Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12303-018-0006-3

Seismic attributes for characterization of a heavy-oil shaly-sand reservoir in the Muglad Basin of South Sudan  

Deng, William A. (Petroleum Resources Technology, University of Science and Technology)
Kim, Taeyoun (Petroleum Resources Technology, University of Science and Technology)
Jang, Seonghyung (Petroleum Resources Technology, University of Science and Technology)
Publication Information
Geosciences Journal / v.22, no.6, 2018 , pp. 1027-1039 More about this Journal
Abstract
Seismic attributes are often used to identify lithology and evaluate reservoir properties. However, interpretation based only on structural attributes and without knowledge of the Vp/Vs ratio can limit the ability to evaluate changes in heavy oil reservoirs. These limitations are often due to less obvious impedance differences. In order to investigate pieces of evidence of a heavy-oil shaly-sand reservoir from seismic data, besides geochemistry, we studied seismic attributes and characterized the reservoir using seismic stack data and well logging data. The study area was the Muglad rift basin in South Sudan. We conducted a seismic complex analysis to evaluate the target reservoir. To delineate the frequency responses of the different lithological units, we applied the spectral decomposition method to the target reservoir. The most unexpected result was continuous bands of strong seismic reflectors in the target reservoir, which extended across the borehole. Spectral decomposition analysis showed that the low-frequency zone of 25 Hz dominant frequency was consistent with instantaneous attributes. This approach can identify lithology, reveal frequency anomalies, and filter the stacked section into low- and high-frequency bands. The heavy-oil reservoir zones exhibited velocity attenuation and the amplitude was strongly frequency dependent.
Keywords
seismic attributes; complex trace; heavy-oil; characterization; shaly-sand; Muglad Basin;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Dumitrescu, C.C. and Lines, L., 2009, Case study of a heavy oil reservoir interpretation using VP/VS ratio and other seismic attributes. 79th Annual International Meeting of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (Expanded Abstracts), Houston, Oct. 25-30, p. 1765-1769.
2 Ebrom, D., 2004, The low-frequency gas shadow on seismic sections. The Leading Edge, 23, 772.   DOI
3 Fahmy, W.A., Matteucci, G., Butters, D., and Zhang, J., 2005, Successful application of spectral decomposition technology toward drilling of a key offshore development well. 75th Annual International Meeting of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (Expanded Abstracts), Houston, Nov. 6-11, p. 262-264.
4 Fairhead, J.D., 1986, Geophysical controls on sedimentation within the African Rift Systems. In: Frostick, L.E., Renaut, R.W., Reid, I., and Tiercelin, J.J. (eds.), Sedimentation in the African Rifts. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 25, p. 19-27.
5 Fairhead, J.D., 1988, Mesozoic plate tectonic reconstruction of the central South Atlantic Ocean: the role of the west and central African rift system. Tectonophysics, 155, 181-195.   DOI
6 Farnbach, J.S., 1975, The complex envelope in seismic signal analysis. The Seismological Society of America Bulletin, 65, 951-962.
7 Gabor, D., 1946, Theory of communication. Part 1: The analysis of information. Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers -Part III: Radio and Communication Engineering, 93, 429-441.   DOI
8 Genik, G.J., 1993, Petroleum geology of Cretaceous-Tertiary rift basins in Niger, Chad, and Central African Republic. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 77, 1405-1434.
