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New possibilities for direct

exploration for oil and gas pools by
the seismic method
a

Yu. V. Timoshin & N. I. Yakubetskaya

Kiev Geophysical Division of Ukrainian Scientific-Research

Geological-Exploration Institute ,
Published online: 15 Sep 2009.

To cite this article: Yu. V. Timoshin & N. I. Yakubetskaya (1978) New possibilities for direct
exploration for oil and gas pools by the seismic method, International Geology Review, 20:5,
543-547, DOI: 10.1080/00206817809471421
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00206817809471421

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N e w possibilities for direct e x p l o r a t i o n for oil and

gas p o o l s b y the seismic m e t h o d

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Yu.V. Timoshin and N.I.

Until recently, proposed methods for the

direct exploration of oil and gas pools suggested
use of the change in physical parameters, e s pecially the velocities and absorption of seismic
waves, and the electrical resistivity and density
of the rocks in the pool region or above it ( 2).
However, these methods have low effectiveness,
which significantly decreases with increase in
depth of the pool and decrease in its thickness.
The Kiev Expedition of UkrNIGRI attempted
to develop a more effective method of direct
exploration for oil and gas pools on the basis
of diffraction (holographic) conversion of s e i s mic records in the imagery of the environment
( 1 , 3). During the process of diffraction conversion, more effective dampening of interference is achieved than during the OGT method,
diffracted waves are resolved better, and precision and detail in the resulting data are increased. The forms and other characteristics
of the geological boundaries and other objects
on the images correspond to the analogous features of actual objects in the environment. As
an example, two seismic-geologic sections of
the Talalayevo area are presented on Figure 1
for comparison, having been constructed from
MOGT data and seismic imagery.
The density and velocity values in the
petroleum-saturated portion of the layer depend
on its porosity and oil and gas capacity, and
are always somewhat lower than in the watersaturated portion. The data presented in the
table indicate that some parameters of the pool
differ considerably from those of the watersaturated layer. As a result, the coefficients
of reflection in the area of the pool and outside
it are dissimilar. Moreover, the wave field
in the area has been complicated by diffraction
from its contour, by reflections of the waves
from WOC [water-oil contact] (WGC [watergas contact] or GOC [gas-oil contact]), etc.
The complexity of the wave field and the p r e sence of interference do not permit us to establish the presence of the pool with the help of a
visual analysis of the seismograms and treat -

Translated from Novyye vozmozhnosti pryamykh poiskov zalezhey nefti i gaza seysmicheskim metodom,
Geologiya Nefti i Gaza, 1977, no. 4, p. 54-59. The
authors are with the Kiev Geophysical Division of
Ukrainian Scientific-Research Geological-Exploration
Institute.

Yakubetskaya

ment of the records of repeated profiling according to the OGT method. From the seismic
transforms, obtained during the diffraction
conversion of the seismic records, it is possible to reveal the features characteristic of
oil and gas pools. In particular, it is possible
to observe on the transformations practically
horizontal boundaries, corresponding to WOC
and WGC, and also definite changes in the amplitude-phase characteristics of the waves, r e corded in the top area of the pool. This is p r i marily associated with a change in the amplitude
and phase of the wave, reflected from the top
of the pool, and with diffusion of the hydrocarbons into the layers covering the pool ( t r a n s i tional layer). The phase correlation of the
boundary corresponding to the top of the pool
must be disturbed, and its subsequent phases
weakened. The apparent thickness of the pool
is thus increased.
The features defining the presence of the
pool on the seismic transforms do not depend
on the depth of the investigations if we disregard the increase in the level of interference
with depth. The possibility of the recognizing
the WOC boundary increases the reliability of
discovering the pool.
In order to assess the possibilities of the
diffraction method during the discovery and
mapping of oil and gas pools, we investigated
40 areas, including 16 well-confirmed petroleum occurrences. The construction of the
seismic transforms was achieved using a combination of D- and MD-conversions 1 based on
seismograms from 6-12 profiles. 2 All or part
of the features indicating pools were recorded
for 100% of the known pools on the seismic
images. In all cases, almost horizontal boundaries associated with WOC and WGC were
traced continuously or in sectors, and also
damping of some signal phases were recorded
in the area of the pools.
Judging from the experimental data, the
characteristic features on the seismic image
indicating the presence of a pool in the environment are:

'D - diffraction conversion; MD - diffraction conversion through a field of imaginary sources (3).
The algorithms and programs of diffraction conversion were developed by Yu.V. Timoshin and A.I.
Chizhik.

