Using 3-D Seismic Attributes in Reservoir Characterization

Susan Nissen
Geophysical Consultant McLouth, KS

Kansas Next Step 2007 Seminar: New Technology/Seismic/Seismic Interpretation August 9, 2007 Hays, KS

Outline
Brief overview of some reflection seismology basics What are seismic attributes and what physical information can they provide? Methods of interpreting attributes from 3-D seismic volumes Reservoir Characterization Examples Fault interpretation Porosity Bed thickness estimation Fracture delineation Conclusions

The Seismic Reflection Method

Source Receiver

1V1
CMP
Figure Courtesy of Industrial Vehicles

2V2 Geophone (receiver)

Vibrator truck (source)

Moveout, stack, migrate

CMP gather

3-D seismic data volume

Seismic Reflection Interpretation

Usually horizon-based Horizon - the surface separating two different rock layers; also, the reflection from this surface.
0.4

0.5 Travel time (seconds)

0.6

0.7

1V1
Depth

0.8

Horizon 1 Horizon 2 Horizon 3

2V2 3V3 4V4

Seismic Applications in Petroleum Exploration

Structural analysis (1920s onward)
study of reflector geometry used to identify faults and locally high parts of formations

Seismic sequence stratigraphy (1970s onward)

study of reflection sequences used to locate stratigraphic traps and define the facies framework of structural traps
deBruin et al. (2007)

Seismic attribute analysis (1970s onward)

study of seismic attributes provides information related to structure, stratigraphy, and reservoir properties

What are Seismic Attributes?

Any measurement derived from the seismic data is a seismic attribute. Seismic attributes typically provide information relating to the amplitude, shape, and/or position of the seismic waveform. Seismic attributes reveal features, relationships, and patterns in the seismic data that otherwise might not be noticed.

General classes of attributes

1-D attributes - operate on a single stacked seismic trace 2-D and 3-D attributes - calculated using information from adjacent traces

Families of Seismic Attributes

Time Attributes (1930s) related to the vertical position of the waveform in the seismic section (e.g., horizon time picks, isochrons)
q(t) Complex Trace Attributes (1970s) The seismic data A(t) is treated as an analytic trace, (t) which contains both real and imaginary parts. Various amplitude, phase, and frequency attributes can be Envelope: A(t) = [q2(t)+r2(t)]1/2 calculated.

r(t)

Taner et al. (1989)

Instantaneous Phase: (t) = tan-1[q(t)/r(t)] Instantaneous Frequency: (t)=d(t)/dt

Families of Seismic Attributes

Window Attributes (1980s) attributes which summarize information from a vertical window of data. Fourier Attributes (1990s) frequency domain attributes obtained through Fourier analysis (e.g., spectral decomposition) Multi-trace Attributes (1990s) - attributes calculated using more than one input seismic trace, which provide quantitative information about lateral variations in the seismic data (e.g., coherence, dip/azimuth, volumetric curvature)

Definitions of selected attributes

Instantaneous Attributes
q(t)

A(t) (t) r(t)

Taner et al. (1989)

Envelope: A(t) = [q2(t)+r2(t)]1/2 Instantaneous Phase: (t) = tan-1[q(t)/r(t)] Instantaneous Frequency: (t)=d(t)/dt

Spectral Decomposition
Uses the Fourier transform to calculate the amplitude spectrum of a short time window covering the zone of interest 3D Seismic Volume

analysis window

Single trace

All traces F1 F2

The amplitude spectrum is tuned by the geologic units within the analysis window, so that units with different rock properties and/or thickness will exhibit different amplitude responses.

black = low amplitude white = high amplitude

Seismic Coherence
A measure of the trace-to-trace similarity of the seismic waveform within a small analysis window
3D Seismic Volume

fault = low coherence

For each point in a 3D seismic volume, compare the waveform of adjacent traces (e.g., red trace compared to blue traces) over a short vertical window

fault = low coherence

Coherence Cube

black = low coherence white = high coherence

Volumetric Curvature
Curvature describes how bent a surface is at a particular point and is closely related to the second derivative of the curve defining the surface.
Positive Curvature
Cu Zer rv o atu re

