Abstract: The Application of Seismic Stratigraphic Methods on Exploration 3D Seismic Data to Define a Reservoir Model in OPL 210, Deepwater Nigeria

Ragnhild Lilletveit, Paul Ventris, George Osahon

OPL 210 lies in deepwater on the north-western flank of the Niger Delta. The partners in this block are Allied Energy and The Statoil and BP Alliance. The licence has a 5 year initial exploration phase and carries a 2 well commitment. At present the database comprises a 1 × 1 km grid of 2D seismic across the block, and 450 sq km of 3D in an area of special interest. A larger 3D survey is planned for 1995.

Little is known about the reservoir in the deep water, but we expect our main target to be ponded slope and basin turbidites. As such the bulk of the shelf well data available has little or no relevance to the play type likely to be encountered.

Prior to drilling, seismic stratigraphy has been one of several methods used to generate a consistent predictive reservoir model. The excellent quality and high resolution of the 3D data have allowed identification and detailed description of several distinctive seismic facies. These facies are described in terms of their internal geometries and stacking patterns. The geometries are then interpreted based on a knowledge of depositional processes from analog slope settings. This enables a predictive model to be constructed for the distribution of reservoir within the observed facies. These predictions will be tested by one of the first wells drilled in the Nigerian deepwater in mid 1995.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90956©1995 AAPG International Convention and Exposition Meeting, Nice, France