ADVANCED STRUCTURAL

GEOLOGY FOR
PETROLEUM EXPLORATION

SHORT COURSE
2008

Seismic Exercises - Answers

Professor Ken McClay

Fault Dynamics Research Group
Royal Holloway University of London
 Seismic Exercises - Extension

0
Sea Bed Sea Bed
Growth Sequence 4 Growth Sequence 4

Growth Sequence 3

TWT
(sec)
Growth Sequence 3

2 ???

? ?
Unconformity

Growth
3 Sequence 1 ?
? ?
Footwall Fault
Growth Sequence 2
ʻPull-Upʼ
?

Distorted Overpressured Fault Plane

Reflections Shale Reflector
Growth Sequence 4
4 ? ?
Growth Sequence 3 Growth
Sequence 1
Small Triangular Footwall Roller
Growth Sequence 2 of Shale below Fault
? ?
Growth Sequence 1
? 2 km
Overpressured Shale
© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES 1
1
 Seismic Exercises - Extension

TWT
(sec)
0.0
Sea Floor Crestal Collapse Graben

1.0

2.0 ??

Seismic
Artefact
3.0 ??

??

Poor Imaging ??
4.0
Seismic ??
Seismic Artefact
Pull-Up

5.0

2 km
6.0

Sub-Salt Salt Syn-Extension I Syn-Extension II Syn-Extension III

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES2

2
 Seismic Exercises - Extension
TWT
(sec)
1.0

1.5 Bright
Spots

MTC
2.0

2.5
Bright
Spots

3.0

MTC?
2 km

Syn-Extension I Syn-Extension II Syn-Extension III Syn-Extension IV Overpressured Zone

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES3

3
 Seismic Exercises - Extension

TWT
(sec)
0-
Sea Bed Eocene-Miocene

D7

1-
PR3
PR3
PR2
D1
PR2
2- PR3 Velocity
Pull-Up PR1
Salt

Syn-Rift?
PR1 PR2

?
3-
?

? Syn-Rift

Basement? Basement?
4- ?
?

2 km

D1-D7 PR3 PR2 PR1

Eocene- Cenomanian Aptian Syn-Rift
Post-Rift Post-Rift Post-Rift Salt Neocomian
Miocene Clastics Carbonates Carbonates Albian Carbonates
Syn-Raft Tectonics

© K.R. McClay 2008 Salt Weld Exercise ES-4

4
 Seismic Exercises - Extension

TWT
(sec)
0.0

1.0

2.0

Top of Basement Uncertain

Ramp-Flat Detachment
in Basement

2 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES5

Basement Syn-Rift I Post-Rift Post-Inversion I Post-Inversion II

Syn-Inversion?

5
 Seismic Exercises - Extension
TWT
(sec)
0
Post-Rift 4

1 Lacustrine?
Eroded
Fault
Plane? Granite?
Basement

Inversion
2
Basement
Granite?
Basement Basement
Marginal
Fan System
or Slight Inversion? Lacustrine
Sequence

2 km

Post-Rift 4 Post-Rift 3 Post-Rift 2 Post-Rift 1 Syn-rift 1 Basement

Fluvio- Lacustrine Fluvio-Lacustrine Lacustrine Fluvial? Lacustrine
© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES 6

6
 Seismic Exercises - Extension

SW NE
TWT secs TWT secs
0.0 0.0
Sea Floor

1.0 1.0

2.0 2.0

3.0 3.0

Crystalline Crystalline
4.0 Basement Basement 4.0

5 km

Post-Rift 3 Post-Rift 2 Post-Rift 1 Syn-Rift 2 Syn-Rift 1 Basement

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES 7

7
 Seismic Exercises - Extension

Land Surface Land Surface

0
Post-Rift 3 Poor Near Surface Reflections Post-Rift 3
TWT
(sec) Post-Rift 1

1 Post-Rift 2 Post Rift 1

PR1
Post Rift 1
1b
1a 1b
1b
1a 1b
2
1a
Crystalline
1a Basement

Crystalline Crystalline Basement

Basement Basement
4 km

Post-Rift 3 Post-Rift 2 Post Rift 1 Syn-Rift? 1b Syn-rift 1a Basement

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES 8

8
 Seismic Exercises - Extension

TWT
(sec)

0.0
?

