Effect of Kerogen and TOC on Seismic Characterization of Lower Cretaceous Shale Gas Plays in Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan

摘要

Unconventional energy resources such as shale gas are becoming an increasingly important exploration and production targets. Organic-rich shales are widely distributed in the sedimentary basins of Pakistan. Among these shales, organic-rich Sembar shale of the lower Cretaceous age is a strong potential shale gas play in the lower Indus basin of Pakistan. However, seismic and petrophysical characterization of this organic-rich shale is not well understood because of the complex dependency of the seismic and petrophysical properties of these rocks on mineralogical, heterogeneities, organic matter, clay content and thermal maturity. Therefore, to understand the seismic and elastic character of Sembar shales, rock physics modeling and seismic attribute analysis have been done. The results reveal that in-situ mineral composition, total organic content (TOC) and thermal maturity can influence significantly in inverse order to the seismic and elastic parameters of organic-rich shale. This work will facilitate the workers to interpret shale gas play and develop the exploration and production strategies for gas exploration and production.