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Three-dimensional seismic reflection surveying is one of the most exciting technology-driven developments in the Earth Sciences over the past century. Three-dimensional seismic data present the geoscience community with an extraordinary ability to map structures and stratigraphic features in 3D detail to a resolution of a few metres over thousands of square kilometres. This resolving power has been a major factor in the recent recognition of a number of previously unsuspected phenomena in sedimentary basins and has led to some significant insights in basin analysis. This paper reviews some of the recent advances in basin analysis made using the medium of 3D seismic data, focusing on the broad field of fluid–rock interactions in sedimentary basins. Several recently discovered phenomena are reviewed, including polygonal fault systems and large-scale fluid flow pipes. Three-dimensional seismic data have also been invaluable in documenting the spatial variability of diagenetic fronts. The potential for future developments in this field of geophysical interpretation is considerable, and a number of potential areas for future research are highlighted.
Three-dimensional seismic reflection surveying is one of the most exciting technology-driven developments in the Earth Sciences over the past century. Three-dimensional seismic data present the geoscience community with an extraordinary ability to map structures and stratigraphic features in 3D detail to a resolution of a few metres over thousands of square kilometres. This resolving power has been a major factor in the recent recognition of a number of previously unsuspected phenomena in sedimentary basins and has led to some significant insights in basin analysis. This paper reviews some of the recent advances in basin analysis made using the medium of 3D seismic data, focusing on the broad field of fluid–rock interactions in sedimentary basins. Several recently discovered phenomena are reviewed, including polygonal fault systems and large-scale fluid flow pipes. Three-dimensional seismic data have also been invaluable in documenting the spatial variability of diagenetic fronts. The potential for future developments in this field of geophysical interpretation is considerable, and a number of potential areas for future research are highlighted.
The Central North Sea contains a large variety of oil and gas fields at different stages of maturity within the life cycle of an asset, at varying depths, in varied geology and at widely differing pressure and temperature conditions. Over the last three years Shell UK Exploration and Production (Shell Expro) has acquired new 3D surveys over many of these fields which, following careful attention to detail in acquisition and processing, have been quantitatively compared to pre-production surveys. Differences between these time-lapse seismic datasets have then been interpreted in terms of changes in reservoir fluid movement and changed pressure/temperature conditions. These interpretations have proven useful for reservoir management by identifying swept versus unswept zones, sealing versus non-sealing faults, efficiency of drive mechanisms and connected volumes to specific wells Four case studies from the Gannet Development illustrate how these observations have impacted reservoir management and show how application of this relatively new, yet rapidly maturing technology has had a positive impact on the remaining value of these fields. Importantly, the detectability of changes in the reservoir has been seen to be greater than predicted prior to data acquisition. Indeed, 4D seismic data have become an established part of the long-term plans for all of Shell Expro's subsurface assets. With these successes have come fresh challenges and future efforts will focus on reducing costs in proven 4D technology whilst pushing to introduce new techniques for data gathering and for interpretation of large volumes of new information.
The economic success of field revitalization projects depends upon draining reservoir compartments that frequently contain smaller reserves volumes than those targeted by the initial field development, in a cost-effective manner. Well-bore measurements can contribute to risk management of redevelopment by identifying and monitoring the drainage of remaining hydrocarbons. Applications of cased-hole and open-hole measurements to optimizing field redevelopment are illustrated using case studies from the Brent Field, UK; Block IV, Venezuela and the T&J Ashworth Lease, USA. Cased-hole logging using nuclear tools has evolved from time-lapse monitoring to detect changes in saturation to also include through-casing formation evaluation. Where deep invasion prevents the use of these nuclear methods, through-casing resistivity tools can successfully detect hydrocarbons. Open-hole formation pressures can significantly impact redevelopment strategies, as can evaluation of filtrate invasion using open-hole array resistivity tools. Emerging permanent sensor technologies enable continuous monitoring of both water saturation and formation pressure, thereby offering the potential to improve the performance of future field revitalization projects.
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