The application of elastic impedance inversion in reservoir prediction at the Jinan area of Tarim Oilfield

The Triassic reservoir in the Jinan area of Tarim Oilfield consists largely of interbedded sand and shale. Because of the large overlap between sandstone and shale impedance, it is difficult to distinguish sandstone from shale by acoustic impedance alone. Compared to acoustic impedance, elastic impedance contains more lithologic and physical information of the reservoir. Based on meticulous well-tie calibration, elastic impedance data volumes for 10°, 20°, and 30° emergence angles are obtained using pre-stack elastic impedance inversion. A non-linear statistical relationship between elastic impedance and shale content is set up by a PNN neural network. The non-linear mapping relationship is used to predict the reservoir shale content from elastic impedance, which will depict and predict the reservoir oil-bearing sands.     

三维AVO解释技术在洪泽地区岩性油藏勘探中的应用

洪泽地区由于沉积的特点，储层横向变化快，油藏受构造、岩性、油源多因素控制。在对该区三维AVO属性体解释中，利用多元回归方法求取了横波曲线，分岩性和含油气性统计了纵、横波、泊松比参数分布规律，建立了本区的含油砂岩的正演模型，从而降低了AVO解释的多解性。通过井-震结合对四种AVO属性数据体进行了标定，并确定了各属性体应用范围，进而进行了储层和含油气检测。实践表明，该方法能有效地利用AVO属性数据体进行储层预测及油气检测，具有一定的推广价值。     

Azimuthal variation in AVO response for fractured gas sands

Natural fractures in reservoirs play an important role in determining fluid flow during production, and hence the density and orientation of fractures is of great interest. In the presence of aligned vertical fractures, the reflection amplitude at finite offset varies with azimuth. The effect of natural fractures on the azimuthal AVO response from a gas-sandstone reservoir encased within shale is investigated. A simple expression for the difference in P-wave reflection coefficient from the top of the reservoir parallel and perpendicular to the strike of the fractures is obtained in terms of the normal and tangential compliances, Z_N and Z_T, of the fractures. This expression is valid for small anisotropy and material contrasts and is compared with the results of numerical modelling. For a given value of Z_T, the azimuthal variation in reflection coefficient at moderate offsets is found to increase with decreasing Z_N/Z_T. For gas-filled open fractures Z_N/Z_T ≈ 1, but a lower ratio of Z_N/Z_T may result from the presence of cement or clay within the fractures, or from the presence of a fluid with non-zero bulk modulus. For Z_N/Z_T = 1 and moderate offsets, the variation with offset of the reflection coefficient from the top of the fractured unit is dominated by the contrast in Poisson's ratio between the gas sand and the overlying shale, the effect of fractures only becoming noticeable as the critical angle for the unfractured sandstone is approached. However, for reflections from the base of the fractured unit, the variation in reflection amplitude with azimuth is much greater at conventional seismic offsets than for the reflection from the top. Azimuthal variations in the strength of the reflection from the top of the reservoir depend only on the variation in reflection coefficient, whereas the raypath is also a function of azimuth for reflections from the base of the fractured unit, leading to stronger, more visible, variations of AVO with azimuth. It follows that an azimuthal variation in AVO due to fractures in the overburden may be misinterpreted as due to the presence of aligned fractures in the reservoir.     

利用3-D AVO分析识别陆相薄互层砂岩气藏和深层火成岩

大庆地区陆相砂泥岩薄互层AVO特性不明显,甚至 没有显示。本文以松辽盆地北部三肇地区为例详 细描述了3-D AVO分析方法及其在该区的应用效 果。通过对该区AVO数据的特殊处理和解释,并应 用有关的测井曲线指导AVO正演,在升81井扶余 油层得到了明显的砂岩气藏AVO响应,查明扶余油 层砂岩气藏存在着"振幅随炮检距增加而增大"这 一AVO异常特征。同时在三肇地区应用3-D AVO分 析技术首次发现了深层火山岩,查明了火山岩的 空间展布形态,其喷发的通道位于断裂的交叉处, 这与地球动力学和大地构造物理学的观点相吻合。     

