Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seismic attributes for characterization of a heavy-oil shaly-sand reservoir in the Muglad Basin of South Sudan

  • Article
  • Published:
Geosciences Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Seismic attributes are often used to identify lithology and evaluate reservoir properties. However, interpretation based only on structural attributes and without knowledge of the Vp/Vs ratio can limit the ability to evaluate changes in heavy oil reservoirs. These limitations are often due to less obvious impedance differences. In order to investigate pieces of evidence of a heavy-oil shaly-sand reservoir from seismic data, besides geochemistry, we studied seismic attributes and characterized the reservoir using seismic stack data and well logging data. The study area was the Muglad rift basin in South Sudan. We conducted a seismic complex analysis to evaluate the target reservoir. To delineate the frequency responses of the different lithological units, we applied the spectral decomposition method to the target reservoir. The most unexpected result was continuous bands of strong seismic reflectors in the target reservoir, which extended across the borehole. Spectral decomposition analysis showed that the low-frequency zone of 25 Hz dominant frequency was consistent with instantaneous attributes. This approach can identify lithology, reveal frequency anomalies, and filter the stacked section into low- and high-frequency bands. The heavy-oil reservoir zones exhibited velocity attenuation and the amplitude was strongly frequency dependent.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Azeem, T., Yanchun, W., Khalid, P., Xueqing, L., Yuan, F., and Lifang, C., 2016, An application of seismic attributes analysis for mapping of gas bearing sand zones in the Sawan gas field, Pakistan. Acta Geodaetica et Geophysica, 51, 723–744.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, A.E., 1991, Instantaneous frequency and amplitude at the envelope peak of a constant-phase wavelet. Geophysics, 56, 1058–1060.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benkhelil, J., 1989, The origin and evolution of the Cretaceous Benue Trough (Nigeria). Journal of African Earth Sciences (and the Middle East), 8, 251–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castagna, J.L., Sun, S., and Seigfried, R.W., 2003, Instantaneous spectral analysis: detection of low frequency shadows associated with hydrocarbons. The Leading Edge, 22, 120–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty, A. and Okaya, D., 1995, Frequency-time decomposition of seismic data using wavelet-based methods. Geophysics, 60, 1906–1916.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chopra, S. and Marfurt, K.J., 2005, Seismic attributes–a historical perspective. Geophysics, 70, 3SO–28SO.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dumitrescu, C.C. and Lines, L., 2009, Case study of a heavy oil reservoir interpretation using VP/VS ratio and other seismic attributes. 79th Annual International Meeting of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (Expanded Abstracts), Houston, Oct. 25–30, p. 1765–1769.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebrom, D., 2004, The low-frequency gas shadow on seismic sections. The Leading Edge, 23, 772.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fahmy, W.A., Matteucci, G., Butters, D., and Zhang, J., 2005, Successful application of spectral decomposition technology toward drilling of a key offshore development well. 75th Annual International Meeting of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (Expanded Abstracts), Houston, Nov. 6–11, p. 262–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairhead, J.D., 1986, Geophysical controls on sedimentation within the African Rift Systems. In: Frostick, L.E., Renaut, R.W., Reid, I., and Tiercelin, J.J. (eds.), Sedimentation in the African Rifts. The Geological Society of London, Special Publications, 25, p. 19–27.

  • Fairhead, J.D., 1988, Mesozoic plate tectonic reconstruction of the central South Atlantic Ocean: the role of the west and central African rift system. Tectonophysics, 155, 181–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farnbach, J.S., 1975, The complex envelope in seismic signal analysis. The Seismological Society of America Bulletin, 65, 951–962.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gabor, D., 1946, Theory of communication. Part 1: The analysis of information. Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers–Part III: Radio and Communication Engineering, 93, 429–441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Genik, G.J., 1993, Petroleum geology of Cretaceous–Tertiary rift basins in Niger, Chad, and Central African Republic. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 77, 1405–1434.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giedt, N.R., 1990, Unity field–Sudan, Muglad Rift Basin, Upper Nile province. In: Beaumont, E.A. and Foster, N.H. (eds.), Structural Traps III: Tectonic Fold and Fault Traps. AAPG Treatise of Petroleum Geology, Atlas of Oil and Gas Fields, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Tulsa, 1990, p. 177–197.

  • Goloshubin, G.M., Verkhovsky, A.M., and Maurov, V.V., 1996, Laboratory experiments of seismic monitoring. 58th European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers meeting (Expanded Abstract), Amsterdam, Jun. 3–7, P074.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goloshubin, G.M., Korneev, V.A., and Vingalov, V.M., 2002, Seismic low frequency effects from oil-saturated reservoir zones. International Meeting of Society of Exploration Geophysics (Expanded Abstract), Salt Lake City, Jan. 3, p. 1813–1816.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goloshubin, G., Schuyver, C.V., Korneev, C.V., Silin, D., and Vingalov, V., 2006, Reservoir imaging using low frequencies of seismic reflections. The Leading Edge, 25, 527–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalkomey, C.T., 1997, Potential risks when using seismic attributes as predictors of reservoir properties. The Leading Edge, 16, 247–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, M., Cheng, D., Pan, X., Dou, L., Hou, D., Shi, Q., Wen, Z., Tang, Y., Achal, S., Milovic, M., and Tremblay, L., 2010, Characterization of petroleum acids using combined FT-IR, FT-ICR-MS and GC-MS: implications for the origin of high acidity oils in the Muglad Basin, Sudan. Organic Geochemistry, 41, 959–965.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Z.C. and Wang, Q.Z., 2007, A review of research on mechanism of seismic attenuation and energy compensation. Prospecting Geophysics, 22, 1147–1152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liner, C., Li, C.F., Gersztenkorn, A., and Smythe, J., 2004, SPICE: a new general seismic attribute. 72nd Annual International Meeting of society of Exploration Geophysics (Expanded Abstract), Denver, Oct. 10–15, p. 433–436.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lines, L., Zou, Y., Zhang, A., Hall, K., Embleton, J., Palmiere, B., Reine, C., Bessette, P., Cary, P., and Secord, D., 2005, Vp/Vs characterization of a heavy-oil reservoir. The Leading Edge, 24, 1134–1136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, J. and Marfurt, K.J., 2007, Instantaneous spectral attributes to detect channels. Geophysics, 72, 23–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mallat, S. and Zhang, Z., 1993, Matching pursuit with time-frequency dictionaries. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Transactions on Signal processing, 41, 3397–3415.

