Broadband Seismic: The Ultimate Input for Quantitative Seismic Interpretation?

Abstract

Abstract Ideally, geoscientists would like to have quantitative information about rock properties, along with information about fluid content of potential reservoirs relatively directly from the seismic as this information is available as oppose to the well data. Historically, seismic images have stopped short of delivering this, as the seismic bandwidth was limited due to the conventional streamer design and acquisition method. The ability to predict reservoir properties away from the well using seismic information is a key element in quantitative interpretation. Quantitative seismic interpretation combines various types of data: well, seismic and seismic interpretation or geological prior information. Thus, this workflow is integrated and the quality and accuracy of each individual constituent is of great importance to the accurately estimate the volume of hydrocarbon in place in a particular reservoir interval. Seismic plays a key role in this, and if the seismic data contains very strong low frequency information and the seismic image is of high quality/resolution, it is possible to directly estimate the absolute impedance at each point within a seismic volume. Over the last few years, new acquisition methods and technologies exist aiming to provide a broader seismic bandwidth: streamer towed shallow at the front and going deeper at the mid of the streamer, towed acquisition with some streamers at shallow and deeper depth, and the dual-sensor towed streamer. These new broadband seismic data volumes are bringing the seismic a step closer to the reservoir and this is what we will try to demonstrate in this presentation. We will have the latest look at some of the newest and most exciting improvements in reliably unraveling the rock properties from the 3D seismic data.