The analysis of frequency-dependent characteristics for fluid detection: a physical model experiment

According to the Chapman multi-scale rock physical model, the seismic response characteristics vary for different fluid-saturated reservoirs. For class I AVO reservoirs and gas-saturation, the seismic response is a high-frequency bright spot as the amplitude energy shifts. However, it is a low-frequency shadow for the Class III AVO reservoirs saturated with hydrocarbons. In this paper, we verified the high-frequency bright spot results of Chapman for the Class I AVO response using the frequency-dependent analysis of a physical model dataset. The physical model is designed as inter-bedded thin sand and shale based on real field geology parameters. We observed two datasets using fixed offset and 2D geometry with different fluidsaturated conditions. Spectral and time-frequency analyses methods are applied to the seismic datasets to describe the response characteristics for gas-, water-, and oil-saturation. The results of physical model dataset processing and analysis indicate that reflection wave tuning and fluid-related dispersion are the main seismic response characteristic mechanisms. Additionally, the gas saturation model can be distinguished from water and oil saturation for Class I AVO utilizing the frequency-dependent abnormal characteristic. The frequency-dependent characteristic analysis of the physical model dataset verified the different spectral response characteristics corresponding to the different fluid-saturated models. Therefore, by careful analysis of real field seismic data, we can obtain the abnormal spectral characteristics induced by the fluid variation and implement fluid detection using seismic data directly.     

Acoustic and petrophysical relationships in low-shale sandstone reservoir rocks

This paper describes the measurements of the acoustic and petrophysical properties of two suites of low‐shale sandstone samples from North Sea hydrocarbon reservoirs, under simulated reservoir conditions. The acoustic velocities and quality factors of the samples, saturated with different pore fluids (brine, dead oil and kerosene), were measured at a frequency of about 0.8 MHz and over a range of pressures from 5 MPa to 40 MPa. The compressional‐wave velocity is strongly correlated with the shear‐wave velocity in this suite of rocks. The ratio V_P/V_S varies significantly with change of both pore‐fluid type and differential pressure, confirming the usefulness of this parameter for seismic monitoring of producing reservoirs. The results of quality factor measurements were compared with predictions from Biot‐flow and squirt‐flow loss mechanisms. The results suggested that the dominating loss in these samples is due to squirt‐flow of fluid between the pores of various geometries. The contribution of the Biot‐flow loss mechanism to the total loss is negligible. The compressional‐wave quality factor was shown to be inversely correlated with rock permeability, suggesting the possibility of using attenuation as a permeability indicator tool in low‐shale, high‐porosity sandstone reservoirs.     

Study on attribute characterization for reservoir dynamic monitoring by seismic

Study on characterizing reservoir parameters dynamic variations by time-lapse seismic attributes is the theoretical basis for effectively distinguishing reservoir parameters variations and conducting time-lapse seismic interpretation,and it is also a key step for time-lapse seismic application in real oil fields. Based on the rock physical model of unconsolidated sandstone,the different effects of oil saturation and effective pressure variations on seismic P-wave and S-wave velocities are calculated and analyzed. Using numerical simulation on decoupled wave equations,the responses of seismic amplitude with different offsets to reservoir oil saturation variations are analyzed,pre-stack time-lapse seismic attributes differences for oil saturation and effective pressure variations of P-P wave and P-S converted wave are calculated,and time-lapse seismic AVO (Amplitude Versus Offset) response rules of P-P wave and P-S converted wave to effective pressure and oil saturation variations are compared. The theoretical modeling study shows that it is feasible to distinguish different reservoir parameters dynamic variations by pre-stack time-lapse seismic information,including pre-stack time-lapse seismic attributes and AVO information,which has great potential in improving time-lapse seismic interpreta-tion precision. It also shows that the time-lapse seismic response mechanism study on objective oil fields is especially important in establishing effective time-lapse seismic data process and interpreta-tion scheme.     

