Seismic impedance inversion and interpretation of a gas carbonate reservoir in the Alberta Foothills, western Canada

摘要

Acoustic and simultaneous elastic impedance inversions of a 2D land seismic data set are performed to characterize a carbonate reservoir of Mississippian age in the Turner Valley Formation, in the Rocky Mountain foothills of western Canada. The inversions produce P-wave and S-wave impedance sections (I_p and I_s, respectively), from which Lame parameter x density (λρ and μρ) sections are derived. The I_p data provide a separation between the elastics and carbonates. The μρ data provide an estimate of porosity distribution within the dolomitized limestone target. Deviations from baseline curves for water-saturated carbonates, of λρ versus porosity, λ/μ versus porosity, and I_s versus I_p are interpreted as indicators of gas potential. These indicators all provide similar spatial patterns of areas of high gas potential and are consistent with the gas occurence observed in a well.