2-D
Zero Curvature Negative Curvature
R

3-D

May be computed at any azimuth about a point Generally computed normal to tangent plane Principal Curvatures (kmax and kmin) can be combined to define other curvature attributes

Anticline X

Di p Pl pin an g e

Flat

Syncline Curvature (k)=1/R

After Roberts, 2001

Sigismondi and Soldo, 2003

Volumetric curvature is computed for every point within a 3-D seismic volume.

What physical information is provided by seismic attributes?

Envelope- presence of gas (bright spots), thin-bed tuning effects, lithology changes Phase lateral continuity of reflectors, bedding configurations Frequency bed thickness, presence of hydrocarbons, fracture zones Spectral Decomposition bed thickness Coherence, Volumetric Curvature faults, fractures, lateral stratigraphic discontinuities

Methods of interpreting attributes from 3-D seismic volumes

Identify spatial patterns/trends in attribute data
Cross-sectional view Map view (attributes extracted along horizon or from zone of interest) 3D visualization

Tie attributes to well control using statistical methods (e.g., crossplots) Automatically analyze multiple attributes (with or without well control)
Geostatistics Principal component analysis Cluster analysis Texture analysis

Reservoir Characterization Examples

Fault Interpretation Offshore Trinidad

Seismic Time Slice Coherence Slice

Complex faulting difficult to detect on seismic

Coherence shows lateral continuity of faults

Gersztenkorn et al., 1999

Limits of Porous Reservoir

--

Mississippian Dolomite Reservoir Judica Field Ness and Gove Counties, KS

Judica Field Stratigraphy

System
Penn.

LS Top Miss
?

DOLOMITE

Spergen

GR

Mississippian

Warsaw

Meramecian Series
20%

Judica pay zone

LS

O/W -1938 Base Warsaw LS

Guard Res

Nt Phi

Osagian Series After Dubois et al., 2003

Judica 3-D seismic survey

Top Mississippian structure Dry holes on structural high due to low porosity A within reservoir interval

A
0.80 s

A'

A'

Top Miss Base Warsaw LS

0.85 s

Bhattacharya et al., 2004

5 4.5 4

phi-h (porosity-ft)

3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 -18000 -16000 -14000 -12000 -10000 -8000 -6000 -4000

Base Warsaw LS amplitude map

seismic amplitude - Base Warsaw LS horizon

Bhattacharya et al., 2004

Modeled variation in amplitude of Base Warsaw LS horizon due to increase in porosity of reservoir zone

Velocity model

Synthetic seismic section

-0.15

Amplitude Base Warsaw LS

-0.2

-0.25

-0.3

Approximate porosity of reservoir interval: 5%

25%

Top Mississippian Structure Map

Base Warsaw LS Amplitude Map

Bhattacharya et al., 2004

Reservoir compartment mapped from 3-D seismic structure and amplitudes

Judica 3-D attribute analysis results

Seismic amplitude of the base of Warsaw LS correlates with porosity-thickness of the Judica pay zone, providing a method for discriminating between dry and productive wells A combination of seismic structure and amplitude analysis allows us to better delineate reservoir compartment boundaries

"Thin bed" thickness estimation

--

Upper Cretaceous D Sand Sooner Unit, Colorado

D Sand Reservoir
Upper Cretaceous Incised valley fill Fluvial and estuarine sediments

Cannon, 1998

"D" sand thickness from wells

Objective
Determine D sand thickness between well control points.

