Seismic characterization of carbonate platforms and reservoirs: an introduction and review

Abstract

Improved seismic data quality in the last 10–15 years, innovative use of seismic attribute combinations, extraction of geomorphological data, and new quantitative techniques, have significantly enhanced understanding of ancient carbonate platforms and processes. 3D data have become a fundamental toolkit for mapping carbonate depositional and diagenetic facies and associated flow units and barriers, giving a unique perspective how their relationships changed through time in response to tectonic, oceanographic and climatic forcing. Sophisticated predictions of lithology and porosity are being made from seismic data in reservoirs with good borehole log and core calibration for detailed integration with structural, paleoenvironmental and sequence stratigraphic interpretations. Geologists can now characterise entire carbonate platform systems and their large-scale evolution in time and space, including systems with few outcrop analogues such as the Lower Cretaceous Central Atlantic “Pre-Salt” carbonates. The papers introduced in this review illustrate opportunities, workflows, and potential pitfalls of modern carbonate seismic interpretation. They demonstrate advances in knowledge of carbonate systems achieved when geologists and geophysicists collaborate and innovate to maximise the value of seismic data from acquisition, through processing to interpretation. Future trends and developments, including machine learning and the significance of the energy transition, are briefly discussed.

Carbonate contourite drifts in the southwest South China Sea: Sedimentary, paleoceanographic and economic implications

“…The interpretation of contourite drifts is based on the mounded geometry, continuous oblique to subparallel reflections, and onlap reflection terminations, while moats are characterized by U-shaped erosional features (Faugères et al, 1999;Faugères and Stow, 2008;Rebesco et al, 2014). Carbonate reefs are characterized by the mounded geometry, disrupted to chaotic reflections, and bi-directional downlap reflection terminations (Figure 4) (Burgess et al, 2013;Hendry et al, 2021).…”

Early Carboniferous limestones of southern and central Britain: Characterisation and preliminary assessment of deep geothermal prospectivity

“…9). Although difficult to recognise on 2D seismic lines, recent developments in seismic technology (Hendry et al 2021) may eventually allow their recognition in 3D seismic data. In Ireland, Waulsortian 'mud-mounds' are an important geothermal target due to their propensity for dolomitisation and karstification, particularly in strongly faulted zones (Blake et al 2016;Vaz et al 2018;Pracht et al 2021, this issue) and are the source of most thermal springs.…”

“…Further work needs to be done to assess all the uncertainties and risks associated with exploration and exploitation, and is the subject of a play-fairway analysis currently in progress at BGS (Jones et al 2021): depth of aquifer; seal integrity; thermal conductivity and thickness of cover (thermal blanket); reservoir properties; dolomitisation; and faulting/fracturing etc all require more detailed appraisal, possibly using innovative geophysical techniques and technology (Hendry et al 2021). On the scale of the individual prospect, the uncertainties include the mode of carbonate deposition, particularly depth of water and angle of depositional slope, which are tectonically controlled; the history of synsedimentary exposure, erosion and palaeokarst development, strongly influenced by sea-level change; by the diagenetic history and subsequent basin evolution; deformation and fracturing during Variscan basin inversion; and the post-Carboniferous history of subsidence, uplift and karstification.…”

Stratigraphic evolution and karstification of a Cretaceous Mid‐Pacific atoll (Resolution Guyot) resolved from core‐log‐seismic integration and comparison with modern and ancient analogues

“…This is reflected in the increasing number of special publications focusing on seismic imaging of carbonates (e.g. Hendry et al, 2021) and seismic-based research articles (e.g. Burgess et al, 2013;Clark et al, 2018;Cross et al, 2021;Fournier et al, 2005; eustasy, subsidence, and volcanic activity(ies) on long-term evolution of early Cretaceous shallow-marine carbonates.…”

“…This is reflected in the increasing number of special publications focusing on seismic imaging of carbonates (e.g. Eberli et al, 2004; Hendry et al, 2021) and seismic‐based research articles (e.g. Bialik et al, 2021; Burgess et al, 2013; Clark et al, 2018; Cross et al, 2021; Fournier et al, 2005; Huang et al, 2020; Ma et al, 2021; Paumard et al, 2017; Saller & Vijaya, 2002; Van Tuyl et al, 2018; Zampetti et al, 2004).…”