Mapping deep targets based on integrated 3D MT-gravity interpretation: a case study

Mapping deep geological hydrocarbon targets is of significant importance in basin exploration. In areas lacking reliable seismic data, magnetotelluric (MT) and gravity explorations are helpful to delineate the distribution of potential deep geological hydrocarbon targets. Here we investigate the effectiveness of the integrated 3D MT and gravity explorations for mapping the potential deep hydrocarbon source rocks. The result based on the data from the W Basin (part of the Ordes Basin) of China demonstrates that the method is efficient and economical for basin exploration. The method is particularly useful in target areas which are of great interest for oil and gas exploration but lack high quality seismic data. In our method, we first use the high-precision 3D small-bin MT data acquisition to improve the data accuracy. Then we perform datum static correction method and apply 3D inversion to obtain the3D resistivity distribution. We also develop a layered resistivity model based on resistivity logging to assist the interpretation of the inverted 3D resistivity data so as to derive an initial 3D geological model. Starting from the initial model, we use 2D gravity data to update the model via 2D inversion line by line, and then pass the updated model for the next round of the 3D MT inversion. The integrated inversion is implemented iteratively so the model converges to satisfy the need of final geological analysis. The application to the W Basin shows that we could successfully delineate the geological distribution of the potential deep hydrocarbon source rocks within the basin and map the thickness of the upper Paleozoic.     

Theoretical study of slope effects in resistivity surveys and applications

When electric soundings are made over an irregular terrain, topographic effects can influence the values of apparent resistivity and lead to erroneous 1D interpretation. A 3D finite-element method has been applied to study the topographical effect of a slope on Schlumberger soundings parallel to the strike. When the resistivity survey is performed at the top of the slope, the apparent resistivity values can be two times higher than in the flat-earth case, depending on the angle (α) and height (H) of the slope, and on the distance (X) between the sounding and the slope top. The results are presented as nondimensional curves which can be used for evaluating topographic anomalies for any value of the parameters α, H and X. It is numerically shown that the topographic effects can be removed from measurements on horizontally layered structures with an irregular earth surface. Real measurements were performed in different geological conditions over an irregular terrain. The correction method based on the nondimensional curves has been applied to the data and has enabled the determination of the correct layered ground configuration using 1D interpretation.     

Geophysical surveys for identifying saline groundwater in the semi‐arid region of the central Altiplano,Bolivia

In the central part of the Bolivian Altiplano, the shallow groundwater presents electrical conductivities ranging from 0·1 to 20 mS/cm. In order to study the origin of this salinity pattern, a good knowledge is required of the geometry of the aquifer at depth. In this study, geophysics has been used to complement the sparse data available from drill holes. One hundred time‐domain electromagnetic (TDEM) soundings were carried out over an area of 1750 km². About 20 geological logs were available close to some of the TDEM soundings. Three intermediate results were obtained from the combined data: (i) the relationship between the electrical conductivity of the groundwater and the formation resistivity, (ii) geoelectrical cross‐sections and (iii) geoelectrical maps at various depths. The limited data set shows a relationship between resistivity and the nature of the rock. From the cross‐sections, a conductive substratum with a resistivity of less than 1 Ω·m was identified at most of the sites at depths ranging from 50 to 350 m. This substratum could be a clay‐rich formation containing brines. Using derived relationships, maps of the nature of the formation (sandy, intermediate and clayey sediments) were established at depths of 10 and 50 m. Discrimination between sand and clays was impossible where groundwater conductivity is high (>3 mS/cm). In the central part of the area, where the groundwater conductivity is low, sandy sediments are likely to be present from the surface to a depth of more than 200 m. Clayey sediments are more likely to be present in the south‐east and probably constitute a hydraulic barrier to groundwater flow. In conclusion, the study demonstrates the efficiency of the TDEM sounding method to map conductive zones. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Case Histories of Shallow Time Domain Electromagnetics in Environmental Site Assessment

Time domain electromagnetic (TDEM) soundings were utilized in site assessment studies for the purpose of accomplishing two objectives: (1) measuring the migration of brines from oil and gas field evaporation pits, and (2) mapping the continuity of clay strata. Both case histories are representative of common objectives in site assessment. The data for both examples were analyzed by one-dimensional ridge regression inversions.
Both case histories illustrate that TDEM is an effective method for determining the lateral and vertical resistivity distribution (geoelectric section) of the subsurface in the depth range from about 5 m to 100 m, and it is known from other investigations that depths of investigations up to 2500 m can be achieved with TDEM.
Frequently, the lateral extent of contaminant plumes emanating from localized sources are of limited areal extent. The case history involving the use of TDEM to map a brine plume shows that a TDEM measurement has a relatively small zone of influence, so that meaningful information about the lateral and vertical extent of the plume can be obtained. Both case histories demonstrate the ability of TDEM to determine geoelectric sections below layers of low resistivity.     