1.0

2.0

3.0 Wedging
Fan Systems?

4.0

5.0

Basement Syn-Rift I Syn-Rift II Syn-Rift III Post-Rift I Post-Rift II

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES 9

9
 Seismic Exercises - Extension

Sub-Basin 1 Sub-Basin 2 Sub-Basin 3

TWT Inversion
(sec) Rift Border Against Rift Border?
Fault ‘Conjugate fault arrays’
0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

Strongly faulted
2 km basement
4.0

Basement Syn-Rift I Syn-Rift II Syn-Rift III Post-Rift I Post-Rift II

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES10

10
 Seismic Exercises - Extension

TWT sec
0 Sea Bed

Dyke in Fault

?
2 Strong Reflector

? Fan?

? ?
?
3 ?
Basement

Basement ?

Syn-Inversion 2b Syn-Inversion 2a Syn-Inversion 1 Syn-Rift 2 Syn-Rift 1 Basement Basic Intrusion

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES 11

11
 Seismic Exercises - Extension
Sea Floor

u/c

u/c

u/c

u/c u/c
Seismic
Artefact

2 km

Basement Syn-Rift I Post-Rift I Post-Rift II Post-Rift III

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES12

12
 Seismic Exercises - Extension
TWT
(sec) NE SW
0.0

1.0 u/c
u/c

2.0

3.0

5 km

Basement Pre-Rift I Pre-Rift II Post-Rift

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES13
13
 Seismic Exercises - Extension
TWT
(sec)

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

2 km
5.0

Basement Syn-Rift I Syn-Rift II Syn-Rift III Syn/Post-Rift Post-Rift/ Post-Inversion (?)

Syn-Inversion
© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise ES14

14
 Seismic Exercises - Extension
TWT
(sec)

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

0 5km

Basement Syn-Rift (1) Syn-Rift (2) Post-Rift Syn-Inversion

© K.R. McClay 2008 15 Exercise ES 15

TWT
(sec) Seismic Exercises - Extension
0.0 Sea Floor

1.0

2.0

3.0

5 km

Basement Syn-rift (1) Syn-Rift (2)

16
Post-Rift (1) Post-Rift (2) Exercise ES 16
© K.R. McClay 2008
 Seismic Exercises - Extension

TWT
(sec)
Sea Floor

1.0

2.0

? ?

?
?
?
3.0 ?
?

4.0

5 km

Basement Syn-Extension 1 Syn-Extension 2 Syn-Inversion Post-Inversion

© K.R. McClay 2008

17
Exercise ES 17
 Seismic Exercises - Extension

TWT
(sec)

5.0

Sea Floor

6.0

Basement

Post-Extension ?
7.0

Basement

8.0

Basement Basement

Top of basement difficult to pick

2 km
Exercise ES 18
© K.R. McClay 2008
Basement Syn-Extension ? Post-Extension 1 Post-Extension 2
Deepwater Trubidite Systems

18
 Seismic Exercises - Inversion

Sea Bed Sea Bed

? TWT
?
(sec)
Multiples
- 1.0

- 2.0
?
?
?

‘Basement’ Pre-Rift
- 3.0

Post-Inversion
‘Basement’ Pre-Rift
Syn-Inversion ? Syn-Rift

Post-Rift 2 Pre/Syn-Rift ?

Post-Rift 1 Basement Pre-Rift 2 km

19
© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 1
 Seismic Exercises - Inversion

TWT
(sec)

1.0

MTC?

Slumps

2.0

2.5 km
3.0

Basement Syn-Rift 1 Syn-Rift 2 Syn-Rift 3 Post-Rift - Syn-Inversion 2 Syn-Inversion 3 Post Inversion

Syn-Inversion 1 ?
© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 2
20
TWT
(sec) Seismic Exercises - Inversion

1.0

2.0

2.5 km

Basement Syn-Rift 1 Syn-Inv 1 Syn-Inv 2 Syn-Inv 3 Syn-Inv 4 Post Inv

© K.R. McClay 2008 21 Exercise IS 3

 Seismic Exercises - Inversion

TWT
(sec)
0.0
Poor Data Quality
V

0.5 IV IV
II
IIIc Ic
II Ib IIIc
1.0 IIIa
Ia
Ic IIIb
Ic
Ib ? Ib
1.5 Ia Ia
?
? ? ?

2.0 Footwall Shortcut

Inverted Basin
Margin Fault
Basement Basement
2.5
1c Pre-Extension IIIc Syn-Inversion 1 IV Post-Inversion 1
Basement 1b Pre-Extension II Post-Extension IIIb Syn-Inversion 1
IIIa Syn-Inversion 1 V Post-Inversion 2
1a Pre-Extension

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 4

22
 Seismic Exercises - Inversion

0
Post-Inversion
IId
IId
TWT
(sec)
IIc
1 Post-Rift
IIc
Ib Ic

Ic IIa IIb
Ib
Ia

Ia
2
Basement

Post-Inversion Syn-Inversion IIc Syn-Inversion IIa Pre-Rift Ic Pre-Rift Ia

Late Cretaceous
Syn-Inversion IId Syn-Inversion IIb Post-Rift Pre-Rift Ib Basement
Miocene Lower Cretaceous Pre-Triassic

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 5

23
 Seismic Exercises - Inversion

TWT sec
0 Sea Bed

Dyke in Fault

Strong Reflector
?
2 ?
? ? Basement
? ? ?
?

