Quantitative Seismic Interpretation in the Canadian Oil Sands

The application of a quantitative interpretation workflow is illustrated using examples from two projects in different shallow formations in the Canadian oil sands. In an area with complex reservoirs, complex fluid distributions and unconventional rock property behaviour, high drilling density provides the data necessary for robust custom rock-physics templates. High quality shallow seismic data completes the conditions required for unprecedented detail in reservoir characterization, enabling accurate predictions of both lithology and fluids. The incorporation of multi-component data shows how an under-utilized dimension of seismic data can contribute to the accuracy of the solution. Finally, comparison of actual vs predicted drilling results from a significant number of wells supports the legitimacy of the quantitative information derived from the integrated process.