frequency resonating and high frequency
attenuating), this discovery therefore provides the evidence
to directly detect oil and gas using seismic information,
and become one of the technical highlights of the software
KLInvesion (Oil & Gas Reservoir Detection and Synthetic
Inversion) developed by BGP. The experimental results
from over 90 wells in 20 work areas proved that it is
effective to detect oil and gas reservoir with over 90%
coincidence to drilling data.
Theoretical basis
Double-phase model
a. Generally, oil and gas reservoir is made up of multiphase medium, the porous rock matrix and fluids including
oil, gas and water and so on.
b. The research on the wavefield of double-phase medium
is based on Biot theory, which presumes fluid can move
relative to solid and the two phases interact with each other.
The presumption unveiled the second P wave (slow P
wave). Since the presumption is reasonable and accords to
actual situation, Biot model is regarded as the emphasis in
our research.
The elastic wave equation of double-phase medium
Real reservoir is not only double-phased, but also
anisotropic. For the sake of simpleness, we only discuss

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double-phase isotropic medium in this paper. According to

Generalized Hooks Law and Generalized Darcys Law, if
considering the energy consumption resulted from the
relative displacement between fluid and solid, we can get
the elastic wave equation(1), shown as the following vector
expression:

Using higher accuracy difference technology, we get the

finite difference numerical solutions of the elastic wave
equation of double-phase isotropic medium. Subsequently,
we can conduct forward and inverse calculation on various
multi-phase models, research their seismic response
features.
Test foundation and theory
The redistribution of the seismic wave energy in doublephase medium
The relative displacement between solid and fluid, on the
other hand, results in the redistribution of the seismic wave
energy in double-phase medium. In this case, the seismic
wave with different frequency in double-phase medium
will change obviously in proportion, showing as that the
wave energy moves to low frequency direction, which has
been proved by real data. For example, Wang Yujing et al
(2000) discovered the strong attenuation characteristics of
the high-frequency seismic wave in oil& gas zone. Some
Russian geophysicists found the resonance characteristics
of the low-frequency seismic wave. The phenomenon has
been accepted publicly; however the explanations to it are
very different. Someone explained it as particles inertial
motion, another thought it as fluids viscosity, even one
attributed it as the turbulence of eddy current. All these
conclusions explain the phenomenon only from single
aspect. According to our research, we think the key factor
to produce the phenomenon is the displacement between
fluid and solid. So the conclusions particles inertial
motion, fluid viscosity or the turbulence of eddy
current, whichever is only one of the behaviors of the
displacement between fluid and solid.

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Direct reservoir detection using seismic information

The characteristics of LFR & HFA in double-phase

medium
LFR & HFA is the most distinct expression of the wave
energy redistribution in double-phase medium. a and b in
figure 1 show two seismic records from forward modeling.
They are direct waves with same transmitting path. The
only difference lies in the media through which they pass,
b passed a 10m thick double-phase medium, while as
medium, 10m thick too, but its P wave velocity is same as
that of the first P wave of double-phase medium. c and d
are the normalized frequency spectrums of a and b
respectively. e is the result after minus c from d. From the
diagrams we can see , compared with a, b has richer lowfrequency wave but rather weaker high-frequency wave,
clearly explaining the phenomenon of the wave energy
redistributed after passing through double-phase medium,
namely the LFR & HFA.
The LFR & HFA in double-phase medium provides the
evidence for us to directly detect oil/gas reservoir using
seismic information. Now the problem focuses on how to
pick up the useful data. As we know, in real data, the
wave path from different CDPs are not completely same,
complex wave paths will result in frequency changing,
whats more, strong noise also covers the frequency
spectrum changes after seismic wave transmitted through
double-phase medium. As a result, it is hard to catch the
useful change simply using spectrum analysis.
The seismic wave with various frequency can be easily
picked up using resonant filter. Next it is time to choose
suitable algorithm to process the selected wave to extract
underground oil and gas information. In this paper, we
used energy normal probability logarithmic summation
algorithm to extract oil and gas information.
Model test
We selected a representative geological model to run
numerical simulation, and verified the correctness and
effectiveness of the above arithmetic result using
forwarding result. During inversion test, the low frequency sensitive band is 1Hz-10Hz, and the highfrequency band is 35Hz-45Hz. Figure 1 shows the seismic
response of a transmitted wave model.
We analyzed the reflection from the bottom interface. The
maximum energy cumulative result is shown in figure 2,
where the dash line is the original record, and the solid line
is the smoothed record. In the figure, we can see the
oscillation of the dash line which is caused by diffraction.
Clear LFR & HFA also appears in oil & gas zone. All
the abnormities of double phase and single phase have

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their own typical expression in the figure. The former

shows the characteristics of LFR & HFA, while the later
shows strengthened energy both in low frequency and high
frequency bands. This clearly tells us that LFR & HFA is
the behavior of double-phase medium. According to above
conclusion, it is feasible to use the two methods we
proposed above to differentiate double-phase and singlephase medium, therefore avoiding the multi-solution of
inversion result. Meanwhile, we found, during processing
of real data, there didnt appear LFR & HFA when the
medium contains water. So water interference can avoid by
the methods.