3
?
Basement

Syn-Inversion 2b Syn-Inversion 2a Syn-Inversion 1 Syn-Rift 2 Syn-Rift 1 Basement Basic Intrusion

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 6

24
TWT Seismic Exercises - Inversion
(sec)
0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

Fluvial
Channels (?)
Footwall
Shortcut

4.0 Intra-Basement
Reflectors

5 km
5.0

Basement Syn-Rift Syn-Inversion I Syn-Inversion II Syn-Inversion III Post-Inversion

© K.R. McClay 2008 25

Exercise IS7
 Seismic Exercises - Inversion

TWT
(sec)
1.0
Sea Floor

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Footwall
Shortcut

3.5

4.0

Basement Syn-Rift Syn-Rift Syn-Inversion Syn-Inversion Syn-Inversion Post-

I II I II III Inversion

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 8

26
 Seismic Exercises - Inversion
N S
TWT secs

Steeply
1.0 Dipping
Beds

2.0

3.0

5 km

Basement Syn-Rift 1 Syn-Rift 2 Syn-Rift 3 Syn-Rift 3 Syn-Inv 1 Syn-Inv 2 Syn-Inv 3

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 9

27
 Seismic Exercises - Inversion
TWT S
Secs N

1.0

Zig-Zag
Faults
2.0 ?

3.0

2 km
© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 10
Basement Syn-Rift I Syn-Rift to Post Rift Syn-Inversion I Syn-Inversion II Post-Inversion

28
 Seismic Exercises - Inversion

TWT S
Secs N

1.0

2.0

3.0
Volcanics

Volcanics

2 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 11

Basement Syn-Rift I Syn-Rift to Post Rift Syn-Inversion I Syn-Inversion II Post-Inversion

29
 Seismic Exercises - Inversion

SSE NNW
Sea Floor
Sea Floor
Post-Inversion
U/C Channels?
0.0 IIc IIc
IIb U/C

TWT IIb IIc

(sec) U/C
IIb
IIa
1.0 IIa Pr U/C

U/C Post-Rift
Ic IIa

Ic
Ib Ic
2.0 Ib Ia
U/C

Ic Ia
Footwall
Deformation Ib

3.0
Highly Disturbed
Basement Reflectors
?
Approximate Position
of Main Inverted Fault
5 km

Post Inversion IIc IIb IIa Post Rift Syn-Rift Ia, Ib & Ic Basement
Syn-Inversion
© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 12

30
 Seismic Exercises - Inversion
TWT
(sec)
0.0

Sea Floor

Syn-Inversion V

Syn-Inversion IV

Syn-Inversion III
1.0

Syn-Inversion II

Syn-Inversion I

Syn-Rift II

2.0 Syn-Rift I

Basement

2 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 13

31
TWT Seismic Exercises - Inversion
(sec)
Sea Bed

Multiples
1.0
?

? Channels

?
2.0
?

3.0 Steep
Extension
Fault

Post-Inversion

Syn-Inversion

4.0 Post-Rift

Syn-Rift

‘Basement’ - Pre-Rift

‘Basement’ Pre-Rift
‘Basement’ Pre-Rift
2 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise IS 14

32
 Seismic Exercises - Inversion
TWT secs
W E
0.0-

Steeply
Dipping
Beds ?

1.0-
?
?

?
?
2.0-
?

3.0-

2 km

Basement Syn-Rift ? Post-Rift 1 Post-Rift 2 Syn-Inversion ?

© K.R. McClay 2008 Lower Palaeozoic Triassic ? Lower Cretaceous ? Upper Cretaceous ? Neogene Exercise IS 15

33
 Seismic Exercises - Strike-Slip

Eroded Fault Scarp?

TWT
(sec)
Drag into Flower Structure
Probable
Syn-Kinematic
Strata
1

?
2

Detached
at Depth ?