Internat. Geology Rev., v. 20, no. 5

IGR is not registered with the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.
543

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INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGY REVIEW

DH1-R
XS

DH 23R
120

DH 8 - R
135

B-26

FIGURE 1. Seismologlcal sections along profile XXI of the Talalayevo gas-condensate deposit, constructed from data of repeated profiling (a) and diffraction conversion (b).
1 - reflecting horizons; 2 - geologic boundaries; 3 - WGC; 4 - WOC; 5 - tectonic disturbances.

the presence of continuously or discontinuously traced, practically horizontal boundaries

among the principal boundaries with other
slopes. They may correspond to WOC or WGC,
and in some cases to GOC;
a change in the form of the signals from
the reflected wave above the horizontal boundary (inversion of the phase of reflection, dampening to zero of one of the phases of reflection,
change in the signal spectrum, e t c . ) ;
a change (often an increase) in the amplitude of the wave, reflected from the top of the
reservoir layer in the region above the horizontal boundary, corresponding to WOC (WGK);
a weakening in the amplitude of the signals
of the image below the WOC boundary;
a change in the amplitude of the signals in
the region of diffusion of the hydrocarbons from
the pool.
Significantly, the features of the presence
in the section of the oil or gas pool under consideration are similarly applicable both to

544

terrigenous and to carbonate (jointed) reser voirs.

A combination of all or of a portion of the
features with high probability indicate the p r e sence of an oil and gas pool in the appropriate
region of the environment. Actual changes in
the shape of the signals in the region of a pool
depend on a number of circumstances: the
ratio between the thickness of the pool and that
of the transitional layer to the wavelength,
porosity, and petroleum-saturation of the r e servoir layer, changes in the coefficient of
reflection on the upper boundary of the pool
and the transitional layer, the degree of saturation of the transitional layer in gas, the
angles between the roof of the layer and the
WOC, and other factors.
Figure 2 shows the seismic image obtained
with the aid of a combined D-conversion of a
sixfold profiling along Profile XVDI of the
Monastyrishche oil field. At a depth of 3400 m
along reflecting horizon V^, an anticlinal r i s e

YU.V. TIMOSHIN AND N.I. YAKUBETSKAYA

/DH__23^| :

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tJQH 2 2 - B .

FIGURE 2. Seismic image along Profile XVIII of the Monastyrishche oil field (a) and graphs of distribution of energy of seismic signals above pool (b).
1 - WOC; 2 - graphs of total energy; 3 - energy anomalies; 4 - region of hydrocarbon diffusion from
pool.

545

INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGY REVIEW

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Parameter

Velocity

AK =

Density

Ap =

Coefficient of reflection

Difference in parameter,

Characteristics of
parameter
Kpi Vwl
Vwl
Pol P wl

Up to10

*wl

Gas pool

20 Up t o - 1 5

30

Up to 2

up to 8

Up to + 7 - 8

Up to + 8 - 2 0

Pwl
*ol * w l

A*1.2 + J

Oil pool

Note: ol - oil-saturated portion of layer; wl - water-saturated.

is clearly defined. The reflection is multiphase.

The first phase o reflection may be continuously
traced. The second phase, clear at the
beginning of the image, dies out toward PK34. 50, and then its individual parts of small
intensity appear. Beginning with PK-54. 00,
the second phase is reduced; the intensity of
the reflection increases with distance from
PK-54. 00. The third phase may be traced
quite clearly throughout the entire profile. Its
intensity decreases in the interval PK-34 - 54.
Between the second and third phases, against
a background of reflections forming the anticlinal rise, we may clearly discern the horizontal axis of co-phase type, which may be
traced in the interval between PK-34 - 54, and
has been treated by us as WOC. In this interval, contours of a commercial accumulation of
oil were recorded. The maximum thickness of
the accumulation in DH-4 is 17 m. The horizontal boundary of weak intensity between the
WOC and the first phase of reflection probably
corresponds to an intercalation of refractory
clays. On Figure 2, a region of hydrocarbon
diffusion may be recognized, enabling us to
differentiate the ATZ corresponding to the
hydrocarbon accumulations, and similar anomalies caused by local geological objects, distinguished from the surrounding medium on
physical properties.