基于频变AVO反演的页岩储层含气性地震识别技术

结合地震岩石物理技术,研究了叠前频变AVO反演在四川盆地龙马溪组页岩储层含气性识别中的应用.首先,应用Backus平均理论将测井数据粗化为地震尺度储层模型,应用传播矩阵理论进行高精度地震正演及井震标定,分析页岩气储层地震响应特征.其次,基于岩心观测结果,应用Chapman多尺度裂缝理论设计页岩气储层理论模型,研究储层衰减、频散以及对应的地震反射特征.应用该理论模型测试频变AVO反演方法,计算结果表明：对于研究区地层结构和地震数据,区分流体类型的优势频率不是地震子波的主频,还受层间调谐干涉等储层结构因素控制,也进一步说明理论模型测试和标定的重要性.最后,将频变AVO反演技术应用到四川盆地龙马溪组页岩地层,计算得到的频散属性为页岩气储层含气性识别提供依据.

     

泥质砂岩中接触胶结泥质定量估算及对砂岩弹性的影响

在泥质砂岩的岩石物理建模中,明确泥质砂岩中泥质胶结物的接触类型及其含量对正确认识泥质的胶结作用对泥质砂岩声速的影响以及合理地建立岩石物理模型至关重要.现阶段,尚未有实验室定量估算胶结泥质的方法,导致应用胶结砂岩理论模型预测胶结砂岩地层的声速时往往由于胶结物含量被高估从而导致预测声速结果偏高.本文通过观察铸体薄片中泥质与颗粒之间的接触关系和相对分布提出了一种区分胶结泥质和分散泥质的方法：与两个或两个以上颗粒接触的连续分布的泥质为胶结泥质;与一个颗粒接触或者不与颗粒接触的泥质为分散泥质.基于这一准则,本文基于像素拾取法估算了人造泥质砂岩的胶结泥质含量,并将胶结泥质含量作为胶结砂岩模型的输入参数优化CCT模型.对比原始模型,本文方法声速误差下降了20%,预测准确度显著提高.本文方法适用于弱胶结地层的岩石物理建模,能够准确的预测声速以结合地震和测井资料识别有利储层,定量评价储层参数.

     

薄油层时移地震差异波形特征探讨

开发导致的时移地震差异代表了油藏的岩石物理性质变化,本文从差异波形角度出发,明确了声波阻抗界面的反射系数与油层声波阻抗变化之间的函数关系,进而分析薄油层时移地震差异波形特征.通过分析得出,开发前后油层阻抗变化越大,时移地震的差异振幅幅度越大;薄油层的差异波形特征仅与油层的声波阻抗变化有关,油层声波阻抗增大导致与地震子波微分形式相同的差异波形,油层声波阻抗减小产生的差异波形与180°相位的地震子波微分形式相同;油层声波阻抗变化方向导致差异波形振幅幅度变化的快慢.     

部分饱和砂岩储层地震物理模拟及含气饱和度预测分析

含气饱和度预测是天然气储层地震解释工作的重要目标.本文将岩石物理分析与地震物理模拟技术相结合,构建了部分饱和砂岩储层物理模型并进行含气饱和度预测分析.物理模型中设置了高孔渗常规砂岩和低孔渗致密砂岩两种模拟储层,每种储层都是由具有不同含水饱和度的气-水双相饱和砂体组成.岩石物理分析结果显示在低孔渗致密砂岩中气-水混合流体更加倾向于非均匀的斑块分布,而结合了Brie等效流体公式的Gassmann流体替换理论可以更准确地描述纵波速度随含水饱和度的变化趋势.对物理模型进行地震资料采集处理后,对比了AVO特征和叠前同步反演结果对两种砂岩储层含气饱和度预测能力的差异.AVO特征结果显示,对于混合流体均匀分布的高孔渗砂岩储层,AVO响应曲线和属性变化很难对含气饱和度进行估算;对于混合流体斑块分布的致密砂岩储层,AVO特征可以定性地分辨出储层是否为高、中、低含气情况.反演结果显示,密度及纵横波速度比分别对高孔渗及致密砂岩储层的含气饱和度有着较好的指示能力.

