Studying the oil-saturation and fracturing of geomedium with the use of infra-low frequency and scattered seismic waves.

O.L.Kouznetsov, S.L.Aroutiunov, I.A.Chirkin. State Research Center of RF VNIIgeosystem, Warshavskoe shosse 8, 113105 Moscow, Russia Abstract
Presented are new seismic technologies ANCHAR and SVSL, developed by the VNIIGeosystem Center. These technologies allow substantially improve the geological efficiency of prospecting and exploration owing to identifying and outlining of oil and gas fields with the use of infra-low frequency seismic waves generated by HC pools and identifying high-fractured zones from scattered seismic waves. Considered are results of applying these technologies in Russia.

Introduction
Seismic data are commonly applied in prospecting oil and gas fields to identify the structural and nonstructural traps with possible accumulation of HC. Yet, identifying the presence of HC in these traps and assessing the heterogeneity of oil-saturation of pay zones is a challenge of up-to-date seismic despite a substantial progress in seismic instrumentation and software. Impossibility to solve these problems by using only reflected seismic waves is the reason of numerous failures in prospecting and outlining of HC fields and drilling dry wells in existing HC fields. In order to solve these urgent problems two principally new seismic technologies have been developed and successfully applied by the VNIIgeosystem Centre: a technology for estimating oil-and-gas saturation (ANCHAR) and determining the 3-D distribution of open fracturing (SVSL) of geomedium. The fundamental distinction of these technologies from standard seismic (CDP), where mirror-reflected waves are used, lies in identifying specific types of seismic waves - scattered waves and infra-low frequency waves in the seismic wavefield which are not commonly used in seismic.

ANCHAR Technology
Seismic technology ANCHAR is based on the natural phenomenon discovered by the VNIIgeosystem scientists generation of intrinsic seismic vibrations in the infra-low frequency band by an oil-and-gas pool when subject to the field of elastic waves1. The intensity of such vibrations is much more less than the level of natural seismic background. To identify these weak infra-frequency vibrations generated by a HC pool, special methodical and measuring units shall be applied. Particularly, one has to apply special-designed sensors featuring a high sensitivity in the infra-frequency band (0.5-7.0 Hz) and provide a long-term recording of signals generated by the HC pool. The preliminary data processing being performed in course of field operations allows promptly implement additional observations to adjust the outline of identified HC field. The results of ultimate processing are presented as prediction maps of field location within the area under study. The ANCHAR seismic studies have been implemented in Russia mostly in the geologic exploration of Cis-Ural, Volga, and Caspian regions for companies Gazprom, Lukoil, Onoco, etc. Overall studied area makes up more than 7000 km2 where 140 oil-bearing structural and non-structural traps were predicted. Prediction results have been verified by deep drilling for 40 prospected targets. A successful verification of ANCHAR predictions by drilling makes up 0.9. By way of example, Fig.1 presents the results of ANCHAR studies in the Nagumanovsk field (Orenburggazprom), where a few exploratory wells turned out to be dry owing to errors in the structural modeling (based on CDP data) caused by complicated salt-dome tectonics. Based on the ANCHAR data pay zones and sites with predomination of gas and oil-and-gas saturation of the natural reservoir were predicted. Exploratory well #503 has proved this prediction - at the depth of ~4 km the inflow of gas-condensate was produced from the massive Artian pool and in well #1 at the depth of ~4.9 km an industrial oil inflow was produced from the Bashkirian limestone. The experience of applying ANCHAR in Russia evidences that this technology cab be successfully applied to solve the following urgent geologic problems: identifying HC-fields and their outlines regardless of the geologic structure and type of traps; estimating variations in the outline of HC field or gas storage from the ANCHAR monitoring data.