Double-phase medium

Low velocity medium

Figure 1 The stack record of the model (gather)

a. low frequency

b. high frequency
Figure 2 The max energy cumulative result

Example analysis
Using the finished KLInversion, we analyzed 2D field data
(totaled 16 lines, 450km) and 3D field data (covering 19
blocks, 2200 km2) in 17 working zones. The result proved
that 108 out of 120 wells are successful, only 12 wells fails.
The coincidence rate is up to 90%. The incoincidence of
the 12 wells, located in a 3D zone, may be caused by the
complicated geological conditions, incorrectly interpreted

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SI P1.4
Direct reservoir detection using seismic information

layers or hole deviation). Since we got no other effectively

assistant data, we couldnt discover the prime criminal.
The detection result based on 3D data in west China
Figure 3 shows the local T0 diagram of the top interface of
Jurassic oil formation in some 3D exploration zone in west
China. The warm colors mean high structure. Among 5
wells in the zone, only the well Pb6 produced commercial
oil and gas flow. The well Pb6-1 is oil-water homo-layered.
Others are dry wells, located at the relatively high place of
the structure (even Pb7 was drilled at the independent
anticline). Pb601, the latest well at the highest place, is
another dry one. Figure 4 shows the RMS amplitude
(overlay with the structure contour map) including oil
formation (60ms). From this map, we can understand
neither the relationship between amplitude and structure,
nor that between amplitude and oil -gas indication since
the amplitude is low no matter where there is oil well. So it
is not suitable by using amplitude attribute to detect
hydrocarbon reservoir. Figure 5 shows the detection result
of some oil-bearing formation limited in 60ms time
window. The red zone is the potential oil and gas zone, the
blue is non-oil and gas zone or poorest zone. Our detection
result is completely coincident to the drilling outcome.
The oil production well Pb6 is located at the very narrow

Figure 4 The RMS amplitude map including oil

formation (60ms).

Figure 5 the result of oil and gas detection.

updip direction top is fault-screened, and the up and down

tops are lithologic-screened. Recently, an exploratory well
was determined, and we are waiting for the further
research on the detection result to decide the next plan.
Discussion of Result/Conclusions
Figure 3 The T0 diagraph of the top interface
of oil formation.

oil-bearing belt nearly along south-north direction, Pb6-1

near to the boundary of the oil-bearing zone, and others are
at non-oil-bearing zone, the blue zone in the figure 4. We
also found that a large potential reservoir, 0.8km2,
is1300m away from the well Pb6 nearly along its southeast
direction. This may be a structurally lithologic trap, its left

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Conclusions
According to the results above, we can conclude that the
software is effective to detect hydrocarbon reservoir in
wide scope since all experimental data used in our example
is common (the experimental data hasnt been purposely
processed). The most advantage of the detection technique
of the software is the freedom from wells limitation, so it
can be used to define the lateral boundary of any reservoir
with higher precision. Used before drilling, KLInversion

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Direct reservoir detection using seismic information

can predict oil and gas reservoir, this will avoid dry holes
at extremely extent. Used after exploring, KLInversion can
accurately calculate reserve. Used during producing, it will
be a good proposer for optimized development plan.
Pending problems
1. Bad seismic data or over proceeded data (i.e. the data
was over subdued to the low-frequency component
when high resolution processing);
2. Insufficient migration precision;
3. Well deviation;
4. Error of demarcating or interpreting layers and
incorrect time window unable to cover oil and gas
layer completely;
5. Failing to interpret low-resistance hydrocarbon
reservoir when logging interpretation;
6. Long produced or water flooded oil wells (contrasting
the detection on the current seismic data to the
original years-old oil-test result.)
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Sichuan Oil &Gas
Company Limited Branch, the Xinjiang Oil & Gas
Company Limited Branch for providing the seismic and
geological data. Meanwhile, special thanks go to all of the
software developers for their support to this project.
References:
1. Robert, 1989: Reservoir Forward and Inverse
Modeling: Oversea Oil & Gas Exploration.
2. Mu Shen, 1992: Seismic Data Structural Sequence
Interpretation, Global Russian Geophysical Research
Institute.
3. Robert. Sherif, 2000: Seismic Exploration Summary
4. Huixing Zhang and Xiuwen Liang, SEG, 2004:
Double-phase Seismic Wavefield Simulation
5. Yongguang Mu, 2000, Oil Seismic Physical Model and
Application Research
6. New Development Series of Oversea Oil & Gas
Exploration
7. Wenqu Zeng, et al, Form-Dividing Theory and FormDividing Computer Simulation, Northeast College
Publishing Company.
8. Wenchong Zeng and Jian Ouyang, et al, Logging
Seismic Analysis and Oil Reservoir Evaluation.

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EDITED REFERENCES
Note: This reference list is a copy-edited version of the reference list submitted by the
author. Reference lists for the 2005 SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts have
been copy edited so that references provided with the online metadata for each paper will
achieve a high degree of linking to cited sources that appear on the Web.
New Technology for direct hydrocarbon reservoir detection using seismic
information
References
Huixing, Zhang, and Xiuwen Liang, 2004, Double-phase seismic wavefield simulation:
Presented at the 74th Annual International Meeting.
Shen, Mu, 1992: Seismic data structural sequence interpretation: Global Russian
Geophysical Research Institute.
Sheriff, Robert, 1989, Reservoir forward and inverse modeling: Oversea Oil & Gas
Exploration.
Sheriff, Robert, 2000, Seismic exploration summary: SEG.
Wenchong, Zeng, and Jian Ouyang, Logging seismic analysis and oil reservoir
evaluation.
Wenqu, Zeng, Form-dividing theory and form-dividing computer simulation: Northeast
College Publishing Company.
Yongguang Mu, 2000, Oil seismic physical model and application research new
development series: Oversea Oil & Gas Exploration.