?
1 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise SS 3

34
 Seismic Exercises - Strike-Slip

W NE

Springer Fm (Mississippian)

Sycamore Fm (Mississippian)
2 km
Oil Creek Fm (Ordovician)
Basement H=V T A
© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise SS 4

35
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems
TWT
(sec)
0.0
Prograding units

2.0

4.0

?
Imbricate thrusts
6.0

8.0

2 km

Pre-Growth I Pre-Growth II Pre-Growth III Growth I Growth II Growth III Growth IV Post-Growth

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS1

36
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

(km) Progradational wedges

0.0

5.0

10.0
5 km

Pre-Growth I Pre-Growth II Pre-Growth III Growth I Growth II Growth III Growth IV Growth V Growth VI

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS2

37
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

W E

Seabed
TWT
(sec)

4.0

5.0

6.0
2 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS3

Pre-kinematic I Pre-kinematic II Pre-kinematic III 38

Pre-kinematic IV Pre-kinematic V Syn-kinematic Post-kinematic
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

TWT TWT
secs Agip - Budrio 1 Agip - Selva 2 secs
0 0
Quaternary

1 1
Middle Late
Pliocene

2 2
Early
Pliocene
Miocene-
Paleogene
Top of Miocene
3 Sequence 3

4 4
Top of Mesozoic Carbonate Sequence

Detachment Surface
5 5

5 km
6 6
Quartenary
Miocene-Paleogene
Middle Late Pliocene Syn-Kinematic
Growth Strata
Middle Pliocene Mesozoic Carbonates

Early Pliocene

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS 4

39
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

TWT
(sec) W E
0
Topographic Surface

3
Detachment in Ductile Shales
4

Top Marker Green Marker Brown Marker Carbonate Ductile Shales Footwall Units 1 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS 5

40
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

(km)
0.0

Top of seismic data

Para-Autochthonous
Allochthonous Sequence Sequence
1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

Footwall Sequence
1 km
5.0
© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS6

41
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

TWT
(sec)

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0
?

2 km
? ?
?

Basement Pre-Salt Salt Pre-Growth I Pre-Growth II Pre-Growth III Pre-Growth IV

Pre-Growth V Growth I Growth II Growth III Growth IV Post-Growth I Post-Growth II

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS7

42
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

TWT
(sec)

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

?
?
8.0

2 km

Basement Pre-Rift Salt Pre-Growth I Pre-Growth II Pre-Growth III Growth I Growth II Growth III Post-Growth

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS 8

43
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

TWT
(sec)
4.0

BSR

5.0

6.0

7.0

2 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Pre-Kinematic Syn-Kinematic Exercise TS9

44
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

Sea Floor
TWT
(sec)
3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

2 km

Exercise TS 10

Pre-Kinematic I Pre-Kinematic II Pre-Kinematic III Pre-Kinematic IV

45
Syn-Kinematic I Syn-Kinematic II Syn-Kinematic III © K.R. McClay 2008
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

Sea Floor

TWT
(sec)
4.0

5.0

6.0

2 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS 11

Detachment Unit Pre-Growth I Growth I Growth II Growth III Growth IV Post-Growth

46
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

TWT
(sec)
Sea Floor

3.0

4.0

5.0

2 km
6.0

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS12

Pre-Growth Growth I Growth II Growth III Growth IV

47
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

TWT
(sec)
4.0

6.0

5 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS 13

Pre-kInematic I Pre-kInematic II Pre-kInematic III Syn-Kinematic I Syn-Kinematic II Syn-Kinematic III

48
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

TWT
(sec) Ponded
hangingwall basins
3.0 Slumps

Slumps BSR

4.0 Sea Floor

Poor migration
5.0

6.0

Poor seismic imaging

7.0

2 km

Pre-Growth Growth I Growth II Growth III Growth IV

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS 14

49
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

TWT
(sec)
4.0

Sea Floor

BSR

5.0

6.0

5 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS 15

Pre-Kinematic I Pre-Kinematic II Pre-Kinematic III Pre-Kinematic IV Syn-Kinematic

50
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems
W E
Outer Arc
Extensional Faults
TWT BSR
(sec)

3.0

4.0

5.0
1 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS 16

Pre-Kinematic Pre-Kinematic II Pre-Kinematic

51 III Syn-Kinematic I Syn-Kinematic II
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

TWT
(sec)
2.0

3.0
Seabed

4.0

5.0

6.0 2 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS 17

52
Pre-kInematic I Pre-kInematic II Pre-kInematic III Syn-Kinematic
 Seismic Exercises - Thrust Systems

TWT
(sec)
3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

2 km

© K.R. McClay 2008 Exercise TS18

Pre-kInematic I Pre-kInematic II Pre-kInematic III Syn-Kinematic

53