Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences (JETEAS) 2 (1): 1-6 (ISSN: 2141-7016)

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Gravity Support for Hydrocarbon Exploration at the Prospect Level
1
B. S. Badmus,
1
. K. Sotona and
2
Krieger, M

1
Department of Physics, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
2
Terrays Geophysics, GmbH and Co., KG Hamburg, Germany.
Corresponding Author: B. S. Badmus
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Abstract
Exploration sites with complex geophysical structures like salt bodies, significant to hydrocarbon exploration
are difficult in seismic interpretation to delineate. An integrated approach using land gravity information with
integrated seismic horizons in building a model for these complex structures via a 3-D gravity forward
modelling was used. The acquired Bouguer gravity data was filtered using low, high and band pass filter,
removing regional trends and high frequency anomalies. First horizontal derivatives and second vertical
derivative maps were obtained from the Bouguer gravity, revealing the pattern of faulting and enhance near-
surface features. A 3-D body was created and modelled with seismic horizons as constraint until the calculated
gravity effects of the model match the observed gravity or are deemed close enough.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Keywords: bouguer gravity, salt domes, hydrocarbon traps, contour maps and seismic horizons
__________________________________________________________________________________________
ITRODUCTIO
The study of the earths gravity is a modern
application of classical Newtonian physics. The
gravity method measures small spatial differences in
the gravitational pull of the earth. Traditionally,
seismic reflection method is the most effective
method for detailed oil and gas exploration but can
only image flat layered geometry. In the case of
complex geometrical geologic area where there are
complex features like salt domes, it will be difficult
for seismic method to image and interpret around the
feature as well as predicting the geologic features
below the salt. The crystalline structure of salt makes
the reflection of seismic waves to be irregular and
inconsistence in this area. It is difficult and
sometimes impossible to interpret these seismic
reflections. The salt body is always a problem in
seismic method for hydrocarbon exploration.
Shadow zone are usually formed by seismic method
below the salt and this poor illumination makes it
sometimes difficult to image the potential
hydrocarbon traps. In such cases, a potential field
method for joint interpretation is required. The
integrated geophysical interpretation approach is the
use of several geophysical techniques in the same
area. This is important because the exploration
geophysicist selecting suitable different methods
obtain much more information. Gravity method
which is more preferable was used for integrated
interpretation coupled with the seismic data, since
magnetic data interpretation is theoretically more
complex because of the dipolar nature, latitude and
longitude dependent nature of the induced magnetic
response for a given body as well as rapid magnetic
field changes in space. Gravity measurements are
simple and moderate source of information about the
subsurface of an exploration target.
Gravity information has for several decades, been
successfully used in the Gulf of Mexico to address
the problem of defining the salt/sediment boundary,
where the best quality 3-D seismic data task cannot
meet the challenges (Nafe and Drake 1957, Bain et al
1993). Gravity fields at the Earths surface contain
anomalies from sources of various size and depth. To
interpret these fields, it is desirable to separate
anomalies caused by certain features from anomalies
caused by others. Salt diapirs play an important role
in hydrocarbon development and are significant for
petroleum exploration in highly matured areas. Salt
domes are emplaced when buried salt layer, because
of its low density and ability to flow, rises through
over laying denser strata in a series of approximately
cylindrical bodies. Locating the base of a salt body is
difficult with seismic reflection data. Gravity data in
combination with seismic reflection data can be used
to give joint interpretation. The relatively low
density of salt with respect to its surrounding renders
the salt dome a zone of anomalously low mass.
Gravity surveys provide a powerful method for the
location of features of this type because it shows
strong regional effect and regional gradient because
of the low gravity effect of the salt compare to the
surrounding sedimentary rocks. Analysis and
interpretation of this kind of geological structure
generally requires a 3-D structural model.

There are numerous contributions in the literature in
which the gravity method has been used to support
hydrocarbon exploration. Wallace, 1970 addresses
the difficulties of determining the shape and storage
capacity of basins by combining gravimetric and
seismic refraction interpretations to avoid drilling,
which can be expensive and difficult because of the
depth of alluvium and the large areas involved. The
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Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences (JETEAS) 2 (1): 1-6 (ISSN: 2141-7016)
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result showed that the gravity-seismic method of
basin analysis provides useful numerical data in
arriving at a ground water storage capacity estimate.
And the basin configuration can be obtained from
profiles taken across the gravity contour map and also
the average depth to basement is noted from the
gravity profiles. The total volume of alluvium can
then be established from this depth and the surface
area. Wallace, 1970 concluded that the gravity-
seismic method of estimating storage capacity in
deep alluvium is best adapted to regional surveys.
Shinya Onizawa et al., 2002, formulated a method
for simultaneous velocity and density inversion using
travel times of local earthquakes and gravity data to
investigate the subsurface structure of Izu-Oshima
volcano. In order to constrain the velocity inversion
and increase the spatial resolution of shallow velocity
structures, additional gravity data was introduced.

