P-wave Seismic Azimuthal Anisotropy for Detection and Prediction of Fractures in a Middle Eastern Carbonate Reservoir

Management of carbonate reservoirs often needs to go beyond characterizing matrix properties to include fault and<br>fracture effects, which can significantly impact water break-through and oil sweep efficiency. Predicting the flow<br>impact of faults and fractures can benefit from the identification of these features from seismic data. Given their<br>anisotropic nature, fracture trends in carbonate reservoirs have a reasonable chance of being detected with seismic<br>methods. We will present the use of P-wave prestack seismic azimuthal anisotropy inversion for the detection and<br>prediction of fractures in a Cretaceous Middle Eastern carbonate reservoir.