     

Lithology and hydrocarbon mapping from multicomponent seismic data

Elastic rock properties can be estimated from prestack seismic data using amplitude variation with offset analysis. P‐wave, S‐wave and density ‘reflectivities’, or contrasts, can be inverted from angle‐band stacks. The ‘reflectivities’ are then inverted to absolute acoustic impedance, shear impedance and density. These rock properties can be used to map reservoir parameters through all stages of field development and production. When P‐wave contrast is small, or gas clouds obscure reservoir zones, multicomponent ocean‐bottom recording of converted‐waves (P to S or Ps) data provides reliable mapping of reservoir boundaries. Angle‐band stacks of multicomponent P‐wave (Pz) and Ps data can also be inverted jointly. In this paper Aki‐Richards equations are used without simplifications to invert angle‐band stacks to ‘reflectivities’. This enables the use of reflection seismic data beyond 30° of incident angles compared to the conventional amplitude variation with offset analysis. It, in turn, provides better shear impedance and density estimates. An important input to amplitude variation with offset analysis is the V_s/V_p ratio. Conventional methods use a constant or a time‐varying V_s/V_p model. Here, a time‐ and space‐varying model is used during the computation of the ‘reflectivities’. The V_s/V_p model is generated using well log data and picked horizons. For multicomponent data applications, the latter model can also be generated from processing V_s/V_p models and available well data. Reservoir rock properties such as λρ, μρ, Poisson's ratio and bulk modulus can be computed from acoustic impedance, shear impedance and density for pore fill and lithology identification. λ and μ are the Lamé constants and ρ is density. These estimations can also be used for a more efficient log property mapping. V_p/V_s ratio or Poisson's ratio, λρ and weighted stacks, such as the one computed from λρ and λ/μ, are good gas/oil and oil/water contact indicators, i.e., pore fill indicators, while μρ mainly indicates lithology. μρ is also affected by pressure changes. Results from a multicomponent data set are used to illustrate mapping of gas, oil and water saturation and lithology in a Tertiary sand/shale setting. Whilst initial log crossplot analysis suggested that pore fill discrimination may be possible, the inversion was not successful in revealing fluid effects. However, rock properties computed from acoustic impedance, shear impedance and density estimates provided good lithology indicators; pore fill identification was less successful. Neural network analysis using computed rock properties provided good indication of sand/shale distribution away from the existing wells and complemented the results depicted from individual rock property inversions.     

弹性波阻抗在时移地震中的应用分析

常规声波波阻抗由于缺乏横波的信息,使得它对于流体的变化很不敏感,而弹性波阻抗反演,除了与纵波速度,密度有关之外,还与横波速度、入射角度有关,由于考虑了AVO(Amplitude Variation with Offset)效应,使得对流体和岩性的预测能力增强.本文将弹性波阻抗反演应用于时移地震中,采用AVA(Amplitude Variation with Angle)约束稀疏脉冲反演来进行弹性波阻抗反演,得到纵横波阻抗等弹性参数,通过交会图分析,将弹性参数转换为油藏参数,如预测含水饱和度的变化,通过本方法可增强对储层流体的预测,提高储层管理能力.     

