High-resolution sequence stratigraphy and multiple attributes analysis of the Bone Spring turbidite system, northern Delaware Basin

Abstract

The Bone Spring group of the Leonardian Epoch within the Delaware Basin of the Permian Basin, West Texas and Southern New Mexico, is composed of alternating carbonate and siliciclastic sedimentary units on the slope to the basin. The siltstone member of the Bone Spring is dominated by a succession of deepwater fine-grained, sand-rich turbidite systems. This particular member is currently one of the most important pay zones that have the most proved oil reserves and highest oil production of any US tight oil play. However, the strong reservoir heterogeneity severely limits the efficient development of the reservoir and complicates horizontal well placement. To delineate the depositional system and characterize the sedimentary features, the analyses of high-resolution sequence stratigraphy, spectral decomposition, and seismic inversion are implemented by integrating 200 square miles of 3-D seismic with 20 wells data. Greater detail by resolving a variety of seismic attributes, including seismic geometric attributes, spectral decomposition, model-based inversion, and stochastic inversion, indicate that efficient basin transport resulting in the bypass of much of clastic martial to the outer fan via the erosive incised channels on the slope and erosional constructional distributary channel complexes on the basin floor. The results reveal the significant differences in dimensions and characteristics of the channel complexes in different positions. This study has significant implications not only for optimizing exploitation in the immediate study area but also for sedimentary pattern recognition within the Bone Spring Formation across the Permian Basin.