Distance Metric Based Multi-Attribute Seismic Facies Classification to Identify Sweet Spots within the Barnett shale: A Case Study from the Fort Worth Basin, TX

Abstract

Summary URTeC 1619856 Conventional reservoirs benefit from a long scientific history that correlates successful plays to seismic measurements through depositional, tectonic, and digenetic models. Unconventional reservoirs are less well understood, however benefit from significantly denser well control. Thus, allowing us to establish statistical rather than model-based correlations between seismic data, geology, and successful completion strategies. One of the more commonly encountered correlation techniques is based on computer assisted pattern recognition. The pattern recognition techniques have found their niche in a plethora of applications ranging from flagging suspicious credit card purchase patterns to rewarding repeating online buying patterns. Classification of a given seismic response as having a “good” or “bad” pattern requires a “distance metric”. Distance metric “learning” uses past experiences (well performance) as training data to develop a distance metric. Alternative distance metrics have demonstrated significant value in the identification and classification of repeated or anomalous behaviors in public health, security, and marketing. In this paper we examine the value of three of these alternative distance metrics of 3D seismic attributes to the identification of sweet spots in a Barnett Shale play.