Fault and natural fracture identification from multicomponent seismic at Rulison Field, Colorado

Abstract

PreviousNext No AccessSEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts 2008Fault and natural fracture identification from multicomponent seismic at Rulison Field, ColoradoAuthors: Elizabeth A. LaBarreThomas L. DavisElizabeth A. LaBarreColorado School of MinesSearch for more papers by this author and Thomas L. DavisColorado School of MinesSearch for more papers by this authorhttps://doi.org/10.1190/1.3063795 SectionsAboutPDF/ePub ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail Abstract Shear‐wave seismic acquired at Rulison Field, Piceance basin, Colorado in 2003 exhibits evidence of faults and natural fractures from reflection discontinuity and shear‐wave splitting analysis. Rulison Field is a thick unconventional natural gas reservoir producing from the fluvial tight gas sandstones of the Late Cretaceous Williams Fork Formation. Fault interpretations made from multicomponent seismic data clearly show near vertical faults in the lower reservoir Cameo Coal interval that strike in a north‐northwest direction. The shear‐wave (s‐wave) seismic shows better evidence of faults propagating upward through the main reservoir interval than the p‐wave. Borehole image logs confirmed these faults. These faults splay upward into the reservoir as flower structures that create fault zones and control natural fracturing within the reservoir. Natural fractures were observed from s‐wave splitting. Since the reservoir is more than a wavelength thick, s‐wave splitting calculations were done on seismic volumes as opposed to the traditional horizon‐based approach. This process resulted in s‐wave splitting volumes that correlate with image log fracture interpretations and anisotropy logs from cross‐dipole sonic logs. These volumes show spatial and vertical variations in the degree of s‐wave splitting that are geologically… and can ultimately be used to optimize well locations and drilling efficiency.Permalink: https://doi.org/10.1190/1.3063795FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts 2008ISSN (print):1052-3812 ISSN (online):1949-4645Copyright: 2008 Pages: 3713 publication data© 2008 Copyright © 2008 Society of Exploration GeophysicistsPublisher:Society of Exploration Geophysicists HistoryPublished Online: 15 Dec 2008 CITATION INFORMATION Elizabeth A. LaBarre and Thomas L. Davis, (2008), "Fault and natural fracture identification from multicomponent seismic at Rulison Field, Colorado," SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts : 948-952. https://doi.org/10.1190/1.3063795 Plain-Language Summary PDF DownloadLoading ...