SVSL Technology
The SVSL physical basics lies in estimating the energy of scattered seismic waves generated by ensembles of open fractures. The energy of scattered wave is directly proportional to the intensity of open fracturing in the geomedium zone where the scattered waves (SW's) are generated (the 1-st Fresnel zone). The energy of SW's is 10-100 times lower as compared to that of mirror-scattered waves, that is why to identify SW's in the seismic wavefield one has to apply special methods of observations and data-processing to implement the principle of side-view seismic locator2, 3. SVSL observations are implemented using the scheme of a two-position locator positioned beyond the limits of the scanned site. Processing of field data is based on the synchronous stacking of signals of 4 scattered waves (with the stacking fold of ~10 ), algorithm of dual-conjugated focusing of source and receiver apertures to the studied point of the geomedium. The result of SVSL data processing is presented as a 3-D array of the geomedium fracturing index. Geologic interpretation is based on the tectono-physical models describing the distribution of fracturing depending on the stress-deformed state of the geomedium. Presently the SVSL technology has been applied by Russian petroleum companies to solve urgent geologic problems, particularly to select optimal drilling sites to tap HC pools. The efficiency of SVSL studies can be illustrated by the following example. In 2001 four wells were drilled in the oil fields: North Dem'yanovsk (Tyumen Petroleum Company), Kuyumba (Petroleum Company Slavneft), Sredinnoe and South Povarovsk fields (Stavropolneftegaz Petroleum Company Rosneft). Drilling sites were selected with due regard of high-fractured zones located in the oil-saturated formations from the SVSL data. When testing these wells, maximum oil inflows (for each of these oil fields) were produced. The overall production rate (for these four wells) makes up more than 2.5 thousand tons of oil per day. Fig.2 presents an example of applying the SVSL data in the North Dem'yanovsk field (West Siberia) where well #30 was drilled through a zone of abnormally high open fracturing. In course of drilling at the depth of 2780m, an oil flow with the production rate of ~300 tons/day was produced from the Bazhenov formation. It is a maximum rate achieved in this petroleum area. The experience of applying SVSL in Russia evidences that this technology allows efficiently solve the following geologic problems: selecting optimal sites for tapping HC pools and optimal drilling of horizontal wells in pay zones to get a maximum production rate; predicting possible complications while drilling zones with abnormally high open fracturing (mud loss, sticking of a drilling tool, and etc.); estimating and controlling the efficiency of technogenic effects in pay series (hydrofrac, cyclic water flooding, etc.) from changes in the distribution of open fractures.

Conclusion
New seismic technologies SVSL and ANCHAR, based on the use of non-conventional seismic waves (scattered waves and infra-low frequency waves) allow successfully solve important geologic problems: identifying HC fields, producing maximum oil inflow, and etc.

Acknowledgments
We acknowledge Russian oil and gas companies: Tyumen Oil Company, Slavneft, Tatneft, RosneftStavropolneftegaz, Lukoil, Severnaya Neft, Orenburggazprom, Onoco, and others for support in elaborating and implementation of SVSL and ANCHAR technologies and for presenting data for this paper.

References
1. Grafov, B.M., Aroutyunov, S.L., Kouznetsov, O.L., et al. Analysis of geoacoustic emission by oiland-gas pool when applying the ANCHAR technology. 1998, Geofizika No.5, 24-28 (in Russian). 2. Kouznetsov, O.L., Mirzadjanzade, A.Kh., Shakhverdiev, A.K., et al. Seismic and rheochemical technologies for improving productive capacity of pay zones and monitoring of these technologies. Abstracts of the 10-th EAGE IOR Conference. Brighton, 1999. 3. Kouznetsov, O.L., Chirkin, I.A., Faizulline, I.S., et al. Study of 3-D distribution of geomedium fracturing by Side-View Seismic Location method (SVSL). Abstracts of the 65-th EAGE Conference. Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2001.

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Legend
organogenic structure discontinuity line

isohypses of the structural surface (2D seismic) dry well oil well gas well test well

ANCHAR appraisal prospectless area gas-promising area oil-and-gas promising area

Fig.1. Outlining oil/gas promising areas from the ANCHAR data. Nagumanovsk field, Caspian basin.

Fig.2. Selecting the optimal drilling site for the North Dem'yanovsk field, West Siberia, based on the SVSL and CDP data. Fig.2. Selecting the optimal drilling site for the North Dem'yanovsk field, West Siberia, based on the SVSL and CDP data.