9 Liu, J. and Marfurt, K.J., 2007, Instantaneous spectral attributes to detect channels. Geophysics, 72, 23-31.
10 Lines, L., Zou, Y., Zhang, A., Hall, K., Embleton, J., Palmiere, B., Reine, C., Bessette, P., Cary, P., and Secord, D., 2005, Vp/Vs characterization of a heavy-oil reservoir. The Leading Edge, 24, 1134-1136.   DOI
11 Mallat, S. and Zhang, Z., 1993, Matching pursuit with time-frequency dictionaries. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Transactions on Signal processing, 41, 3397-3415.   DOI
12 McHargue, T.R., Heidrick, T.L., and Livingstone, J., 1992, Tectonostratigraphic development of the interior Sudan Rifts, Central Africa. Tectonophysics, 213, 187-202.   DOI
13 Mohamed, A.Y., Iliffe, J.E., Ashcroft, W.A., and Whiteman, A.J., 2000, Burial and maturation history of the Heglig Field area, Muglad Basin, Sudan. Journal of Petroleum Geology, 23, 107-128.   DOI
14 Mohamed, A.Y., Pearson, M.J., Ashcroft, W.A., and Whiteman, A.J., 2002, Petroleum maturation modelling, Abu Gabra-Sharaf area, Muglad Basin Sudan. Journal of African Earth Science, 35, 331-344.   DOI
15 Partyka, G., Gridley, J., and Lopez, J., 1999, Interpretational application of spectral decomposition in reservoir characterization. The Leading Edge, 18, 353-360.   DOI
16 Prokoph, A. and Barthelmes, F., 1996, Detection of nonstationarities in geologic time series: wavelet transform of chaotic and cyclic sequences. Computer and Geoscience, 22, 1097-1108.   DOI
17 Yang, M., 2003, Monochromatic AVO: an indicator that sees through wave interference. Proceedings of the 73rd Annual International Meeting of Society of Exploration Geophysics (Expanded Abstract), Dallas, Oct. 26-31, p.208-210.
18 Vail, J.R., 1978, Outline of the geology and mineral deposits of the Democratic Republic of the Sudan and adjacent areas. Institute of Geological sciences. In: Overseas Geology and Mineral Resources, HMSO London, p. 49-66.
19 Watson, I.A., Lines, L.R., and Brittle, K.F., 2002, Heavy-oil reservoir characterization using elastic wave properties. The Leading Edge, 2, 736-739.
20 Whiteman, A.J., 1971, The Geology of the Sudan Republic. Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 290 p.
21 Young, P.C., 1999, Nonstationary time series analysis and forecasting. Progress Environmental Science. 1, 3-48.
22 Goloshubin, G.M., Verkhovsky, A.M., and Maurov, V.V., 1996, Laboratory experiments of seismic monitoring. 58th European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers meeting (Expanded Abstract), Amsterdam, Jun. 3-7, P074.
23 Raeesi, M., Moradzadeh, A., Doulati Ardejani, F., and Rahimi, M., 2012, Classification and identification of hydrocarbon reservoir lithofacies and their heterogeneity using seismic attributes, logs data and artificial neural networks. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 82, 151-165.
24 Zhang, L., Zhu, D., Zhang, X., 2015, Seismic attributes methods for prediction of unconsolidated sand reservoirs of heavy oil. The Open Fuels and Energy Science Journal, 8, 14-18.   DOI
25 Azeem, T., Yanchun, W., Khalid, P., Xueqing, L., Yuan, F., and Lifang, C., 2016, An application of seismic attributes analysis for mapping of gas bearing sand zones in the Sawan gas field, Pakistan. Acta Geodaetica et Geophysica, 51, 723-744.   DOI
26 Barnes, A.E., 1991, Instantaneous frequency and amplitude at the envelope peak of a constant-phase wavelet. Geophysics, 56, 1058-1060.   DOI
27 Benkhelil, J., 1989, The origin and evolution of the Cretaceous Benue Trough (Nigeria). Journal of African Earth Sciences (and the Middle East), 8, 251-282.   DOI
28 Castagna, J.L., Sun, S., and Seigfried, R.W., 2003, Instantaneous spectral analysis: detection of low frequency shadows associated with hydrocarbons. The Leading Edge, 22, 120-127.   DOI
29 Chakraborty, A. and Okaya, D., 1995, Frequency‐time decomposition of seismic data using wavelet‐based methods. Geophysics, 60, 1906-1916.   DOI
30 Giedt, N.R., 1990, Unity field - Sudan, Muglad Rift Basin, Upper Nile province. In: Beaumont, E.A. and Foster, N.H. (eds.), Structural Traps III: Tectonic Fold and Fault Traps. AAPG Treatise of Petroleum Geology, Atlas of Oil and Gas Fields, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Tulsa, 1990, p. 177-197.
