Natural Fracture Network Characterisation from P-wave Seismic Data, the Kharyaga Field

This paper describes the implementation of CGGVeritas Seismic Fracture Characterisation technology for fracture characterisation to the sub-arctic Khariaga block, in the Timan-Pechora Basin (Russia). The methodology applied follows the FracVista workflow. It is an integrated seismic fracture characterisation workflow that assesses the presence of anisotropy using wide-azimuth data and extracts anisotropy attributes (intensity and orientation). These are compared to and integrated with reservoir fracture analyses from well logs. Overall, the FracVista feasibility study applied to the Kharyaga data has detected measurable seismic azimuthal anisotropy and established a good correlation with the well data. A full implementation of this technology brings the following added value: acquisition footprint removal, 3D geostatistical decomposition or special filtering for acquisition footprint removal, complete well log analysis and integration of dynamic well test data, azimuthal elastic or acoustic impedance inversion to have 3D volumes of anisotropy intensity and orientation, and also to have a layer framework which suppress the 90º ambiguity.