Sooner 3-D seismic survey

D sand isochron map

10 ms

7 ms

Unfortunately.
25 20

15

1.0

10 b/2 TR 5

b/2 10

15

20

0 25

Two-way true thickness (ms)

Maximum absolute amplitude of composite wavelet

Two-way apparent thickness

Maximum thickness of D Sand

2.0

Over most of the 3-D survey area, the D sand is below seismic resolution (a thin bed). Below seismic resolution, reflections from the top and bottom of the sand maintain a constant temporal separation, which is unrelated to the true sand thickness. Amplitude, however, decreases with decreasing bed thickness. Therefore. Envelope and spectral decomposition, both related to amplitude, are likely to be better potential predictors of D sand thickness

AM PLI T

UD E

For our model wavelet (Ormsby 12/16-80/100): b/2 = tuning thickness = 7.9 ms (~ 53 ft) TR = temporal resolution = 7.2 ms (~49 ft)

TH IC K N ES S

Envelope
- extracted along top D sand horizon

12000

0
D sand thickness contours from wells

Discrete Fourier component thin bed tuning analysis

Maximum thickness of "D" sand

40 Hz 30 Hz

envelope

amplitude

20 Hz

10 Hz

5 10 15 20 temporal thickness (ms)

25

After Partyka, 2001

Spectral Decomposition
- 50 ms window centered on D sand 20 Hz 30 Hz 40 Hz

0.8 Amplitude 0

50 Hz

60 Hz

70 Hz

Spectral Decomposition 29 Hz
- 50 ms window centered on D sand

0.8

0
D sand thickness contours from wells

Crossplots of attribute versus D sand thickness

Isochron

Envelope

Spectral Decomposition 29 Hz

Fracture Delineation
--

Mississippian Reservoir Dickman Field Ness County, Kansas

Dickman Mississippian Reservoir

Subjacent to regional prePennsylvanian unconformity and karst surface Composed of multi-layered shallow shelf carbonates Production strongly influenced by solutionenhanced natural fractures Supported by strong bottom water drive High water-cut production (>94%)

C.I. = 10 ft

0.5 mile

Seismic depth map of top Mississippian (pre-Penn unconformity surface)

Shale-filled fractures intersected by horizontal well Ness County, KS

Karst-controlled Karst-controlled 10-100 ft interval 10-100 ft interval Provide a barrier to Provide a barrier to fluid flow fluid flow

Carr et al., 2000

Seismic Attributes for Delineating Faults and Fractures

Coherence Horizon Curvature Volumetric Curvature

Calculated from interpreted horizon

Calculated directly from seismic volume Extracted along interpreted horizon

Volumetric Curvature Gilmore City Horizon

Frequency-Azimuth Rose Diagram

fault

Length-Azimuth Rose Diagram

0.5 mile

Interpreted shale- and debris-filled solution-enlarged fracture coincides with NE-trending curvature lineament
NE-trending lineament

Thickness of karst zone in well versus distance to nearest NW and NE lineaments

No relationship Thicker karst zone closer to lineaments

Oil production versus distance to nearest NW and NE lineaments

A B
Increased oil production farther from lineaments

C
No relationship

0.5 mile

Water production versus distance to nearest NW and NE lineaments

A B
No relationship

Increased water production near lineaments

0.5 mile

Dickman 3-D attribute analysis results

NE-trending curvature lineaments appear to be barriers to fluid flow, and may represent shale-filled fractures. NW-trending curvature lineaments appear to represent open fractures, which serve as conduits into the underlying aquifer. Understanding the orientations of open and filled fractures is an important pre-requisite for effective reservoir management.

General conclusions about attributes

Attributes reveal information which is not readily apparent in the raw seismic data Dozens of seismic attributes can be calculated, some of which are more useful than others Attributes may be interpreted singly or using multi-attribute analysis tools Different attributes reflect different physical properties of the underlying rock system Attributes can aid in improving our understanding of the reservoir The specific attributes to use in a reservoir characterization study will vary, depending on the type of reservoir and the problem being addressed

Acknowledgments
Tim Carr, Marty Dubois, and Saibal Bhattacharya, Kansas Geological Survey Kurt Marfurt and Chuck Blumentritt, University of Houston Mull Drilling Company, Inc. Grand Mesa Operating Company Seismic Micro-Technology, Inc. IHS, Inc. U. S. Department of Energy