Three-Dimensional Seismic Imaging of Carbonate Reservoirs and Systems

Jose Luis Massaferro
RepsolYPF, Buenos Aires, Argentina
[email protected]

In pure carbonate systems, the combined effect of variations in depositional facies and diagenetic alterations plays a key role in controlling variations in sonic velocities and thus in acoustic impedance. As seismic facies are delineated by acoustic impedance contrasts, depositional facies and geometries may be rather poorly defined for various carbonates environments (e.g. shallow-water platform carbonates).
Conventional 2-D and 3-D seismic mapping techniques are not ideal predictive methods when attempting to characterise carbonate reservoirs mainly due to the complexity and heterogeneity of carbonate systems. The unique depositional systems of carbonate environments means that a standard interpretation routine is often inadequate and more sophisticated techniques are needed. Accurate 3-D imaging of seismic facies and geometries is critical to construct realistic, seismically constrained models for both exploration and development scales.
Advanced methodologies in the application of visualization techniques to 3D seismic data of selected carbonate reservoirs and with particular focus on certain techniques that successfully extracted seismic facies and geometries characteristic of carbonate systems. A variety of examples of interpreted seismic volumes and their attributes from different carbonate systems worldwide will be presented.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90073 © 2007 AAPG Foundation Distinguished Lecturer Series 2007-2008