A DTW distance-based seismic waveform clustering method for layers of varying thickness

Seismic waveform clustering is a useful technique for lithologic identification and reservoir characterization.The current seismic waveform clustering algorithms are predominantly based on a fixed time window,which is applicable for layers of stable thickness.When a layer exhibits variable thickness in the seismic response,a fixed time window cannot provide comprehensive geologic information for the target interval.Therefore,we propose a novel approach for a waveform clustering workfl ow based on a variable time window to enable broader applications.The dynamic time warping(DTW)distance is fi rst introduced to effectively measure the similarities between seismic waveforms with various lengths.We develop a DTW distance-based clustering algorithm to extract centroids,and we then determine the class of all seismic traces according to the DTW distances from centroids.To greatly reduce the computational complexity in seismic data application,we propose a superpixel-based seismic data thinning approach.We further propose an integrated workfl ow that can be applied to practical seismic data by incorporating the DTW distance-based clustering and seismic data thinning algorithms.We evaluated the performance by applying the proposed workfl ow to synthetic seismograms and seismic survey data.Compared with the the traditional waveform clustering method,the synthetic seismogram results demonstrate the enhanced capability of the proposed workfl ow to detect boundaries of diff erent lithologies or lithologic associations with variable thickness.Results from a practical application show that the planar map of seismic waveform clustering obtained by the proposed workfl ow correlates well with the geological characteristics of wells in terms of reservoir thickness.

Quantitative identification and prediction of mixed lithology, Bohai Sea, China

The Paleogene Shahejie Formation in the KL16 oilfield, Bohai bay, is characterized by a thinly interbedded mixed sedimentary system, with complex sedimentary facies, lithologic types and distributions. It is hard for conventional logging methods to identify the lithology therein. In order to solve the difficulty in lithologic identification of mixed sedimentary system, analyses based on graph data base using elemental capture energy spectrum log have been proposed. Due to the different composition for the various minerals, we innovatively established the molar numbers of silicon, calcium, magnesium, and aluminum as characteristic parameters for sandstone, limestone, dolomite, and mudstone, and a graph clustering analysis method was applied to identify lithology. Considering the seismic waveforms corresponding to lithologic impedance of reservoir, three seismic phases were identified by neural network clustering analysis of seismic waveform, and the seismic attributes with high sensitivity to reservoir thickness were then selected to realize the fine description of the mixed carbonate-siliciclastic reservoir. Drilling results confirmed that the sedimentary facies were accurately identified, with reservoir prediction accuracy reaching up to 80%. Under the guidance of reservoir research, the oil-in-place discovered in the oilfield were estimated to be more than 5 million tonnes. This technology provides reference for the exploration and development of oilfields of mixed sedimentary system.