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Seismic monitoring of hydrocarbon fluid flow

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Abstract

Time-lapse 3-D seismic monitoring of subsurface rock property changes incurred during reservoir fluid-flow processes is an emerging new diagnostic technology for optimizing hydrocarbon production. I discuss the physical theory relevant for three-phase fluid flow in a producing oil reservoir, and rock physics transformations of fluid-flow pressure, temperature and pore-fluid saturation values to seismic P-wave and S-wave velocity. I link fluid-flow physical parameters to seismic reflection data amplitudes and traveltimes through elastic wave equation modeling and imaging theory. I demonstrate in a simulated data example that changes in fluid-flow can be monitored and imaged from repeated seismic surveys acquired at varying production calendar times.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, 94305-2215, Stanford, CA, USA

    David E. Lumley

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  1. David E. Lumley
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Additional information

I would like to thank Amos Nur, Jack Dvorkin and James Packwood of the Stanford Rock Physics Laboratory for their help with the rock physics component of the synthetic data example. Sverre Strandenes and Norsk Hydro were very helpful in providing the reservoir geology information and fluid-flow simulation data. This work was supported by the Sponsors of the Stanford Exploration Project, under the Directorship of Prof. Jon Claerbout.

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Lumley, D.E. Seismic monitoring of hydrocarbon fluid flow. J Math Imaging Vis 5, 287–296 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01250285

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01250285

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