Spatial Orientation and Distribution of Reservoir Fractures from Scattered Seismic Energy

Shortened title: Fracture characterization from coda energy

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Willis, Mark E., Burns, Daniel R., Rao, Rama V. N., Minsley, Burke J., Toksoz, M. Nafi, Vetri, Laura
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laboratory
Format: Technical Report
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laboratory 2012
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68015
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author Willis, Mark E.
Burns, Daniel R.
Rao, Rama V. N.
Minsley, Burke J.
Toksoz, M. Nafi
Vetri, Laura
author2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laboratory
author_facet Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laboratory
Willis, Mark E.
Burns, Daniel R.
Rao, Rama V. N.
Minsley, Burke J.
Toksoz, M. Nafi
Vetri, Laura
author_sort Willis, Mark E.
collection MIT
description Shortened title: Fracture characterization from coda energy
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spelling mit-1721.1/680152019-04-10T10:00:23Z Spatial Orientation and Distribution of Reservoir Fractures from Scattered Seismic Energy Willis, Mark E. Burns, Daniel R. Rao, Rama V. N. Minsley, Burke J. Toksoz, M. Nafi Vetri, Laura Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laboratory Willis, Mark E. Burns, Daniel R. Rao, Rama V. N. Minsley, Burke J. Toksoz, M. Nafi Shortened title: Fracture characterization from coda energy We present the details of a new method for determining the reflection and scattering characteristics of seismic energy from subsurface fractured formations. The method is based upon observations we have made from 3D finite difference modeling of the reflected and scattered seismic energy over discrete systems of vertical fractures. Regularly spaced, discrete vertical fracture corridors impart a coda signature, which is a ringing tail of scattered energy, to any seismic waves which are transmitted through or reflected off of them. This signature varies in amplitude and coherence as a function of several parameters including: 1) the difference in angle between the orientation of the fractures and the acquisition direction, 2) the fracture spacing, 3) the wavelength of the illuminating seismic energy, and 4) the compliance, or stiffness, of the fractures. This coda energy is the most coherent when the acquisition direction is parallel to the strike of the fractures. It has the largest amplitude when the seismic wavelengths are tuned to the fracture spacing, and when the fractures have low stiffness. Our method uses surface seismic reflection traces to derive a transfer function which quantifies the change in an apparent source wavelet before and after propagating through a fractured interval. The transfer function for an interval with no or low amounts of scattering will be more spike-like and temporally compact. The transfer function for an interval with high scattering will ring and be less temporally compact. When a 3D survey is acquired with a full range of azimuths, the variation in the derived transfer functions allows us to identify subsurface areas with high fracturing and determine the strike of those fractures. We calibrated the method with model data and then applied it to the Emilio field with a fractured reservoir giving results which agree with known field measurements and previously published fracture orientations derived from PS anisotropy. United States. Dept. of Energy (Grant number DE-FC26-02NT15346) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laboratory Eni S.p.A. (Firm) 2012-01-06T17:36:24Z 2012-01-06T17:36:24Z 2006 Technical Report http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68015 Earth Resources Laboratory Industry Consortia Annual Report;2006-14 application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laboratory
spellingShingle Willis, Mark E.
Burns, Daniel R.
Rao, Rama V. N.
Minsley, Burke J.
Toksoz, M. Nafi
Vetri, Laura
Spatial Orientation and Distribution of Reservoir Fractures from Scattered Seismic Energy
title Spatial Orientation and Distribution of Reservoir Fractures from Scattered Seismic Energy
title_full Spatial Orientation and Distribution of Reservoir Fractures from Scattered Seismic Energy
title_fullStr Spatial Orientation and Distribution of Reservoir Fractures from Scattered Seismic Energy
title_full_unstemmed Spatial Orientation and Distribution of Reservoir Fractures from Scattered Seismic Energy
title_short Spatial Orientation and Distribution of Reservoir Fractures from Scattered Seismic Energy
title_sort spatial orientation and distribution of reservoir fractures from scattered seismic energy
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68015
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