Introduction to October Focus: Seismic Interpretation

This issue of the RECORDER focuses on modern seismic interpretation through four interesting articles. Highlighted are critical elements such as best practices and the importance of integrating the earth mechanics for a better subsurface understanding. I invite you to come along to see the present and future of seismic interpretation.

The first article, “Chasing Density – An Introduction to Seismic Acquisition, Processing, and Interpretation Methods Leading to Quantitative Interpretation” by Brian Schulte and David Manthei of Talisman Energy, provides a comprehensive tutorial on quantitative interpretation presented within the framework of seismic density estimation. The authors take a seismic value chain approach whereby the emphasis is that a successful quantitative interpretation study relies on the proper road-mapping of the desired result, via processing, all the way back to acquisition.

The second article, “Natural fracture characterization from 3D structural attributes” by Damien Thenin, of EMZED Exploration, and Ron Larson, of RPS Energy Canada, presents a novel workflow intended to free up the interpreter’s time to actually interpret, rather than “pick”, the data. The essence of the approach is to automate most of the structural and stratigraphic picking, transform to the chrono-stratigraphic domain in an advanced manner and integrate geomechanical information.

The third article, “Optimising resource plays – an integrated ‘GeoPrediction’ approach” by Stephen O’Connor and co-authors of Ikon Science Ltd., discuss an integrated subsurface workflow for “sweet spot” characterisation in resource plays which can be used to drive field development. The authors argue to move beyond using brittleness as the sweet spot proxy to a ‘GeoPrediction’ based characterisation using an earth model that includes pore pressure, rock physics and geomechanics.