Seismic Interpretation in Petroleum Development

Abstract

Seismic interpretation plays a critical role in the appraisal and development of discovered hydrocarbon accumulations. Interpretation of individual flow units within a producing field are emphasized with the goal of maximizing fluid recovery. High resolution horizon mapping, horizon slice, and time slice interpretation are effective tools in the evaluation of reservoir complexity. Analysis of seismic attributes associated with these horizons adds additional detail related to reservoir complexity. Internal reservoir elements on the order of meters in thickness and 10’s of meters in lateral dimension can be readily imaged on today’s high-resolution 3D seismic data. Time-lapse (4D) seismic interpretation can be used to detect temporal variations in fluid saturation, pressure differentials, and rock properties. This approach lends itself to definition of bypassed pay and/or evaluation of sweep efficiency of fluid injection during secondary and tertiary recovery efforts. The seismic method has recently expanded into development of unconventional reservoirs. Use of prestack elastic inversion is an effective technique to estimate rock properties that reflect brittleness and the “fracability” of potential self-sourcing intervals. High resolution seismic data are key to well placement in conventional wells and geosteering of long reach horizontal wells in unconventional plays.