Application of spectral decomposition as a direct hydrocarbon indicator within the challenging rock physics environment

Abstract

A study was conducted to use low-frequency amplitudes obtained through spectral decomposition as a direct hydrocarbon indicator within the geologically and seismically challenging area. An offshore data set from the Gulf of Thailand with well-known geology and good well control for both water and hydrocarbon bearing zones were used in this study. The rocks physics reveals similar P-impedance for gas and water-wet sands. Moreover, organic shales have similar Poisson’s ratio as of gas saturated zones. This makes differentiation of fluids and lithologies through post-stack seismic inversion and AVO analysis difficult. Reservoir wedge modelling, spectral decomposition of the synthetic and field data and analyses were conducted to understand the spectral decomposition response to thickness variation and reservoir fluids. Spectral decomposition was also applied on partial angle stacks (near, mid and far). Gas sands show bright amplitudes at low frequencies (from 10 to 15 Hz). However, spectral decomposition of the synthetic seismogram of the organic shales indicates that it consists of only relatively higher frequencies (greater than 25 Hz). Therefore, low-frequency amplitudes of spectral decomposition may help to identify hydrocarbon saturated zones.