Gravity data contributes to the P-wave and S-wave
velocity models by imposing constraints between
seismic velocities and density. Huston et al, 2004
used gravity data in conjunction with prestack depth
migration of the seismic data in an iterative way to
build a better velocity cube, thereby leading to clearer
images of the base of the salt. Henrick et al., 2005,
carried out a detailed high-resolution land gravity
survey over the southern part of Bolivia in South
America, at station intervals of 500m along survey
lines spaced 800m apart. The area covered by the
gravity data generally extended beyond that of the
seismic data sets, and offered the opportunity to
extend the structures interpreted solely from the
seismic data. With an indication that interesting
structures may exist outside the existing seismic data
coverage and also that there is sufficient density
contrast across the various stratigraphic sections and
that more detailed gravity data should add useful
structural information where the seismic method is at
a disadvantage. The result obtained showed that
gravity information generally supports the existing
geological model and concepts, but indicated the
possibility of prospective areas outside the available
seismic data. Helen and Donald, 2007 illustrated
how a gravity derived model can be used effectively
to assist the construction of a seismic velocity model
for depth migration of seismic data collected in a
difficult data area where carbonates outcrop at
subsurface. The results showed that integrated
analysis of the two data sets support a thin skinned
deformational model; for the Norman Range with a
dcollement in Upper Cambrian salt strata of the
Saline River Formation. Seismic method usually
encounters difficulties in imaging and interpreting
complex structures like salt body in hydrocarbon
exploration process. As a result of crystalline nature
of the salt body, the reflection of seismic waves is
irregular and inconsistence. It is difficult and
sometimes impossible to interpret these seismic
reflections. Shadow zones are usually formed by
seismic method below the salt and this poor
illumination makes it sometimes difficult to image
the potential hydrocarbon traps. All these motivated
the idea of integrated approach by using a potential
field method with seismic horizon as constraint for
joint interpretation and 3-D structural model.

LOCATIO OF THE STUDY AREA
This study was carried out within Giforn, Northern
Germany covering an area in the range of 10.22
o

~10.48
o
E longitude and 52.21
o
~52.51
o
W latitude.

METHODOLOGY
The objectives of geophysical data interpretation are
to locate anomalous material, its depth, dimensions,
and properties. Gravity and seismic data were used
to study the subsurface geology by developing an
integrated interpretation which includes updated
transformations of the potential fields, anomalies
filtering and 3-D forward gravity modelling with
seismic horizons as a constraint.

This research work started with 21609 gravity
measurements covering over an area approximately
29.2km by 22.9km. The gravity data was reduced to
complete Bouguer anomaly using a reduction density
of 1.90g/cm
3
, which is comparable to typical North
Germany average crustal density. The Bouguer was
gridded to form an evenly spaced data to be able to
make a contour map from it. This next step of
anomalies separation is very important for the
analysis and interpretation of the Bouguer gravity,
because the anomalies of interest were superposed on
a regional field caused by sources larger than the
scale of study or too deep to be of interest. The
regional effects correspond to low frequencies or
large wavelength while the residual corresponds to
high frequency or low wavelength. The separation is
easier done in the frequency or wavelength domain
rather than in spatial domain. Data from spatial
domain was transformed to wavelength domain by
fast Fourier transform computer algorithm and
Geosofts Oasis Montaj software. Low pass filter
was then used to remove high frequency and small
scale spatial detail, so as to smoothen data or
enhancing larger weak features. This filter passes
longer wavelength and cut out all wavelengths
shorter than the cut off wavelengths. High pass filter
was used to remove low frequency, large scale spatial
detail and also enhances shorter wavelengths and cut
out all wavelengths longer than the cut off
wavelengths. While band pass filter were created
from the low pass filters and high pass filters after
choosing the best from the low pass and high pass.
These filters are applied to keep or pass only a
portion of the wavelength (residual) and remove the
rest (regional). The horizontal derivatives of the
Bouguer anomaly emphasize changes in the
horizontal gradient. This is an alternative way of
removing the regional trends in the data and
Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences (JETEAS) 2 (1): 1-6 (ISSN: 2141-7016)
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providing a view of the overall pattern of faulting.
The second vertical derivatives (SVD) of gravity data
was applied to attenuate low-frequency signals,
enhances high frequency signals usually caused by
near-surface sources and separates anomalies
horizontally.