A field test of imaging properties of rotational invariants of the magnetotelluric impedance tensor

A part of the Békés Basin (an extensional sub‐basin of the Pannonian Basin, where the basement under thick Pannonian sediments is well known from deep boreholes and from seismic measurements, and where many magnetotelluric (MT) soundings have been carried out for frequencies ranging from 1 to 10^?3 Hz) was selected as a test area to assess the imaging performances of various apparent‐resistivity definitions computed with rotational invariants of either the real part of the complex impedance tensor, or its imaginary part, or both. A comparison (based on earlier 3D numerical studies) has been made between the magnetotelluric images obtained in this way and the depths to the high‐resistivity basement, as known from boreholes and seismic investigations. The correlation coefficient between the series of basement depth values at 39 MT sites and the apparent‐resistivity values was found to be stronger and high correlation appeared at a shorter period when it was computed with apparent resistivities based on the real tensor rather than with apparent resistivities based on the imaginary tensor. In the light of our studies, ρ_{Re Z} and the impedance phase seem to be more informative than any other combination of magnetotelluric interpretation parameters.     

Calibrating a Salt Water Intrusion Model with Time‐Domain Electromagnetic Data

Salt water intrusion models are commonly used to support groundwater resource management in coastal aquifers. Concentration data used for model calibration are often sparse and limited in spatial extent. With airborne and ground‐based electromagnetic surveys, electrical resistivity models can be obtained to provide high‐resolution three‐dimensional models of subsurface resistivity variations that can be related to geology and salt concentrations on a regional scale. Several previous studies have calibrated salt water intrusion models with geophysical data, but are typically limited to the use of the inverted electrical resistivity models without considering the measured geophysical data directly. This induces a number of errors related to inconsistent scales between the geophysical and hydrologic models and the applied regularization constraints in the geophysical inversion. To overcome these errors, we perform a coupled hydrogeophysical inversion (CHI) in which we use a salt water intrusion model to interpret the geophysical data and guide the geophysical inversion. We refer to this methodology as a Coupled Hydrogeophysical Inversion‐State (CHI‐S), in which simulated salt concentrations are transformed to an electrical resistivity model, after which a geophysical forward response is calculated and compared with the measured geophysical data. This approach was applied for a field site in Santa Cruz County, California, where a time‐domain electromagnetic (TDEM) dataset was collected. For this location, a simple two‐dimensional cross‐sectional salt water intrusion model was developed, for which we estimated five uniform aquifer properties, incorporating the porosity that was also part of the employed petrophysical relationship. In addition, one geophysical parameter was estimated. The six parameters could be resolved well by fitting more than 300 apparent resistivities that were comprised by the TDEM dataset. Except for three sounding locations, all the TDEM data could be fitted close to a root‐mean‐square error of 1. Possible explanations for the poor fit of these soundings are the assumption of spatial uniformity, fixed boundary conditions and the neglecting of 3D effects in the groundwater model and the TDEM forward responses.     

2D modelling of resistivity and magnetotelluric data from the Belvedere Spinello salt mine,Italy1

The Belvedere Spinello salt mine is located in the Catanzaro Province of Calabria in Southern Italy. An extensive mining program has caused the development of Underground cavities filled with brine and the migration of this brine has been of great environmental concern to the mine owners. This paper presents the results of a multidimensional interpretation of a two-phase resistivity and magnetotelluric (MT) survey that was performed in an attempt to determine the complex conductivity structure of the mine area and to gain information on brine development and migration pathways. Key resistivity soundings were interpreted using a 2.5D algorithm based on the Polozhii decomposition method. The MT data were interpreted using a 2D finite-element code. A conductivity model was developed, integrating available geological and drill-hole information. The interpretation of the MT data, collected five years after the acquisition of the resistivity data, shows a conductive feature of depth that is not resolved in the resistivity interpretation. This feature has been interpreted as a thick brine zone that has developed as a result of mining during the interval between the resistivity and the MT measurements.     