31 Goloshubin, G.M., Korneev, V.A., and Vingalov, V.M., 2002, Seismic low frequency effects from oil-saturated reservoir zones. International Meeting of Society of Exploration Geophysics (Expanded Abstract), Salt Lake City, Jan. 3, p. 1813-1816.
32 Sicking, C.J., 1978, Modeling with the complex trace. 48th Annual International Meeting of society of Exploration Geophysics (Expanded Abstract), San Francisco, Oct. 29- Nov. 2, p. 1484-1487.
33 Raef, A.E., Mattern, F., Phillip, C., and Totten, M.W., 2015, 3D seismic attributes and well-log facies analysis for prospect identification and evaluation: interpreted palaeoshoreline implications, Weirman Field, Kansas, USA. Journal of Petroleum science and Engineering, 133, 40-51.   DOI
34 Robertson, J.D. and Nogami, H.H., 1984, Complex seismic trace analysis of thin beds. Geophysics, 49, 344-352.   DOI
35 Schrufer, P., Oterdoom, H., and Faber, A., 2002, Thar Jath 3D Interpretation. Geological Research Authority of Sudan, Khartoum, Repot (SD- G).
36 Stark, T.J., 2009, Frequency enhancement via an integer multiplier or just another GeoWizardry attribute? 79th Annual International Meeting of society of Exploration Geophysics (Expanded Abstract), Houston, Oct. 25-30, p. 1092-1096.
37 Taner, M.T. and Sheriff, R.E., 1977, Application of amplitude, frequency, and other attributes to stratigraphic and hydrocarbon determination. In: Payton, C.E. (ed.), Application of Seismic Reflection Configuration to Stratigraphic Interpretation. Association of American Geologists, Memoir, 26, p. 301-327.
38 Taner, M.T., Koehler, F., and Sheriff, R.E., 1979, Complex seismic trace analysis. Geophysics, 44, 1041-1063.   DOI
39 Goloshubin, G., Schuyver, C.V., Korneev, C.V., Silin, D., and Vingalov, V., 2006, Reservoir imaging using low frequencies of seismic reflections. The Leading Edge, 25, 527-531.   DOI
40 Chopra, S. and Marfurt, K.J., 2005, Seismic attributes - a historical perspective. Geophysics, 70, 3SO-28SO.   DOI
41 Kalkomey, C.T., 1997, Potential risks when using seismic attributes as predictors of reservoir properties. The Leading Edge, 16, 247-251.   DOI
42 Li, M., Cheng, D., Pan, X., Dou, L., Hou, D., Shi, Q., Wen, Z., Tang, Y., Achal, S., Milovic, M., and Tremblay, L., 2010, Characterization of petroleum acids using combined FT-IR, FT-ICR-MS and GC-MS: implications for the origin of high acidity oils in the Muglad Basin, Sudan. Organic Geochemistry, 41, 959-965.   DOI
43 Li, Z.C. and Wang, Q.Z., 2007, A review of research on mechanism of seismic attenuation and energy compensation. Prospecting Geophysics, 22, 1147-1152.
44 Liner, C., Li, C.F., Gersztenkorn, A., and Smythe, J., 2004, SPICE: a new general seismic attribute. 72nd Annual International Meeting of society of Exploration Geophysics (Expanded Abstract), Denver, Oct. 10-15, p. 433-436.
45 Tewari, R.D., Malik, M.M., Idris, M.A.I., Naganathan, S., and Pleshkov, D., 2006, Development of small size heavy oil field with innovative technology. Society of Petroleum Engineers (Expanded Abstract), Canton, Oct. 11-13, 103841, p. 1-10.
46 Turner, B.J., 1994, Fracture determination from shear wave splitting analysis of single-source vertical seismic profiles: Unpublished honours thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane.