Lithology Estimation by Full Wave Sonic and 3-D Seismic Data at the Mississippian Pennsylvanian Boundary of Western Osage County, Oklahoma

Christian Falzone, Douglas McCabe, Christopher Liner

University of Arkansas

Posted: June 30, 2019

Abstract

We analyze 3D seismic and well log data in Western Osage County, Oklahoma for insight to

lateral variation of thickness and lithology in the ‘Miss Chat’ interval at the Mississippian-

Pennsylvanian contact. The Chat refers to the section at the top of the Mississippian, which is

variously interpreted as a chert-rich paleosol, collapse breccia, and/or tripolitic chert. We use

high-quality 3D post stack seismic data and calibration from a deep well in the survey area, that

includes full wave sonic, density, and a modern log suite to generate a precision synthetic

seismogram tuned to the Miss-Penn boundary by suitable wavelet extraction. To quantify the

Miss-Penn contact, post stack impedance inversion is generated from a lower Pennsylvanian

horizon to the upper Arbuckle. Well log acoustic impedance data from the well in the survey

area and nearby wells, with modern logs, allows identification and impedance estimation for

various lithologies present in the vicinity of the contact (sandstone, shale, limestone, chert).

The full wave sonic log allows acoustic impedance results to be statistically mapped into other

elastic parameters as needed to aid with lithology identification. These are used to interpret the

field data impedance inversion results to estimate lithology of the Chat across the 45 square

mile 3D seismic survey.