Elastic impedance for reservoir fluid discrimination, prospect definition and risk assessment: a North Sea case history

Block 15/18a, operated by Petro-Canada, lies approximately 210 km north-east of Aberdeen (Figure 1) situated in the Outer Moray Firth. Recent technical work has focused on a complex Tertiary channel within which a prominent seismic anomaly exists. This channel system also contains the Macculloch and Brenda fields further to the southeast (Jones et al.) 2004). The channel system exhibits strong seismic reflection character due to significant contrasts in acoustic properties between the reservoirs (Forties and Balmoral sands) and the shale envelope (principally Sele Formation claystones). It is clear from the number of hydrocarbon bearing intervals penetrated by various wells along this Paleocene fairway, both within the channel and on its margins, that the channel system acts as a migration conduit for both oil and gas.