    Google Scholar 

  • McHargue, T.R., Heidrick, T.L., and Livingstone, J., 1992, Tectonostratigraphic development of the interior Sudan Rifts, Central Africa. Tectonophysics, 213, 187–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed, A.Y., Iliffe, J.E., Ashcroft, W.A., and Whiteman, A.J., 2000, Burial and maturation history of the Heglig Field area, Muglad Basin, Sudan. Journal of Petroleum Geology, 23, 107–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed, A.Y., Pearson, M.J., Ashcroft, W.A., and Whiteman, A.J., 2002, Petroleum maturation modelling, Abu Gabra–Sharaf area, Muglad Basin Sudan. Journal of African Earth Science, 35, 331–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Partyka, G., Gridley, J., and Lopez, J., 1999, Interpretational application of spectral decomposition in reservoir characterization. The Leading Edge, 18, 353–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prokoph, A. and Barthelmes, F., 1996, Detection of nonstationarities in geologic time series: wavelet transform of chaotic and cyclic sequences. Computer and Geoscience, 22, 1097–1108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raeesi, M., Moradzadeh, A., Doulati Ardejani, F., and Rahimi, M., 2012, Classification and identification of hydrocarbon reservoir lithofacies and their heterogeneity using seismic attributes, logs data and artificial neural networks. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 82, 151–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raef, A.E., Mattern, F., Phillip, C., and Totten, M.W., 2015, 3D seismic attributes and well-log facies analysis for prospect identification and evaluation: interpreted palaeoshoreline implications, Weirman Field, Kansas, USA. Journal of Petroleum science and Engineering, 133, 40–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, J.D. and Nogami, H.H., 1984, Complex seismic trace analysis of thin beds. Geophysics, 49, 344–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schrufer, P., Oterdoom, H., and Faber, A., 2002, Thar Jath 3D Interpretation. Geological Research Authority of Sudan, Khartoum, Repot (SD–G).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sicking, C.J., 1978, Modeling with the complex trace. 48th Annual International Meeting of society of Exploration Geophysics (Expanded Abstract), San Francisco, Oct. 29–Nov. 2, p. 1484–1487.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stark, T.J., 2009, Frequency enhancement via an integer multiplier or just another GeoWizardry attribute? 79th Annual International Meeting of society of Exploration Geophysics (Expanded Abstract), Houston, Oct. 25–30, p. 1092–1096.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taner, M.T. and Sheriff, R.E., 1977, Application of amplitude, frequency, and other attributes to stratigraphic and hydrocarbon determination. In: Payton, C.E. (ed.), Application of Seismic Reflection Configuration to Stratigraphic Interpretation. Association of American Geologists, Memoir, 26, p. 301–327.

  • Taner, M.T., Koehler, F., and Sheriff, R.E., 1979, Complex seismic trace analysis. Geophysics, 44, 1041–1063.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, B.J., 1994, Fracture determination from shear wave splitting analysis of single-source vertical seismic profiles: Unpublished honours thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tewari, R.D., Malik, M.M., Idris, M.A.I., Naganathan, S., and Pleshkov, D., 2006, Development of small size heavy oil field with innovative technology. Society of Petroleum Engineers (Expanded Abstract), Canton, Oct. 11–13, 103841, p. 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vail, J.R., 1978, Outline of the geology and mineral deposits of the Democratic Republic of the Sudan and adjacent areas. Institute of Geological sciences. In: Overseas Geology and Mineral Resources, HMSO London, p. 49–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, I.A., Lines, L.R., and Brittle, K.F., 2002, Heavy-oil reservoir characterization using elastic wave properties. The Leading Edge, 2, 736–739.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whiteman, A.J., 1971, The Geology of the Sudan Republic. Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 290 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, M., 2003, Monochromatic AVO: an indicator that sees through wave interference. Proceedings of the 73rd Annual International Meeting of Society of Exploration Geophysics (Expanded Abstract), Dallas, Oct. 26–31, p.208–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, P.C., 1999, Nonstationary time series analysis and forecasting. Progress Environmental Science. 1, 3–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, L., Zhu, D., Zhang, X., 2015, Seismic attributes methods for prediction of unconsolidated sand reservoirs of heavy oil. The Open Fuels and Energy Science Journal, 8, 14–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Petroleum Resources Technology, University of Science and Technology, 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea

    William A. Deng, Taeyoun Kim & Seonghyung Jang

  2. Petroleum and Marine Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea

    William A. Deng, Taeyoun Kim & Seonghyung Jang

Authors
  1. William A. Deng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Taeyoun Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Seonghyung Jang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seonghyung Jang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Deng, W.A., Kim, T. & Jang, S. Seismic attributes for characterization of a heavy-oil shaly-sand reservoir in the Muglad Basin of South Sudan. Geosci J 22, 1027–1039 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12303-018-0006-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12303-018-0006-3

Key words

Search

Navigation