February 2008 - Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Preview: 14th Annual 3-D Seismic Symposium
recording and a refined interpretation
of strike-slip faulting at the southern
part of the field.
In Central America, Belize now
has a multi-million barrel oil field
(Spanish Lookout) because a Denverbased
consortium had the tenacity
and seismic image quality to make
the discovery. David Brewster of
Black Coral will describe “Seismic
Adventures in Belize,” a story
leading to drilling the Mike Usher #1
which flowed over 1,000 BOPD. The
operating company, Belize Natural
Energy Ltd (BNE), began with a 2-D
seismic grid over the project, leading
to a low impact wireless 3-D, required
by lease owners. Co-speaker Scott
MacKay will discuss how high quality
3-D solved lateral velocity contrasts
across shallow karsted carbonates,
leading to a geologic model showing
down-stepping faulted blocks and
multiple drilling targets. This talk
is significant because it shows
how problems were solved that are
common in 3-D seismic surveys; the
oil field is significant because it opens
the door for petroleum prosperity for
operators and the citizens of Belize.
In 2007, a 212-square-mile
3-D survey was done across the
Mississippian-Devonian age
Woodford Shale of the Arkoma
Basin, Oklahoma. Basin structure
is complicated with normal faulting
overprinted with thrust faulting.
Robert Tucker of Antero Resources
will describe how the seismic helped
in targeting horizontal wells for “tight
gas” recovery in this resource play.
Seismic also helped manage drilling
and completion risk, mapping faults,
unconformities and areas with “steep
panels of dip that allow better well
planning and geosteering.”
In Central America, Belize now has a
multi-million barrel oil field (Spanish Lookout)
because a Denver-based consortium had
the tenacity and seismic image quality
to make the discovery.
Industry expertise for resource
plays is shown in two widely separate
areas: the Appalachian Basin of
New York and Sichuan Province,
China. Middle Ordovician to lower
Devonian facies of New York were
examined for amplitude versus
offset anomalies. J. Scott Hornafius
of MegaEnergy will describe how
the anomalies relate to higher gas
saturation in organic-rich shales. In
the Chinese example, John Tinnin of
GX Technology will show a full-wave
(full azimuth and multicomponent)
case for detecting fractures in tight
sandstone reservoirs using 3-D
and3-C technology. The payoff will
be measured by new locations and
drilling success. In these talks,
seismic is related to reservoir-scale
petrophysics and demonstrated gas
production.
Robert D. Benson, Ph.D of
Colorado School of Mines, will
show how multicomponent (9-C)
data are integrated with geologic
and production data in two algal
mound oil fields the Paradox Basin of
southwestern Colorado. In sampling
both P and S-wave data, the study
lead to predictive models for reservoir
porosity, permeabilities, and internal
mound shapes in Pennsylvanian
carbonates. Benson maps amplitude
dimming, isochron thickening, and
ratios that relate to the presence and
limits of petroleum production.
Attendees will get their money’s
worth in this one day showcase for
3-D seismic and resource plays,
including lunch and a summary of
abstracts. All who are interested
can contact these websites for
details: Rocky Mountain Association
of Geologists: www.rmag.org, or the
Denver Geophysical Society, www.
denvergeo.org. See registration form
on page 23.
»
BARLOW & HAUN, INC.
_________________________________
Mark J. Doelger
President
Phone 307-234-1574 WY PG #737
Fax 307-234-1576
bhgeolwy@bresnan.net or mjdoelgerbh@bresnan.net
225 So. David Street, Ste. A, Casper WY 82601
OUTCROP
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www.rmag.org