2.5 - D Finite Element Algorithm for MCSEM Modeling

Recently a new and very important geophysical method for detection of oil-filled reservoir in deep-water areas has been introducing in the petroleum industry. The method, called Marine Controlled Source Electromagnetic (MCSEM), also known as Sea Bed Logging (SBL), maps the contrast between the electrical resistivity of an oilfilled reservoir and that of the sedimentary host strata. Usually the resistivity of the former is greater than that of the latter. The MCSEM method is based on the diffusion of electromagnetic energy at low frequency generated by a mobile horizontal electrical dipole and detected by an array of receivers distributed on seafloor. In this paper we present a finite element algorithm for 2.5-D MCSEM modeling. The performance of the algorithm is illustrated by means of some selected examples.