Analogous results were obtained in other

areas, and along with 16 known pools, 17 anom546

alies of the pool type were recognized; petroleum occurrence in three of them was subsequently confirmed by drilling, and four others
are being drilled. In five areas, pools were
mapped completely or in part, depending on the
presence of profiles intersecting the pool ( Shurovskaya, Sivashskaya, e t c . ) . Anomalies of
the pool type in the Talalayevo gas-condensate
deposit were the hardest to recognize because
of an extremely complicated structure, a higher
level of interference, and a thin accumulation
( about 4-20 m) at depths of 3-4 km. In this
deposit, Horizon N-9 is productive in Well 1
( 3320-3332 m, hef = 4. 5 m) and in Well 23
( 3285-3330 m), and in the remaining drill
holes it is water-saturated or has been replaced
by denser rocks; Horizon V-15 has been probed
jointly with Horizon V-16 in Well 1 ( 3482-3492,
3506-3522 m, hef = 9. 6 m; 14 m) and in Well
23 ( 3450-3460, 3745-3490 m, h^f = 9 m ) . As
a result of probing, a gas flow with condensate
was obtained. In the other wells, the horizon
was irrigated.
The productivity of Horizon V-26 was e s tablished in Well 1 (3740-3763 m, hef = 8. 2 m ) ,
Well 23 ( 3721-3768 m, hef = 20 m ) , and Well
24, where the horizon is. completely gas-saturated. During subsequent tests, we established
that the underlying interval in Well 1 ( 37623800 m) and Well 23 (3768-3805 m) is also gas
saturated. Horizon V-26 is the equivalent of
the Monastyrishche productive sequence.

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YU.V. TIMOSHIN AND N.I. YAKUBETSKAYA

On the seismic image (fig. 3), the WCCs

of all the productive horizons, penetrated by
wells (N-9, V-15-16, V-26 - 26) and WOC
were recognized. The WCCs on the seismic
image are practically horizontal sectors of
straight lines, observed from the two ends of
the pool and lying on a single level. All these
WGCs coincide with those penetrated by wells.
On the image we recognize a WOC in the interval where oil-shows (V-17) were recorded
in Well 23. This horizon corresponds to the
WOC in the region of PK-79 - 90. All the
WGCs and WOCs, constructed on the basis of
seismic data and on drilling data, coincide
( see fig. lb). The recognition of anomalies,
corresponding to pools, is intensely difficult in
this deposit. This suggests that the defined
parameters of the Talalayevo deposit occur at
the limits of resolution of our methodology of
forecasting oil and gas pools. The use of direct
exploration (forecasting) and outlining of an
oil and gas pool considered here demonstrates
that it convincingly allows recognition of anomalies, corresponding to pools with a thickness
of 15-20 m and more, at depths down to 4-4.5
km. Therefore, the suggested methodology
is recommended for sampling with the objective
outlining pools already discovered by drilling;
verifying new structures already found, in
order to select the most promising of them for
the immediate initiation of exploratory drilling;

exploration and research into pools not

associated with anticlinal folds;
carrying out revision work on areas where
oil and gas pools have not been found during
drilling (in the presence of reservoirs in the
section).

REFERENCES
Timoshin, Yu. V. , ( E d . ) , 1972, THE
METHODOLOGY AND TECHNIQUES OF
DIFFRACTION CONVERSION OF SEISMIC
RECORDS AND TIME SECTIONS IN ILLUSTRATING THE ENVIRONMENT: Izd-vo
Naukova Dumka, Kiev, 228 pp.
Sergeyev, L. A., et a l . , 1973, EXPLORATION FOR OIL AND GAS DEPOSITS
WITH THE AID OF DIRECT GEOPHYSICAL METHODS ( AN ANALYSIS OF THE
SCIENTIFIC-TECHNICAL LEVEL BASED
ON A PROBLEM) : Izd-vo Nauka, Moscow,
42 pp.
Timoshin, Yu. V., 1972, FUNDAMENTALS
OF DIFFRACTION CONVERSION OF
SEISMIC RECORDS: Izd-vo Nedra, Moscow, 262 pp.
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