Multi-physics Characterisation of Reservoir Prospects in the Hoop Area of the Barents Sea

We present a case study from the Hoop area of the Barents Sea, in which seismic, well log and controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) data were integrated within a rock physics framework, to provide a robust assessment of the prospectivity of the area. Combining seismic and CSEM results can resolve the ambiguities that are present when only a single data type is considered. In this example, although seismic data identified potentially hydrocarbon bearing sands, the saturation was uncertain. In this area and at shallow depth, the main focus is on (very) high oil saturations. Adding the CSEM data in this setting allows us to distinguish between high saturations (> 70%), and low and medium saturations (< 50%): it is clear that saturations similar to those observed at the nearby Wisting well (>90%) are not present in this area. However, because of limitations on the sensitivity/recoverability of the CSEM data in this high resistivity environment, it is not possible to distinguish between low and medium saturations. This remains an uncertainty in the analysis.