Delineation of saltwater intrusion zones using the time domain electromagnetic method: the Nabeul–Hammamet coastal aquifer case study (NE Tunisia)

The time domain electromagnetic method (TDEM) is applied to monitor, to delineate and to map the saltwater intrusion zones in the Mediterranean Plio‐Quaternary aquifer. Forty‐two TDEM soundings were carried out in the coastal plain of Nabeul–Hammamet region (NE Tunisia). TDEM resistivity data were correlated with the existing borehole logging data to assign them to a particular lithology and to provide information about the position of the freshwater–seawater transition zone. The geoelectric sections showing the vertical configuration of seawater intrusion, with the brackish‐salty‐saturated zones, have a resistivity ranging from ~0.1 to 5 Ω?m and are detected at a depth lower than 1.5 m. The salinized zones are located at Nabeul (Sidi Moussa, Sidi El Mahrsi, Al Gasba and Mrazgua) and at Hammamet (Touristic zone of Hammamet north and south, Baraket Essahel) and reached a distance of 4 km from the coastline, indicating a severe state for the aquifer in these zones. These TDEM results are confirmed by the increase of chloride concentration content in the analysed water samples of monitoring wells. Moreover, in the northeastern part, the presence of a saltwater front located far from the coast and along the NW–SE major surface fault can be explained by two hypothesis: (i) this fault seems to provide a conduit for seawater to move readily towards the water wells and (ii) the clay and gypsum infiltration of marine Messinian deposits through the fault plane leads to low resistivities. Finally, it comes out from this study that TDEM survey has successfully depicted salinized zones of this coastal aquifer. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geophysical monitoring and evaluation of coastal plain aquifers

We use time domain electromagnetic (TDEM) soundings to monitor ground water conditions beneath the coastal plain in eastern North Carolina. The TDEM method measures the earth's response to an induced electromagnetic field. The resulting signal is converted, through a complex inversion process, to apparent resistivity values, which can be directly correlated to borehole resistivity logs. TDEM soundings are used to map the interface between fresh and salt water within coastal aquifers, and estimate depth to basement when siting new monitoring wells. Focused TDEM surveys have identified areas of salt water encroachment caused by high volumes of discharge from local supply wells. Electromagnetic sounding, when used in tandem with the state's network of monitoring wells, is an accurate and inexpensive tool for evaluating fresh water/salt water relationships on both local and regional scales within coastal plain aquifers.     

The changes in the electric conductivity of the lithosphere in the source region of the strongest Olyutora earthquake in the Koryak highlands

The results of the magnetotelluric (MT) soundings before and after an earthquake are analyzed. The interpretation is based on the longitudinal and transverse MT curves (along and across the strike of the main tectonic elements, respectively). The MT curves are distorted by the ρ- and coast effect. The distortions due to the coast effect are estimated by the testing three-dimensional (3D) model. It is established that the coast effect distortion at the periods up to 1000 s is small and can be disregarded. The divergence of the longitudinal and transverse MT curves, which points to the presence of the deep faults, is thoroughly studied. The inversion of the MTsounding curves is carried out by the REBOCC program of the numerical two-dimensional modeling. This program implements the procedures of elimination of the ρ-effect and the joint inversion of the longitudinal and transverse MT sounding curves. The obtained geoelectrical cross sections provide an insight into the structure of electrical conductivity of the lithosphere before and after the earthquake. The more intense variations in the electric conductivity are observed in the zone of the deep faults. These variations are related to the changes in the porosity and saturation of the rocks by the highly mineralized fluids.     

A magnetotelluric study in the western Canadian sedimentary basin

Summary The MT method is applied to the study of a buried graben in the western Canadian sedimentary basin. Tensor analysis and two dimensional numerical modeling techniques were applied as an aid to the interpretation. The results obtained indicate the presence of a buried geoelectric structure and the need of interpreting MT apparent resistivity curves in terms of the regional geology and major structural features which are not necessarily one dimensional.     

Static-shift suppression and anti-interference signal processing for CSAMT based on Guided Image Filtering

Shallow conductive heterogeneity can lead to static shifts ain the apparent resistivity sounding curve of controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotellurics (CSAMT). The static effect will shift the apparent resistivity curves along with axial log-log coordinates. Such an effect, if not properly processed, can distort the resistivity of rock formation and the depth of interfaces, and even make the geological structures unrecognizable. In this paper, we discuss the reasons and characteristics of the static shift and summarize the previous studies regarding static shift correction. Then, we propose the Guided Image Filtering algorithm to suppress static shifts in CSAMT. In detail, we use the multi-window superposition method to superimpose 1D signals into a 2D matrix image, which is subsequently processed with Guided Image Filtering. In the synthetic model study and field examples, the Guided Image Filtering algorithm has effectively corrected and suppressed static shifts, and finally improved the precision of data interpretation.     