Gravity model was created to determine the density,
depth and geometry of the subsurface bodies.
Bouguer gravity, filtered data, and seismic horizons
were used as constraint to determine the density,
depth and geometry of the subsurface anomaly.
Forward modelling technique using 3-D irregularly
shaped bodies and seismic horizons to constrain the
geometry of the model was performed. A model of
the density structure up to depth of 4.9km, produced
through a 3-D forward modelling of the Bouguer
anomaly was produced. The gravitational field due
to the model was calculated and compared to the
observed gravity anomalies. The model parameters
were changed and re-calculated until the calculated
gravity effect of the model match the observed
gravity or are deemed close enough. The
geomasters software suite was used to combine the
gravity data and the seismic horizons for joint
integrated solution for these geological structures.
This software put emphasis on integrating various
types of information with high diligence on seismic
processing. For all application levels of potential
field data, the software has the right tools for joint
modelling and reliable geological interpretation.
Gravity anomaly data, filtered data and seismic
horizons were loaded into the geomasters software,
created an initial body and assigned density values to
the horizons and the newly formed body. Gravity
effects of the horizons and the initial body was
calculated and compare to the observed gravity. The
shape of this body and the density value of the
seismic horizons and that of the body were adjusted
until the observed and calculated gravity anomaly are
deemed close enough. This structure was positioned
at various depths and stationed to the depth that
makes the best fit between the calculated and
observed anomalies. The entire process was carried
out repeatedly until we obtain a model almost having
the same gravity effect as the observed gravity and
with the lowest standard deviation.

RESULTS AD COCLUSIOS
The Bouguer gravity anomalous map comprises of
both the regional and residual anomalies from both
deep and shallow sources. In this research work, the
gravity data in good coverage shows values between -
9.9 and 16.5 mGal. The Bouguer gravity anomaly
map displays three main positive anomaly and four
main negative anomaly trends. The main negative
areas are in the northwest, central, and south-eastern
part of the study area. Also the main positive
anomaly zones are in the south western part and
south southern part of the study area (Fig. 1.0). The
gravity values decrease from southern part to the
northern direction. The lowest gravity value is at the
centre and this shows the presence of a very low
density anomaly, which may be due to the presence
of a low density sediments probably salt dome. The
horizontal derivative map showed that the NW,
central, SE and SW parts of the study area have
strong horizontal gradient anomalies. The area of the
strong horizontal gradient can seen in the North
western part area showing short anomalies of NW-SE
orientation, and South western part area showing
short anomalies of E-W trends. The central part area
shows long anomalies of NW-SE strong orientation.
The south southern and south eastern parts show
short anomalies of NW-SE orientations as shown in
figure 3.0.

The SVD map emphasizes the expressions of local
features and removes the effects of large anomalies or
regional influences. The principal usefulness of this
enhancement is that the zero value contour lines on
the map follows sub-vertical edges of intra-basement
blocks or the edges of supra-basement disturbances
or faults. The centre of the SVD map indicated an
anomaly of very low density compared to the
surrounding regional geology and the 0mGal/km
2
contour lines around this feature signifies the
boundary between this anomaly of lower density and
the surrounding geology (Fig 4.0). The band pass
filter showed anomalies at the centre with very low
density compared to the surrounding geological
trends. These anomalies may be a salt body because
the density is relatively much lower than the density
of the surrounding area (Fig 2.0). The proposed 3-D
model has an internal geometrical consistency; it is
compatible with available geophysical data as shown
in figures 5.0a-d. The gravity model revealed the
occurrence of a relatively low density body at the
central part of the site. This deep low density body
accounts for intermediate wavelength-negative
gravity anomaly observed at the central. The
modelled feature reveals a fair cylindricity of a deep
structure which exhibits a broad negative anomaly of
about -9mGal. The best fit between the calculated
and the observed is obtained assuming an uplift of the
crystalline body of density 2.15g/cm
3
. It can be
interpreted as a result of relative uplift of salt dome at
the centre of the study area because the density value
lies in the range of pure salt density value. The
model generated consists of 37 parallel NE-SE planes
(Figs. 6.0 & 7.0). The final 3-Ddensity structure
shows a very good fit between measured and
modelled gravity field (Figs. 6.0 7.0), and the
standard deviation difference of 900Gal (Figs. 8.0 &
9.0). The top of the low density body is at 0.06km
depth and the bottom is 3.392km deep. The width of
the central uplift at the top is about ~4km, at a depth
of ~0.56km; the width is about ~7km at depth of
about ~1.56km, while the width is about ~9km and at
the bottom is about ~13km.
Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences (JETEAS) 2 (1): 1-6 (ISSN: 2141-7016)
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COCLUSIO
This study has demonstrated how 3-D gravity
modeling with integrating geophysical and geological
information can help to reveal the subsurface
structures that are difficult for seismic method in
hydrocarbon exploration within area of complex
geological setting. The study emphasizes the need of
3-D modeling and gravity integrated interpretation in
highly complex geological terrain. The needs of an
integrated geological and geophysical approach to
improve the understanding of the subsurface
structures were revealed. The integrated approach of
the gravity and seismic have high reliability in
resolution and accuracy, and the model is realistic in
the sense that the density, depth and geometry of the
subsurface causative body were suggested. The
calculated and the observed anomalies are deemed
sufficiently alike and a standard deviation of 900Gal
was obtained.

