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2018 Distinguished Instructor
Short Course | Kurt Marfurt
Seismic Attributes as the Framework for Data
Integration throughout the Oilfield Life Cycle

03 Sep 2018 | Waseda, TokyoAbstract
While lower in vertical resolution than well log and core data, 3D
seismic data provide a more comprehensive image above, below,
and at the reservoir than any other data source. For this reason,
3D seismic data and its derivative products form the natural
framework for subsequent data integration for both static anddynamic earth models. In the exploration part of the oilfield life
cycle, seismic data and seismic attributes image horizons anddelineate faults. While interpretation in the exploration stage
is necessarily qualitative, it is based on scientific principalsof stratigraphy and structural geology. Attributes illuminate
architectural elements that help determine the depositional
environment, while small faults and flexures help determine thedeformation process. In the development part of the oilfield life
cycle, the addition of downhole measurements provides a means
to become more quantititative. Correlation of image logs andmicroseismic events with curvature and azimuthal anisotropy
help define areas that are more intensely fractured. Well log
measures of P-velocity, S-velocity, and density coupled with rockphysics data bases and systematics provide the basis for seismic
impedance inversion, allowing the interpreter not only to evaluate
direct hydrocarbon indicators but also to construct a geocellularmodel. Seismic data plays a lesser role In the mature part ofthe oilfield life cycle, where the goal is to extract the remaining
oil at minimal expense. Legacy seismic surveys shot when theoil field was young may not contain the resolution needed tobest understand subtleties in the mature oil field. Reacquiring
seismic data is more common in large offshore reservoirs wheresignificant resources remain. Here, time lapse attribute analysis
provides the means to identify

SM

Connecting the World of Applied Geophysics

by-passed pay, sweep, flow barriers, changes in pressure, andpotential geomechanical instabilities.
Mature fields can be reborn. Overlooked deeper and shallower
objectives as well as new play concepts reinvigorate oil fields
where the acerage is held and the infrastructure is in place.
5D interpolation reinvigorates legacy seismic surveys. In North
America, technical innovations including horizontal drillingand hydraulic fracturing may directly target the source rock,or drill tight or highly heterogeneous parts of the reservoir too
expensive to produce from vertical wells. Our analysis becomes
more statistical, where the experience obtained from tens if not
hundreds of wells can be correlated to volumetric attributes.
Using core to generate reservoir-specific templates, seismic
attributes can be statitically correlated to brittleness, totalorganic carbon, rate of penetration, and expected ultimate recovery.
In this one day short course, I will illustrate these concepts
by example, showing modern workflows based on interactive
interpretation and display as well as those aided bymachine learning.
Who should attend?
Participants should have a basic understanding ofsedimentology and structural geology and familiarity, but
not necessarily expertise in 3D seismic interpretation. The
accompanying textbook will include mathematical details ofvolumetric attribute calculation, image processing, and machinelearning algorithms. The lecture will focus on fundamental
assumptions, algorithm application, and analysis of the results.

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