Seismic amplitude anomalies associated with the presence of hydrocarbon gas now play an important role in the exploration of the East Irish Sea Basin. Tilted flat spots were first observed on data acquired by JEBCO Seismic Ltd. in 1986 within the productive Triassic reservoir of the Sherwood Sandstone Group located in Quadrant 110 (offshore North Wales). With hindsight Direct Hydrocarbon Indicators (DHIs) can now be identified on seismic data acquired in earlier phases of the exploration of the East Irish Sea Basin, although many anomalies were not always identified as such at that time.
This study determines the geophysical parameters by which amplitude anomalies associated with diagenetic variations could be separated from anomalies associated with the presence of gas in the reservoir. The predicted model results are compared with the seismic response of proven fields, discoveries and relict or palaeo-DHIs around the basin. Practical implications for effective exploration, development and production methods in the Sherwood Sandstone are suggested.
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