Petroleum Exploration

Objectives Petroleum Exploration

Explain the principles of magnetic, gravity, and seismic surveying

Describe the different waves involved in seismic processing

Outline Petroleum Exploration

Gravity methods

Magnetic surveys
Seismic surveys

Introduction The Life of A Reservoir

Gather All Data

Logs Borehole Seismic

Information from nearby wells

Operating Company

2D/3D Surface Seismic

Core Data

Geological Data

Regional Data

Geophysical Techniques
Gravity surveys
Magnetic surveys

Seismic surveys

Principles of Gravity Surveys

Uncorrected Gravity +1 Gravity -1 Value (mgal) -2 -3

Corrected Gravity (Bouguer Anomaly)

Meter

Clastics 2.4 gm/cm3

Salt 2.1 gm/cm3

Measured Force of Gravity

Grav. Max.

Gravimetric Curve

Grav.Min.
2

Zero Line

Gravity Meter
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Clay Sp.Gr. 2.3 Limestone Sp.Gr. 2.7 Sand Clay Sp.Gr. 2.4

Principle of Magnetic Surveys

Sedimentary Basin Basement

Magnetization
Measured

Seismic Surveys

Raypaths and Wavefronts

shot receivers shot receivers

Reflection points interface Wavefronts How waves actually travel Surface of equal travel time Surface of equal phase

Raypaths Rays perpendicular to wavefronts Simple to use Ray trace modeling

Seismic is Used
In exploration for determining structures and stratigraphic traps to be drilled
In field appraisal and development for estimation of reserves and formulation of field development plans During production for reservoir surveillance purposes such as observing movement of contacts, distribution of reservoir fluids and changes in pressure

Two Basic Attributes

Reflection time (related to depth of the reflector, and velocity in the overburden)
Amplitude, related to rock properties in the reflecting interval, as well as to various extraneous influences that have to be removed in processing

Weathered layer Sand Clay Limestone

Measuring van Seismometers

1 2 3 4 5 6

Shot point No. 1 Explosive

charge Paths of seismic waves A

Shot point No. 2

Shot point No. 3

Example of reflection seismogram: Shot point No. 1

Moment of discharge First arriving impulses Reflection A Reflection B

1 2 3 4 5

B
Timer lines

Acoustic Waves
Surface waves Body Waves

Body Wave Types

2 types defined by the direction of particle motion
wave direction

1. P-waves
Particle motion parallel to wave propagation

2. S-waves
Particle motion perpendicular to wave propagation

P- Waves
wave direction

Used in seismic prospecting Most seismic sources are designed to generate P-waves Compressional or longitudinal wave Most seismic detectors measure only vertical ground motion Have higher velocities than S-waves Travel through water

S- Waves
wave direction

Do not propagate in water S-wave velocity about 0.5 x P-wave velocity

Recorded in Vertical Seismic Profile surveys

Detection requires 3-component geophones (sound detection devices)

Ideal Seismogram
The seismic data recorded should give us the earths reflectivity sequence:
Surface
Time

Depth

Reflection Coefficient

Surface Waves

Wave direction

Particle motion is complex, may be elliptical Surface waves are noise Low velocity, less than S-waves Ground roll in land surface seismic

Wave Propagation
Energy from the source is distributed along the surface of an expanding wavefront Body waves decay much more rapidly than surface waves
For Body waves, energy propagation is spherical Energy density 1 a= distance from source 2 For Surface waves, energy propagation is cylindrical Energy density a= 1 distance from source

Wave Energy
On land, the energy division can be as poor as this:

P-waves
6%

Surface 68% waves

26% S-waves

Seismic Acquisition Overview

Marine surface seismic 2D and 3D techniques Land surface seismic 3D techniques Borehole seismic Seismic while drilling

Seismic Acquisition
3D surface seismic
3D earth model High resolution across reservoir

Borehole seismic Seismic - near well location while drilling

T-D relationship Multiple identification Drilling safety Drilling economics

High resolution

Depth-to-target prediction

Marine Acquisition System

Boat

Sea Surface
Source (Airguns) Incident waves

Cable with hydrophones

Reflected waves

Sea bed

Sedimentary Layers

3D Acquisition Techniques
Maximize subsurface coverage
Up to 2000 channels Up to 16 streamers Typical survey can record 100 billion data samples
Boat Path

3D grid

3D Acquisition Techniques
2 source, 6 streamer configuration 12 lines shot in 1 boat pass

Sea surface

Sea bed

Land 3D Acquisition Techniques

Swath Shooting:
16 receiver lines 64 receivers/line 1 shot/spread

320 x 320 meter orthogonal source/receiver grid:

8 lines 64 receivers/line 8 shots/spread

Recording Templates

Surface Seismic/Borehole Correlation

Correlatable events
Two Way Time

Surface seismic

VSP

Synth Surface seismic

Acoustic Impedance log (Time & Depth)

3D Seismic Cube

Visualizing the Target in 3D

Reading Assignment Petroleum Exploration

Geophysics, Vol. 51, No. 5, May 1986, pp. 1039-1049: Geophysical Case History, Prudhoe Bay Field,

Petroleum Exploration Summary

Gravity methods

Magnetic surveys
Seismic surveys

Exercises Petroleum Exploration

Exercise 1
Discuss the basic principles of magnetic, gravity, and seismic surveys

Exercise 2
What are P & S waves?
Which one is used in seismic prospecting? What are surface waves and how do they affect seismic prospecting?

How is seismic data calibrated?