Integrating Advanced Seismic
Analysis with Rock Physical Modeling to Refine Stratigraphy and Predict Reservoir
Characteristics for the Norwegian Finnmark Carbonate Platform
Arnout Colpaert1, Juergen Mienert1, Gregor P. Eberli2, L. B. Henriksen3,
and Gregor T. Baechle2
1 University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
2 University of Miami, Miami, FL
3 Statoil, Harstad, Norway
Upper Paleozoic carbonates of the Norwegian Barents Sea have been subject of increasing exploration but a good understanding of potential reservoir distribution is paramount for success in this area. This study is an example of reservoir characterization for the Finnmark Carbonate Platform using 3 exploration wells and several 3D seismic
cubes. This complex platform succession contains a range of carbonate rocks, including dolostone, limestone and evaporites with highly variable porosities. Combining advanced
seismic
techniques such as
seismic
inversion, rock physical modeling from well logs and core plugs, and multi-attribute analysis provided a better understanding of the sequence stratigraphy and carbonate platform evolution. As a result, we achieved an integrated geological model that included estimations of porosity and lithology distribution from the inner to outer carbonate platform settings.
Detailed 3D seismic
imaging provided the subsurface morphology, but the use of inverted P-impedance
data
proved to be important for the recognition of platform geometry, the different lithological bodies, and the development of a solid stratigraphic framework. Hence, quantitative
seismic
interpretation
(QSI) demonstrates how rock physics can be applied to predict reservoir properties. QSI combines
seismic
attributes and inversion with fundamental rock physics to quantify the geophysical signature of rocks and fluid properties. Rock physical modeling with the effective medium theory was applied on the well log to extract porosity-impedance-relations within the individual stratigraphic intervals, where petrophysical measurements on core-plugs are used to calibrate these models. The results of the QSI increased the understanding of the Finnmark Platform potential reservoir and porosity distribution.