University of California

Valeri A Korneev

Gennady M Goloshubin

Andrey Victorovich Bakulin

Thomas M Daley

The detailed analysis of cross well seismic data for a gas reservoir in Texas revealed two newly detected seismic wave effects, recorded approximately 2000 feet above the reservoir. A tube-wave () is initiated in a source well () by a source (), travels in the source well (), is coupled to a geological feature (), propagates () through the geological feature (), is coupled back to a tube-wave () at a receiver well (), and is and received by receiver(s) () in either the same () or a different receiving well (). The tube-wave has been shown to be extremely sensitive to changes in reservoir characteristics. Tube-waves appear to couple most effectively to reservoirs where the well casing is perforated, allowing direct fluid contact from the interior of a well case to the reservoir.

Tube-wave seismic imaging

A method for identifying, imaging and monitoring dry or fluid-saturated underground reservoirs using seismic waves reflected from target porous or fractured layers is set forth. Seismic imaging the porous or fractured layer occurs by low pass filtering of the windowed reflections from the target porous or fractured layers leaving frequencies below low-most corner (or full width at half maximum) of a recorded frequency spectra. Additionally, the ratio of image amplitudes is shown to be approximately proportional to reservoir permeability, viscosity of fluid, and the fluid saturation of the porous or fractured layers.

Frequency-dependent processing and interpretation (FDPI) of seismic data for identifying, imaging and monitoring fluid-saturated underground reservoirs

Growing community of inventors

Lafayette, CA, United States of America

Valeri A Korneev