The model also revealed an uplift of a fair cylindrical,
deep, crystalline structure of density 2.15g/cm
3
;
which is an average density of salt, at depth between
0.06km and 3.392km. For a research of this kind,
where salt dome occurring at the site of hydrocarbon
exploration, the integration of gravity with seismic
makes a lot of sense as low density body displays a
negative anomaly effect best detected by gravity
analysis using seismic horizons as a constraint. The
integration procedure superflows as the density of the
body suggests and also predicts which type of body is
present beneath the subsurface via the density
information predicted. The 3-D modelling is very
useful in complex geologic setting and interpretations
of the geological data with a view to have a fore site
of what is most is likely to be present in the
exploration site, even before any analysis.

REFERECES
Bain, J.E., Weyand, J., Horscroft, T.R., Saad, A.H.,
and Bulling, D.N (1993). Complex Salt Features
Resolved by Integrating Seismic, Gravity, and
Magnetics. EAEG/EAPG 1993 Annual Conference
and Exhibition, expanded abstracts.

Henrik T. A and Timothy R. B (2005). AMG Mc
Phar Integration of seismic and non-seismic methods
for hydrocarbon Exploration: a Bolivian case history
GEOHORIZONS July 2005/27-29

Helen I. J. and Donald. C. L (2007). Benefit of
integrated seismic and gravity exploration. An
example from Norman wells NWT. Fold-Fault
Research Project, University of Calgary.

Huston, D. C., Huston D. E. and Johnson, E. (2004).
Geostatistical integration of velocity cube and log
data to constrain 3-D gravity modelling, deepwater
Gulf of Mexico: The Leading Edge, 23, 842-846.

Nafe, J. E., and C. L. Drake, (1957). Variation with
depth in shallow and deep water marine sediments of
porosity, density, and the velocity of compressional
and shear waves, Geophysics, 22, 523552, 1957

Shinya, O., Hitoshi, M., Hidefumi, W and Shikou, S,
(2002) A method for simultaneous velocity and
density inversion and its application to exploration of
subsurface structure beneath Izu-Oshima volcano,
Japan. Earth Planets Space, 54,803-817, 2002.

Wallace D. E. (1970). Estimating storage capacity in
deep allunium by gravity-seismic methods. Bulletin
of the international association of scientific
hydrocology, XV, 2 6/1970

Figure 1.0: Buguer Gravity Anomaly Map
Figure 2.0: Band pass filter 1-60km



Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences (JETEAS) 2 (1): 1-6 (ISSN: 2141-7016)
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Figure 3.0: First Horizontal Derivative
Figure 4.0: Second Vertical Derivative

Figure 5.0a: Body and Observe Gravity

Figure 5.0b: Body and Observe Gravity

Figure 5.0c: Body and Observe Gravity

Figure 5.0d: Body and Observe Gravity

Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences (JETEAS) 2 (1): 1-6 (ISSN: 2141-7016)
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Figure 6.0:Calculated Gravity Effect
Figure 7.0: Observed Gravity Effect
Figure 8.0: The Geomasters window showing the std
Dev of Cubic body


Figure 9.0: The Geomasters window showing the std
Dev of the modeled body