Impact of chlorites on the wettability of tight oil sandstone reservoirs in the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation,Ordos Basin,China

Wettability is an essential property of reservoirs that is of great importance for enhancing oil recovery(EOR) and oil migration. The wettability of reservoirs is generally believed to be strongly affected by mineral compositions but it is not always the case. An integrated study of petrography and wettability was carried out to determine the impact of chlorite minerals on the wettability of the sandstone reservoirs in the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation. Chlorites are found to be commonly present in the reservoir sandstones as detrital grains, rim-shaped cements, and biotite-chloritized forms with the pore peripheries being largely coated by chlorite, which is the main mineral in direct contact with pores. At pore scale, the wetting state of chlorites can either be oil-wet or water-wet in the tight sandstone reservoirs depending on wettability alteration by oil charge. Chlorites in contact with pores occupy a large of proportions of oil-wet pore walls and are crucial for the formation of oil-wetting state of reservoir sandstones. At core scale, the contents of chlorites in direct contact with pores do not correlate well with the AmottHarvey index due to other factors such as heterogeneity, oil-bearing degrees of samples.     

Accurate estimation of acoustic impedance based on spectral inversion

Acoustic impedance is one of the best attributes for seismic interpretation and reservoir characterisation. We present an approach for estimating acoustic impedance accurately from a band‐limited and noisy seismic data. The approach is composed of two stages: inverting for reflectivity from seismic data and then estimating impedance from the reflectivity inverted in the first stage. For the first stage, we achieve a two‐step spectral inversion that locates the positions of reflection coefficients in the first step and determines the amplitudes of the reflection coefficients in the second step under the constraints of the positions located in the first step. For the second stage, we construct an iterative impedance estimation algorithm based on reflectivity. In each iteration, the iterative impedance estimation algorithm estimates the absolute acoustic impedance based on an initial acoustic impedance model that is given by summing the high‐frequency component of acoustic impedance estimated at the last iteration and a low‐frequency component determined in advance using other data. The known low‐frequency component is used to restrict the acoustic impedance variation tendency in each iteration. Examples using one‐ and two‐dimensional synthetic and field seismic data show that the approach is flexible and superior to the conventional spectral inversion and recursive inversion methods for generating more accurate acoustic impedance models.     

AVO study of a gas-hydrate deposit, offshore Costa Rica

Amplitude variation with offset (AVO) analysis and waveform inversion are techniques used to determine qualitative or quantitative information on gas hydrates and free gas in sediments. However, the quantitative contribution of gas hydrates to the acoustic impedance contrast observed at the bottom‐simulating reflector and the reliability of quantitative AVO analyses are still topics of discussion. In this study, common‐midpoint gathers from multichannel wide‐angle reflection seismic data, acquired offshore Costa Rica, have been processed to preserve true amplitude information at the bottom‐simulating reflector for a quantitative AVO analysis incorporating angles of incidence of up to 60°. Corrections were applied for effects that significantly alter the observed amplitudes, such as the source directivity. AVO and rock‐physics modelling indicate that free gas immediately beneath the gas‐hydrate stability zone can be detected and low concentrations can be quantified from AVO analysis, whereas the offset‐dependent reflectivity is not sensitive to gas‐hydrate concentrations of less than about 10% at the base of the gas‐hydrate stability zone. Bulk free‐gas saturations up to 5% have been determined from the reflection seismic data assuming a homogeneous distribution of free gas in the sediment. Assuming a patchy distribution of free gas increases the estimated concentrations up to 14%. There is a patchy occurrence of bottom‐simulating reflectors south‐east of the Nicoya Peninsula on the continental margin, offshore Costa Rica. AVO analysis indicates that this phenomenon is related to the local presence of free gas beneath the gas‐hydrate stability zone, probably related to a focused vertical fluid flow. In areas without bottom‐simulating reflectors, the results indicate that no free gas is present.     

