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org/

Carbonate
Seismology

Edited by
Ibrahim Palaz
Kurt 1. M a ifu rt

Series Editor
Leon A. Thomsen

Geophysical Developments Series, No.6

Society of Exploration Geophysicists

SEG thanks Amoco Production Company for its contribution of typesetting

and graphics services toward the publication of this book.
Downloaded 05/29/14 to 199.6.131.16. Redistribution subject to SEG license or copyright; see Terms of Use at http://library.seg.org/

Carbonate Seismology / edited by Ibrahim Palaz, Kurt J. Marfurt

p. cm. -- (Geophysical developments series; no. 6)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-56080-038-5
l. Carbonate reservoirs. 2. Stratigraphic traps (Petroleum
geology). 3. Seismic prospecting. I. Palaz, Ibrahim. II. Marfurt, K. 1. III
Series: Geophysical development series; v. 6.
TN870.57.C37 1997
622' . 1828--cd20

ISBN 978-0-931830-41-9 (Series)

ISBN 978-1-56080-038-5 (Volume)

Society of Exploration Geophysicists

P. O. Box 702740
Tulsa, OK 74170-2740

© 1997 by Society of Exploration Geophysicists

All rights reserved. This book or parts hereof may not be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the publisher.

Published 1997
Reprinted 2003, 2008

Printed in the United States of America

 Contents

Preface ................................................................................................................... vii

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Acknowledgments ................................................................................................ viii

Chapter 1: Carbonate Seismology: An Overview .................................... 1

I. Palaz
K. J. Marfurt

Chapter 2: Carbonate Depositional Environments and

Diagenesis .................................................................................. 9
J. L. Wilson

Chapter 3: Seismic Properties of Carbonate Rocks ............................... 29

z. Wang
Chapter 4: Sonic Velocity in Carbonate Sediments and Rocks ............ 53
F. S. Anselmetti
G. P. Eberli

Chapter 5: Acoustic Properties of Carbonate Rocks:

Use in Quantitative Interpretation of Sonic and
Seismic Measurements ........................................................... 75
D. Marion
D. Jizba

Chapter 6: Carbonate Seismic Facies Analysis ...................................... 95

D. B. Macurda Jr.

Chapter 7: Carbonate Sequence Stratigraphy and its

Application to Hydrocarbon Exploration and
Reservoir Development ....................................................... 121
W. M. Fitchen

Chapter 8: Characteristics of Natural Fractures

in Carbonate Strata ............................................................. 179
J. C. Lorenz
W. D. Rizer
H. E. Farrell
M. D. Sonnenfeld
C. L. Hanks

iii
 Chapter 9: Remarks on Exploration Tools: Integrated
Exploration Strategy Applied to Carbonate
Environments ....................................................................... 203
K. Fischer
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M. Holling
R. Marschall
J. Mau

Chapter 10: Seismic Data Processing Flow in Areas of

Shallow Carbonates ............................................................. 223
M. T. Taner

Chapter 11: Measurement and Identification of 3-D Coherent

Noise Generated from Irregular Surface
Carbonates ............................................................................ 281
C.J.Regone

Chapter 12: Seismic Signatures of Carbonate Diagenesis ..................... 307

P. D. Wagner

Chapter 13: Porosity Detection and Mapping in a Basinal

Carbonate Setting, Offshore Norway ................................. 321
R. M. D'Angelo
M. K. Brandal
K. 0. R¢rvik

Chapter 14: Case Studies of Multicomponent Seismic Data

for Fracture Characterization: Austin Chalk
Examples ............................................................................... 337
x.-Y. Li
M. C. Mueller

Chapter 15: Seismic Modeling of a Carbonate Platform

Margin (Montagna della Maiella, Italy): Variations
in Seismic Facies and Implications for Sequence
Stratigraphy .......................................................................... 373
F. S. Anselmetti
G. P. Eberli
D. Bernoulli

iv
 Chapter 16: Development of an Exploration Concept for
the Shuaiba Formation Using Seismic Sequence
and Facies Analysis with Forward Modeling .................... 407
K. C. Fischer
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U. Moller
R. Marschall

Chapter 17: Imaging of a Stratigraphically Complex Carbonate

Reservoir with Crosswell Seismic Data .............................. 417
R. T. Langan
S. K. Lazaratos
J. M. Harris
A. A. Vassiliou
T. L. Jensen
J. W. Fairborn

