Unraveling a
Carbonate System through Chrono-Stratigraphic Horizon Tracking and Wheeler
Transformation
McBeath, Kirstin A.1, Geert De
Bruin2, Paul De Groot2 (1) University of Leeds, Leeds LS2
9JT, United Kingdom (2) dGB Earth Sciences BV, 7511 JM Enschede, Netherlands
This paper describes the application of a
new seismic interpretation technique to a green-field carbonate exploration
play. The aim of the study was to assess and understand the spatial and
temporal significance of potential reservoir facies within a complex carbonate
system in both the time-depth and Wheeler transformed ‘flattened seismic'
domain. Systems tracts interpretation allowed for the prediction of potential
reservoir facies distribution prior to drilling a deepwater well offshore
The analysis was based on classic
sequence stratigraphic interpretation principles using new seismic
interpretation software tools. The primary technique involved
chrono-stratigraphic horizon tracking and Wheeler transformation. Auto-tracked
chrono-stratigraphic surfaces (i.e. surfaces as a function of relative
geological time) are generated for every seismic reflection event at
sub-seismic accuracy and tracked throughout the seismic volume within the
limits of conventionally mapped sequence-bounding surfaces. Through
establishing such a chrono-stratigraphic framework, the subsequent
visualization of such chrono-stratigraphic surfaces and corresponding
‘flattened seismic' in the Wheeler transformed domain is achieved. The
depositional configuration and the presence of erosional truncations and
non-depositional hiatuses are revealed in the Wheeler transformed domain,
enabling detailed systems tracts interpretation to be performed through
specifying chrono-stratigraphic ranges. Synchronized visualization of the
seismic volume, corresponding chrono-stratigraphy and systems tracts
interpretation in both the time-depth and Wheeler transformed domain led to new
insights in carbonate facies progradation, aggradation, retrogradation, erosion
and non-deposition.
AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California