Subtraction of baseline and monitoring seismic data is a common step in highlighting reservoir changes in time-lapse seismic interpretation. However, ambiguity exists in the interpretation of the amplitude difference, which is controlled by fluid change and reservoir thickness. To estimate the residual oil saturation quantitatively, we have developed a time-lapse seismic interpretation method that uses the ratio of amplitude attributes extracted from the baseline and monitoring seismic data. The relationship between impedance change and the ratio of the baseline and monitoring amplitude attributes is determined to avoid the influence of reservoir thickness. Subsequently, the fluid saturation is calculated from the impedance change by using a proper petrophysical relationship. We have tested our new method on a real time-lapse seismic data set from a water-flooded reservoir in the deepwater area of West Africa. The water-flooded area determined from the amplitude difference does not completely match the production logs because of the influence of variations in the reservoir thickness. However, the residual oil distribution calculated with the proposed method matches the production logs well. The connectivity of sandstone bodies is also evaluated based on an integrated interpretation of estimated oil saturation. With its simple principles and easy accessibility, our method improves the accuracy of time-lapse seismic data interpretation in water-flooded oil reservoirs. Furthermore, the quantitative interpretation of fluid change enables the time-lapse seismic technology to guide reservoir development directly.

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