Chapter 18: Carbonate Platform Seismic Sequence Attributes,

Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela ............................................... 425
T. C. Stiteler
R. W. Scott
F. J. Chacartegui
I. Azpiritxaga
O. J. Ortega
C. K. Taylor

v
Downloaded 05/29/14 to 199.6.131.16. Redistribution subject to SEG license or copyright; see Terms of Use at http://library.seg.org/
 Preface
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We first collaborated in the area carbonate seismolo-
gy in 1990 while mapping Cretaceous and Tertiary car-
bonate reservoir facies from neighboring seismic data
surveys gathered in the Pelagic Sea of Tunisia and Mal-
ta. Both areas, one shallow water «50 m) and one deep
water (>500 m), were plagued by a "penetration" prob-
lem through shallow carbonates and by a resolution
problem of low-relief stratigraphic targets at depth.
While the geologists on our teams had an ample supply
of up-to-date sources devoted to the details of carbonate
sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy, those of us
working on the seismic data were left to our own devic-
es. With considerable effort, we were able to come up
with a handful of technical papers, some good notes
from continuing education courses, and a thick pile of
expanded abstracts from diverse sources to help us un-
derstand the seismic expression of carbonates. We aug-
mented this sparse material with expert advice from our
Amoco colleagues, our contractors, and our partners.
It was at this point when we first saw the need for an
integrated reference book on carbonate seismology, and
we vowed that once we were finished with our assign-
ments, we would attempt to put such a book together.
The years of 1992-1994 were tumultuous in the petro-
leum industry, with most of the major oil companies
downsizing and the competing service companies con-
solidating. During this period, we saw many of our ex-
perienced colleagues who had provided us with expert
advice leave the oil industry. With this additional lack of
available "folk" wisdom in the area of carbonate seis-
mology, we found it more imperative than ever to cap-
ture the current state-of-the-art before it was lost to
posterity.
Our goal was to produce a book that would integrate
the principles of carbonate geology with its seismic ex-
vii
pression and would be readily understandable to the
practicing geologists, geophysicists, and engineers that
form the exploration and exploitation teams in the petro-
leum industry. The result is a single integrated volume,
written in plain language by acknowledged experts in
their fields, that illustrates the interrelationships of car-
bonate geology, petrology, sequence stratigraphy, rock
properties, seismic data acquisition, seismic data pro-
cessing, and integrated interpretation.
We have taken care in the editing process to ensure
that every concept is explained clearly and concisely
without getting lost in domain-specific terminology. Our
hope is that this volume will sit dog-eared on the desk of
every practicing geoscientist, to help the seismic data
processor determine parameters to enhance the fidelity
of carbonate images, to help the seismic interpreter bet-
ter recognize the expression of sequence stratigraphy, to
help the engineer understand patterns of permeability
and fractures, and to help the carbonate geologist under-
stand the expression of the rock record at the seismic
scale and differentiate it from common seismic acquisi-
tion and processing artifacts.
We have provided ample examples on the applica-
tion of carbonate AVO and acoustic logging. Tying
acoustic logs to seismic is a common theme throughout
the book. We have included two chapters by Fischer et
al. and by D' Angelo et al. that show how, with the aid of
careful seismic modeling, AVO can be calibrated and
used to map porosity in carbonate rocks.
We wish to thank all the contributing authors for
their hard work, perseverance, and patience. We also
want to thank those authors who had hoped to contribute
to this volume and did much of the work but, through
the turmoil in the oil industry, found themselves severed
from their data and ultimately unable to contribute.
Ibrahim Palaz
Kurt J. Marfurt
 Acknowledgments
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Each of these chapters underwent a rigorous peer re-
view process. All but two of the reviewers have served
as associate editors for journals of the Society of Explo-
ration Geophysicists or the American Association of
Petroleum Geologists. We therefore wish to thank Edith
Wilson, J. P. Blangy, Norm Neidell, R. Loucks, Ron
Nelson, Don Rice, Mike Graul, David Farel, S. Mallick,
Ken Nibbelink, Don Winterstein, Randy Keller,
H. Karazincir and Greg Riley. The early design of this
book was heavily influenced by Prof. Cahit Coroh at
Virginia Tech, while our SEG Series Editor, Leon
Thomsen, guided and encouraged us through the SEG
publications process. We are most grateful for the care-
ful editing and design provided by Kathy Walker of
viii
Editorial Technologies, as well as to SEG Publication
Manager Ted B akamj ian, who managed production of
the book and proofread the final version.
Most important of all we wish to thank our col-
leagues at Amoco-our fellow geoscientists who helped
us with the preliminary reviews, Rita Langford who
helped with the communications with the authors, and
the workers in the Amoco Westlake Media Center, who
helped in translation and drafting of several of the docu-
ments. In particular, we wish to acknowledge the care
and dedication exercised in the typesetting of this book
by Julie Youngblood, Vicki Wilson and Charlie Johnson
of Amoco's Tulsa Document Services and Graphic
Services.
I.p.
K.J.M.