Relating Surface Seismic Attributes to Borehole and Core Measurements: A Case Study in the Barnett Shale, USA

The use of 3D seismic attributes has expanded dramatically and shows substantial promise for current and future applications. Two of the more common attributes, seismic anisotropy and curvature, have been compared to well and core data to understand the correlation between small scale rock physics at the borehole and their manifestation on surface seismic. Surface azimuthal anisotropy directions are shown to correlate with the borehole sonic data. The magnitude of the surface seismic anisotropy is seen to be greater in the faster rocks. This is consistent with the sonic logs which show higher anisotropy in the faster, more fractured limestones. Curvature is seen to be related to anisotropy and can be explained by fractures opening or closing, depending on the curvature.