Using automated fault extraction as an aid to characterising fractured reservoirs: a case study

Emsley, S. J.; Slightam, Clare; Trice, Robert

doi:10.1190/segam2012-0406.1

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 4 publications

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“…Natural fractures cause differences in petrophysical characteristics and generate variations in the wavelength, frequency and amplitude of seismic waves. In particular, post-stack geometric attributes reflect the presence of medium-to large-scale fractures in tight rocks directly and are widely applied in fracture prediction (Chopra and Marfurt, 2007;Hunt et al, 2010;Emsley et al, 2012;Li et al, 2013).…”

Section: Fracture Analysis From Continuity Attributesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ratana Field, Potwar Fold Belt, Northern Pakistan: High Intensity Fracture Zones Related to Major Thrust Faults as Revealed by Seismic Fracture Prediction

Khalid

Zafar

Raja

et al. 2022

Journal of Petroleum Geology

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The Northern Potwar Deformed Zone (NPDZ) of the frontal Himalayas in northern Pakistan hosts many oil and gas fields located in thrust sheets and associated folds. The presence of fractures in Paleogene carbonates at >3 km target depths with very little or no primary porosity is an essential part of reservoir storage and connectivity. Predicting fracture presence, distribution and orientation is therefore key to successful exploration, appraisal and field development in the NPDZ.The Ratana field is an under-developed fractured carbonate reservoir in the NPDZ. Advanced offset vector tile (OVT) PSTM and PSDM processing of a new generation of wide azimuth 3D seismic acquired across the field followed by seismic attribute generation and fracture modelling was used to investigate structural complexities and image fracture networks. Fracture strike characteristics are revealed by PSDM seismic attributes, OVT fracture prediction, FMS/FMI data and structural interpretation across a range of scales. The resulting seismic images show the presence of major WNW-ESE trending back thrusts which cross the field, and predict that steeply-dipping fracture systems are spatially associated with these thrusts. The strike of the OVT-predicted fractures is consistent with the regional trend of the Ratana field bounding thrusts, as well as with the orientation of fractures indicated from FMI/FMS logs. Fractured reservoir is best developed in the Paleocene Patala and Lockhart Formation limestones but is poor in the Eocene Sakesar Formation. Fractured limestone reservoirs occur in the western part of the field where thrust intensity is high, but are less well developed in the gently folded anticline in the eastern part of the field. OVT fracture prediction surface maps are consistent with production data from the field in that areas of high fracture intensity in wells Ratana-2 and Ratana-4 are associated with higher production compared to the less well fractured areas around the Ratana-1and Ratana-3 wells.The advanced seismic acquisition and processing is thus an exceptional example of a step change in seismic imaging at the reservoir and deeper levels, enabling compartment and fracture prediction to provide the Ratana field with a new lease of life. This fracture prediction approach provides a new structural framework for further exploration across the NPDZ and also potentially in other onshore fold-and-thrust belts.

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Section: Fracture Analysis From Continuity Attributesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ratana Field, Potwar Fold Belt, Northern Pakistan: High Intensity Fracture Zones Related to Major Thrust Faults as Revealed by Seismic Fracture Prediction

Khalid

Zafar

Raja

et al. 2022

Journal of Petroleum Geology

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An integrated approach for fractured basement characterization: the Lancaster Field, a case study in the UK

Bonter¹,

Trice²

2019

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To date, naturally fractured crystalline basement reservoirs (‘basement’) in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) have been underexplored and underexploited. Over the last 12 years, Hurricane Energy have explored and evaluated the potential of the basement play, West of Shetland. Data acquired by Hurricane Energy through drilling and drill stem testing of five wells on the Lancaster Field has provided sufficient insight into the reservoir properties of the basement reservoir that Hurricane is now progressing Lancaster towards the first UK basement full-field development. The development is designed to be phased with production from the first phase achieved in 2019. Fractured basement reservoirs require a specific approach when acquiring and interpreting formation and well test data. A multi-disciplined team ethic, carefully integrating these data while avoiding a siloed approach, has proved essential to understanding the behaviour of the connected fracture network. Hurricane incorporates drilling and mudlogging data, high-resolution gas chromatography, logging while drilling (LWD) and wireline logs, drill stem test (DST) and production logging tool (PLT) data to analyse and model the reservoir. It is the combination of these disparate datasets which is key to Hurricane's analysis and has led to the technical de-risking that has underpinned the final investment decisions leading to the first phase of the Lancaster development. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Naturally Fractured Reservoirs collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/naturally-fractured-reservoirs

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Using automated fault extraction as an aid to characterising fractured reservoirs: a case study

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

Ratana Field, Potwar Fold Belt, Northern Pakistan: High Intensity Fracture Zones Related to Major Thrust Faults as Revealed by Seismic Fracture Prediction

Ratana Field, Potwar Fold Belt, Northern Pakistan: High Intensity Fracture Zones Related to Major Thrust Faults as Revealed by Seismic Fracture Prediction

An integrated approach for fractured basement characterization: the Lancaster Field, a case study in the UK

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