INTERPRETATION OF RESISTIVITY MEASUREMENTS OVER 2D STRUCTURES1

Resistivity measurements were carried out in a survey area in the south of Germany. This area is characterized by complicated subsurface geology. Schlumberger full-arrays and their respective half-arrays were recorded simultaneously. The results obtained by the one-dimensional (1D) interpretation of the full-array measurements were incorrect because of a resistivity discontinuity. This discontinuity, under a relatively thick overburden, could only be located by the half-array soundings. Its exact location and the resistivity distribution in the subsurface were ascertained by comparing the sounding curves with 2D model curves, which are calculated by a finite-difference method.     

Three-dimensional interpretation considering the static and the sea-effects of magnetotelluric data obtained in Jeju,Korea

Three-dimensional (3D) magnetotelluric (MT) surveys have been performed in Jeju, the largest volcanic island in Korea to figure out any possible structures or potential anomaly for remnant deep geothermal resources. Various approaches have been applied to interpret MT data observed in Jeju. MT dataset shows generally simple stratigraphy of four layers, though contains the severe static and the sea-effects. In our previous works, the induction vectors and 3D inversion results have commonly indicated the existence of a conductive anomaly in central parts of the island, beneath Mt. Halla. The 3D inversion dealt the static shifts as inversion parameters. The Jeju MT dataset, however, still contains the effect of conductive sea water surrounding the island.The sea-effect on MT impedance can be represented as a distortion tensor and excluded from the Jeju MT dataset by an iterative sea-effect correction. In this study, 3D inversion incorporating static shift parameterization was conducted using MT dataset corrected using 1D resistivity model obtained from the iterative scheme. Reasonably reconstructed images are obtained through the 3D inversion and using the MT dataset with sea-effect correction. The inversion result still shows the conductive anomaly in a similar depth. RMS misfits converged to a lower value than that of inversion using MT data before the sea-effect correction. From the fact, it is highly possible that the conductive anomaly is not an artifact but a real underground structure. Further investigation about the anomaly including exploration drilling is needed to see if it is from a fracture containing conductive sea water or related to the old volcanic activities.     

APPLICATION OF THE MULTIFREQUENCY HORIZONTAL-LOOP EM METHOD IN OVERBURDEN INVESTIGATIONS1

In recent years, geophysical methods (shallow seismic, electromagnetic, resistivity, ground penetrating radar) have been increasingly applied to overburden investigations. Their effectiveness has been found to depend significantly on local geological conditions. Compared with advanced seismic techniques, EM methods are faster and hence more cost-effective, but they have not been considered sufficiently accurate. Analysis is carried out of data obtained with the multifrequency horizontal-loop method (HLEM) in northeastern Ontario, where the overburden consists of Quaternary glacial and glaciolacustrine sediments. Surveying along 1-6 km long profiles permitted recognition of bedrock inhomogeneities and selection of sites suitable for HLEM data interpretation using the layered model. Phasor diagrams and computer inversion based on the ridge regression technique were used to interpret HLEM soundings obtained at eight frequencies. Interpreted layer resistivities and thicknesses were correlated with the results of Rotasonic drilling at 70 sites. Relatively accurate estimates of overburden thickness (within 10%) could be obtained in about 80% of the cases. Nine examples of HLEM soundings are given and discussed: three each of one-, two- and three-layer situations. An appropriate interpretation model cannot be selected simply by minimizing the rms error or by analysing the parameter resolution matrix. Frequently, the most effective way of evaluating a solution is to consider whether resistivity values determined by inversion fit any of the ranges determined by statistical analyses of sediment resistivities. A previously published study of electrical properties of Quaternary sediments indicated that resistivities of clay, till and sand are stable within a fairly large area, such as the one under investigation. While the application of HLEM methods to mapping of Quaternary sediments can be considered a success, interpretation of EM data in regions covered by glacial sediments is more difficult than in weathered terrains, where near-surface layering is more predictable. The problem of equivalence causes non-uniqueness in interpretation. Thickness equivalence, which results in poor resistivity estimates, was found to affect areas convered by sand and till. Conductance equivalence caused poor resolution of thickness and resistivity for thin clay layers (less than 10 m).     

