Seismic amplitudes from low gas saturation sands
Seismic amplitudes from low gas saturation sands
Leading Edge (Tulsa, OK) (December 2004) 23 (12): 1236-1243
- amplitude
- Atlantic Ocean
- body waves
- case studies
- Cenozoic
- clastic rocks
- deep-sea environment
- elastic waves
- geophysical methods
- geophysical profiles
- geophysical surveys
- Green Canyon
- Gulf of Mexico
- hydrocarbon indicators
- marine environment
- marine methods
- natural gas
- North Atlantic
- P-waves
- petroleum
- petroleum engineering
- reservoir properties
- sandstone
- saturation
- sedimentary rocks
- seismic methods
- seismic profiles
- seismic waves
- surveys
- Tertiary
- three-dimensional models
- well-logging
- King Kong Field
- Lisa Anne Prospect
In Tertiary age sediments, P-wave seismic amplitudes are generally regarded as the most robust direct hydrocarbon indicators. Exploration prospects based on a sound geological model and supported by seismic amplitude anomalies are highly prospective and are usually assigned a high probability of success. However, a fraction of such prospects, perhaps 10-30%, result in dry holes. Postdrill appraisal can usually assign these results to one or more of the following factors: unusually strong lithologic variations; anomalously large pressure variations; superposition of seismic reflections, and tuning effects; contamination of the seismic signal by multiples or other undesired energy; unreliable seismic amplitude information; the prospect was not adequately tested by the well.
