Integration Of Surface Seismic, Microseismic And Rock Properties To High-grade And Increase Profitability Of A Shale Play

R. Moyen¹, A. Bouziat¹, A.T. Smith¹, A.T. Smith¹, G. Castillo¹, S. Sadykhov², M. Bratovich², Franquet², and G. Oliver³

Abstract

Successful exploration in shale plays requires a good understanding of the rock properties and stresses in the subsurface since hydraulic fracturing is employed to break the rock and release the hydrocarbons. Drilling geoscience wells that determine stresses and rock properties provide essential information of the subsurface, however only give localized data around the well bore. 3D seismic generates the spatial information of the shale play but the vertical resolution compared to the well log data is less. By combining well-log data and 3D seismic a detailed prediction of subsurface stresses and rock properties can be obtained. Simultaneous pre-stack inversion is used to predict the elastic rock properties; P-impedance, S-impedance and density. They are the building blocks to estimate brittleness in the subsurface & TOC; the amount of total organic content that will determine the profitability of the target. Brittleness of the rocks and the local stress field has a significant control on the ability to frac the rock and determines the size of the SRV (stimulated reservoir volume). A large SRV means more rock is broken in a given frac stage and thereby increasing profitability of the frac. TOC, brittleness and stress prediction over a shale play cannot be determined by 3D seismic or well data alone, however combining and using each data set to constrain the other means these key reservoir variables can be forecasted over a shale play.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90188 ©GEO-2014, 11th Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition, 10-12 March 2014, Manama, Bahrain