Application of fluid modulus inversion to complex lithology reservoirs in deep-water areas

It has been a challenge to distinguish between seismic anomalies caused by complex lithology and hydrocarbon reservoirs using conventional fluid identification techniques,leading to difficulties in accurately predicting hydrocarbon-bearing properties and determining oil-water contacts in reservoirs.In this study,we built a petrophysical model tailored to the deep-water area of the Baiyun Sag in the eastern South China Sea based on seismic data and explored the feasibility of the tri-parameter direct inversion method in the fluid identification of complex lithology reservoirs,offering a more precise alternative to conventional techniques.Our research found that the fluid modulus can successfully eliminate seismic amplitude anomalies caused by lithological variations.Furthermore,the seismic databased direct inversion for fluid modulus can remove the cumulative errors caused by indirect inversion and the influence of porosity.We discovered that traditional methods using seismic amplitude anomalies were ineffective in detecting fluids,determining gas-water contacts,or delineating high-quality reservoirs.However,the fluid factor Kf,derived from solid-liquid decoupling,proved to be sensitive to the identification of hydrocarbon-bearing properties,distinguishing between high-quality and poor-quality gas zones.Our findings confirm the value of the fluid modulus in fluid identification and demonstrate that the tri-parameter direct inversion method can significantly enhance hydrocarbon exploration in deep-water areas,reducing associated risks.

Migrated hybrid turbidite-contourite channel-lobe complex of the late Eocene Rovuma Basin, East Africa

Analysis of 3 D seismic data and well log data from the Rovuma Basin in East Africa reveals the presence of a late Eocene channel-lobe complex on its slope.The first two channels,denoted as channel-1 and channel-2,are initiated within a topographic low on the slope but come to a premature end when they are blocked by a topographic high in the northwest region of the basin.New channels migrate southeastward from channel-1 to channel-6 due to the region’s sufficient sediment supply and stripping caused by bottom currents.The primary factors controlling the development of the channel complex include its initial paleo-topographic of seafloor,the property of gravity flows,the direction of the bottom current,and the stacking and expansion of its levees.The transition zone from channel to lobe can also be clearly identified from seismic sections by its pond-shaped structure.At a certain point,thest systems record a transiton from erosive features to sedimentary features,and record a transition from a confined environment to an open environment.Channels and lobes can be differentiated by their morphologies:thick slump-debris flows are partly developed under channel sand sheets,whereas these slump-debris flows are not very well developed in lobes.Well log responses also record different characteristics between channels and lobes.The interpreted shale volume throughout the main channel records a box-shaped curve,thereby implying that confined channel complexes record high energy currents and abundant sand supply,whereas the interpreted shale volume throughout the lobe records an upward-fining shape curve,thereby indicating the presence of a reduced-energy current in a relatively open environment.Within the Rovuma Basin of East Africa,the average width of the Rovuma shelf is less than 10 km,the width of the slope is only approximately 40 km,and the slope gradient is 2°–4°.Due to this steep slope gradient,the sand-rich top sheet within the channel also likely contributes to the straight feature of the channel system.It is currently unclear whether the bottom current has any effect on its sinuosity.