热处理对致密岩石物理性质的影响

致密气藏低孔低渗和超低含水饱和度等特征使其潜在水相圈闭损害严重,致密天然气产出表现为多尺度特征.选取泥页岩、致密砂岩和致密碳酸盐岩岩心,开展了100~600℃高温处理对岩心渗透率、孔隙度、重量、长度、直径和声速的影响实验.实验结果表明,碳酸盐岩、致密砂岩和泥页岩的热开裂阈值分别在300~400℃、300~500℃和500~600℃;高温处理后,岩心重量和密度降低,体积增加,泥页岩岩心孔隙度和渗透率提高幅度最显著,600℃处理后声波时差比常温时岩心声波时差提高了1.3倍.热处理消除了水相圈闭和粘土矿物膨胀损害,提高岩石孔隙度和渗透率,恢复或改善致密储层多尺度传质,有利于致密天然气资源开发,但同时高温使岩石破裂,扩展天然裂缝或产生新裂缝,导致工作液漏失,因此,热致裂给勘探开发致密天然气提出了机遇与挑战.     

Generalized effective medium resistivity model for low resistivity reservoir

With the advancement in oil exploration,producible oil and gas are being found in low resistivity reservoirs,which may otherwise be erroneously thought as water zones from their resistivity.However,the evaluation of low resistivity reservoirs remains difficult from log interpretation.Since low resistivity in hydrocarbon bearing sands can be caused by dispersed clay,laminated shale,conductive matrix grains,microscopic capillary pores and high saline water,a new resistivity model is required for more accurate hydrocarbon saturation prediction for low resistivity formations.Herein,a generalized effective medium resistivity model has been proposed for low resistivity reservoirs,based on experimental measurements on artificial low resistivity shaly sand samples,symmetrical anisotropic effective medium theory for resistivity interpretations,and geneses and conductance mechanisms of low resistivity reservoirs.By analyzing effects of some factors on the proposed model,we show theoretically the model can describe conductance mechanisms of low resistivity reservoirs with five geneses.Also,shale distribution largely affects water saturation predicted by the model.Resistivity index decreases as fraction and conductivity of laminated shale,or fraction of dispersed clay,or conductivity of rock matrix grains increases.Resistivity index decreases as matrix percolation exponent,or percolation rate of capillary bound water increases,and as percolation exponent of capillary bound water,or matrix percolation rate,or free water percolation rate decreases.Rock sample data from low resistivity reservoirs with different geneses and interpretation results for log data show that the proposed model can be applied in low resistivity reservoirs containing high salinity water,dispersed clay,microscopic capillary pores,laminated shale and conductive matrix grains,and thus is considered as a generalized resistivity model for low resistivity reservoir evaluation.     

Facies-constrained prestack seismic probabilistic inversion driven by rock physics

Seismic Rock physics plays a bridge role between the rock moduli and physical properties of the hydrocarbon reservoirs. Prestack seismic inversion is an important method for the quantitative characterization of elasticity, physical properties, lithology and fluid properties of subsurface reservoirs. In this paper, a high order approximation of rock physics model for clastic rocks is established and one seismic AVO reflection equation characterized by the high order approximation(Jacobian and Hessian matrix) of rock moduli is derived. Besides, the contribution of porosity, shale content and fluid saturation to AVO reflectivity is analyzed. The feasibility of the proposed AVO equation is discussed in the direct estimation of rock physical properties. On the basis of this, one probabilistic AVO inversion based on differential evolution-Markov chain Monte Carlo stochastic model is proposed on the premise that the model parameters obey Gaussian mixture probability prior model. The stochastic model has both the global optimization characteristics of the differential evolution algorithm and the uncertainty analysis ability of Markov chain Monte Carlo model. Through the cross parallel of multiple Markov chains, multiple stochastic solutions of the model parameters can be obtained simultaneously, and the posterior probability density distribution of the model parameters can be simulated effectively. The posterior mean is treated as the optimal solution of the model to be inverted.Besides, the variance and confidence interval are utilized to evaluate the uncertainties of the estimated results, so as to realize the simultaneous estimation of reservoir elasticity, physical properties, discrete lithofacies and dry rock skeleton. The validity of the proposed approach is verified by theoretical tests and one real application case in eastern China.