NUMERICAL MODELLING OF STANDARD AND CONTINUOUS VERTICAL ELECTRICAL SOUNDINGS1

Analytical solutions of vertical electrical soundings (VES) have mostly been applied to groundwater exploration and monitoring groundwater quality on terrains of fairly simple geology and geomorphology on which the electrode arrays are symmetrical (e.g. Schlumberger or Wenner configurations). The sounding interpretation assumes flat topography and horizontally stratified layers. Any deviations from these simple situations may be impossible to interpret analytically. The recently developed GEA-58 geoelectrical instrument can make continuous soundings along a profile with any colinear electrode configuration. This paper describes the use of finite-difference and finite-element methods to model complex earth resistivity distributions in 2D, in order to calculate apparent resistivity responses to any colinear current electrode distribution in terrains in which the earth resistivities do not vary along the strike. The numerical model results for simple situations are compared with the analytical solutions. In addition, a pseudo-depth section of apparent resistivities measured in the field with the GEA-58 is compared with the numerical solution of a real complex resistivity distribution along a cross-section. The model results show excellent agreement with the corresponding analytical and experimental data.     

On the Locality of Transient Electromagnetic Soundings with a Single-Loop Configuration

The possibilities of reconstructing two-dimensional (2D) cross sections based on the data of the profile soundings by the transient electromagnetic method (TEM) with a single ungrounded loop are illustrated on three-dimensional (3D) models. The process of reconstruction includes three main steps: transformation of the responses in the depth dependence of resistivity ρ(h) measured along the profile, with their subsequent stitching into the 2D pseudo section; point-by-point one-dimensional (1D) inversion of the responses with the starting model constructed based on the transformations; and correction of the 2D cross section with the use of 2.5-dimensional (2.5D) block inversion. It is shown that single-loop TEM soundings allow studying the geological media within a local domain the lateral dimensions of which are commensurate with the depth of the investigation. The structure of the medium beyond this domain insignificantly affects the sounding results. This locality enables the TEM to reconstruct the geoelectrical structure of the medium from the 2D cross sections with the minimal distortions caused by the lack of information beyond the profile of the transient response measurements.     

Gravity-geoelectric joint inversion over the Potiguar rift basin, NE Brazil

A joint inversion of gravity and geoelectrical data has been performed along a 100 km long profile across the oil-bearing Potiguar rift basin in NE Brazil. The integrated approach is based on the connection between density and resistivity of a sedimentary sequence through the porosity. Seventy-one gravity stations and twenty-nine vertical electrical soundings were carried out across the central part of the Early Cretaceous basin in the Precambrian Borborema Province to apply the proposed joint inversion. Both the physical properties and geometry of the multilayer deep model were well constrained by a wide set of prior information obtained by surface mapping, geophysical logs and seismic sections. The results reveal a rift architecture formed by a 5000 m thick half-graben structure separated by an intervening basement high and an extensive adjacent platform with a sedimentary infill of about 300 m thick. The calculated model shows geometries for the sedimentary density/resistivity interfaces in agreement with the seismostratigraphic sequences revealed by seismic section, representing a substantial improvement in comparison with previously published gravity models.     

Multi‐dimensional analyses of the SEAM controlled source electromagnetic data—the story of a blind test of interpretation workflows

Using a subset of the SEG Advanced Modeling Program Phase I controlled‐source electromagnetic data, we apply our standard controlled‐source electromagnetic interpretation workflows to delineate a simulated hydrocarbon reservoir. Experience learned from characterizing such a complicated model offers us an opportunity to refine our workflows to achieve better interpretation quality. The exercise proceeded in a blind test style, where the interpreting geophysicists did not know the true resistivity model until the end of the project. Rather, the interpreters were provided a traditional controlled‐source electromagnetic data package, including electric field measurements, interpreted seismic horizons, and well log data. Based on petrophysical analysis, a background resistivity model was established first. Then, the interpreters started with feasibility studies to establish the recoverability of the prospect and carefully stepped through 1D, 2.5D, and 3D inversions with seismic and well log data integrated at each stage. A high‐resistivity zone is identified with 1D analysis and further characterized with 2.5D inversions. Its lateral distribution is confirmed with a 3D anisotropic inversion. The importance of integrating all available geophysical and petrophysical data to derive more accurate interpretation is demonstrated.     

Deep Geoelectrical Structure of the Central and Western Ukraine

The results of deep induction sounding in Ukraine made in the twenty-first century with the participation of the author have been summarized, including also a number of data obtained in the previous decades. The apparent resistivity and magnetic transfer function on the territories of western Ukraine and eastern Poland have been analyzed. The articulation of these data with the regional magnetic variation soundings allowed taking into account the influence of a static shift of areal interpretation of magnetotelluric resistivity results, which increased the reliability of interpretation. The analysis of induction sounding performed with 1D, 2D, and 3D inversions of magnetic transfer functions allowed localizing the crustal anomalies. The results are discussed.