Role of Seismic in

Hydrocarbon Exploration
Depositional Environment
Essential Elements of a Petroleum Province

• A sedimentary basin
• A trapping mechanism within the basin

Traps in a Sedimentary Basin

• Anticline
• Fault closure
• Stratigraphic
• Salt dome
Petroleum System Elements
Petroleum System Processes
Seismic Image of An Anticline
 Goals of Petroleum Exploration

• Discovery Of New Oil Pools

• Reserve Accretion
• More Oil From Known Fields
• Enhanced Oil Recovery
 Stages of Exploration
• Gravity Magnetic exploration Survey:
To delineate the basin with a generalized picture of the sub- surface

• 2D seismic reflection surveys:

To find structures within the basins which are favourable for
hydrocarbon exploration

• Close Grid 2D seismic reflection survey:

To map the structures precisely
 Stages of Exploration
• 3D Seismic Reflection methods
To delineate strati-structural features and to understand reservoir
characterization

• 4D Seismic
For identification of bypassed oil as well as thermal front movement

• Multi-component Seismic
To detect the gas clouds, to identify the facies variation within
reservoir sequence and to understand fractures
 Exploration Consists of

• Geological studies
• Geophysical Prospecting
• Well logging
• Reservoir studies
• Laboratory studies
 How To Image Sub-surface ?

Answer: By Geophysical Prospecting

• Seismic Survey
- Reflection
- Refraction
• Gravity & Magnetic Surveys
• Electrical Methods
 Seismic Survey

• The principal purpose of seismic surveying is to help

understand geological structure and stratigraphy at depth.

• In the oil industry, it is ultimately used to reduce the risk of

drilling dry wells.
 Seismic Survey

• Seismic reflection profiling is an echo sounding technique.

• A sound pulse is issued into the Earth and the recording system listens for a fixed
time for the energy reflected back from interfaces within the Earth.

• The interface is often a geological boundary.

• Travel-time to the reflectors and the velocity of propagation is required to construct the
geometry of the reflecting interfaces which are interpreted in terms of geological
structures in depth.
Tools Required for Seismic Survey

• Source for producing seismic wave

• Receiver for catching the reflected / refracted wave
• Recording system to format & store seismic signal
STREAMER REELS
Gun Winches
Payout
Payout
Instrument Room
Instrument Room
Imaging Earth’s Sub-surface

Using seismic technique, it is done in two ways:

• 2-D seismic survey
• 3-D seismic survey
 Reflection Survey

Shot surface Receiver Seismic Trace

0

Arrival
Layer-1
time

Layer-2

Layer-3
High velocity
Direct Arrival
2D Seismic Record
Reflection from
sub-surface

Refraction

Low velocity
Air waves
Low velocity
Ground Roll
Sub-surface Image In Seismic Section

• The data so acquired is processed to get subsurface image in the

form of ‘seismic section’

• With the help of the seismic section, the Geoscientists interpret the
geophysical data to generate meaningful Geological models and
identify locations which are favorable for accumulation of
hydrocarbons.
2D Seismic Section
Distance

TWT
Geological Cross Section
Interpreted section with well position
Seismic Exploration
• What do we measure?
We record energy (seismic waves) that passed through the
earth and interpret the energy to provide a local view of the
earths structure.
• What is a seismic exploration?
A program for mapping geological structure by observation of
seismic waves.
• Why seismic exploration?
Cheaper and reliable solution.
The Seismic Waves

Electrical
Signal

Phones
Explosive Earth Surface

Vibration
Sub Surface
Seismic Survey Principle

Ideal Primary
Traces
Source Receiver
Seismic Survey Principle

Ideal Primary
Traces
Source Receiver
Raw Seismic Data
Processed Seismic Data
Land Seismic Survey

Source
(Vibroseis)
Phone

Reflected
waves
Incident
waves
Sedimentary layers
Marine Seismic Survey

Vessel

Sea Surface

Source
(Airguns) Streamer with hydrophones

Incident
waves Reflected
waves

Sea bed

Sedimentary Layers
Marine Data Acquisition
Marine Seismic Data Acquisition
 Seismic Data Acquisition
To Vessel

Vessel

Tail Buoy

Energy
source

Tail Buoy

CMP
Seismic Data Processing
The main objectives of seismic data processing are:
•Perform geometrical correction.
•Apply cosmetic processes designed to improve the final
result.

Data Processing

Input Output
 Seismic Data for Exploration
Distance
0 (m) 0

1 1

2 2

3
Time (s)

4 4

5 5

6 6

7 7

8 8
Display of 3D data as cube
 Time slice at 3500 ms
3D volume showing meandering channel
Seismic Data Can Provide …..
As Stand-Alone
 Structural Information
 Stratigraphic Information

When Calibrated To Other Data

 Fluid Movement
 Lithology Prediction
 Fluid Prediction
 Rock/Reservoir Properties