Thickness estimation using gradient of spectral amplitude from spectral decomposition

Tri Wuri Asri Sulistyoati* , Lita Novitasari, and Sonny Winardhi, Geophysical Engineering Program, Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology
Summary: This paper presents a novel approach for estimating thin bed thickness by using gradient of spectral amplitudes resulting from spectral decomposition. The gradient is calculated from the differences between amplitudes spectrum at two adjacent frequencies. The technique is based on the concept that seismic reflections from a thin bed have characteristic signatures in the frequency domain. Thicker beds have shorter period of spectral notches than thinner beds have. Consequently, steeper gradients of spectral amplitude representing thicker beds and lower gradients representing thinner beds. In this paper, the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) method is used for spectral decomposition. The application of the technique for mapping thin bed thickness distribution is presented. The gradient of spectral amplitude has been found to have better correlation to thickness than the conventional spectral amplitude to thickness. Introduction: Partyka (1999) introduced spectral decomposition method as a way of analyzing thin beds characteristics in the frequency domain. A short time window of seismic trace is transformed to the frequency domain using the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) to produce amplitude and phase spectra. The phase spectrum contains information about continuity and discontinuity in the data, while the amplitude spectrum gives information related to thickness of the beds. In the frequency domain, the convolution theory dictates that the spectrum of the seismic trace is a multiplication of the reflectivity and the wavelet spectra. The resulting spectrum, as depicted in Fig.1, is therefore a modified version of the thin beds reflectivity spectrum that has been overprinted by the wavelet spectrum. Partyka (1999) has also shown that the wavelet overprint can be significantly removed by spectral normalization to produce a better shape of thin beds reflectivity spectrum. The thin beds reflectivity spectrum contains a series of humps with distance between spectral peaks or notches is reversely related to temporal thickness of the bed (Partyka, 1999). 1 (1) f t where f = period of notches in the amplitude spectrum with respect to frequency (Hz) t = temporal thickness (s) There is no direct relationship between the value of amplitude spectrum at certain frequencies and bed thickness. However, as it can be seen in Fig.2, the reverse relationship between temporal thickness to periods of notches in the amplitude spectrum with respect to frequency implies that steeper and lower gradients of spectral amplitude represents thicker and thinner beds respectively.

Figure 1: The convolution model between reflectivity and wavelet in short time window (Partyka, 1999)

Based on this recognition, a new methodology to estimate bed thickness using gradient of amplitude spectrum resulting from spectral decomposition is proposed.

Thickness estimation using gradient amplitude of spectral decomposition

1. Interpretation of Markers Information of markers from well data is interpereted by using log correlation among wells. 2. Thickness Calculation The thickness of sand unit is calculated from markers data. The map below (Fig.4) shows the location of wells used in this study and the corresponding value of bed thickness in feet. Well STL-5 which probes the thickest layer of sand unit and the nearby well STL-6 which has the thinnest layer give a special challenge on the applicability of the proposed method.

Figure 2: Amplitude Spectrum vs Frequency (modified from Partyka, 1999)

y x

(2)

Where

m = gradient y = difference of amplitude x = interval of frequency

Methodology : In this study, spectral decomposition is used in combination with well data to provide thickness information. The gradient of spectral amplitude is calculated from the differences of amplitude spectrum between two adjacent frequencies. The workflow shown in Fig.3 depicts the combination of spectral decomposition results and well data to generate thickness map.

Figure 4: Map of sand thickness for various wells in feet

3. Seismic Interpretation The sand layer under study is relatively thin with respect to the seismic data resolution. Therefore, only one horizon which is tied to top of the sand beds is interpreted (after tying seismic to all the available wells). 4. Spectral Decomposition Application of the spectral decomposition using DFT on the poststack seismic data window centered at the horizon of interest give result the decomposed seismic volume in frequency domain which is called the tuning cube volume. A section of the resulting tuning cube is shown in Figs.5. a)

Figure 3: The flowchart of thickness mapping using well data (bed thickness) and gradient of spectral amplitude from spectral decomposition results (slice of amplitude spectrum difference)

Thickness estimation using gradient amplitude of spectral decomposition

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Figure 5: (a) A section of the resulting tuning cube with frequency indexed in the vertical direction after running spectral decomposition. (b) The zoom-in version of this section shows the effect of the wavelet overprint discussed in the text

5. Slicing of Frequency The tuning cube is then sliced at certain frequencies and each slice is normalized to remove the effect of wavelet overprint. The normalized slices are shown in Fig.6b and 6c. 6. Gradient of Spectral Amplitude Calculation The gradient of amplitude spectrum is calculated from the absolute differences between those two slices. The resulting gradient should now be related to bed thickness. 7. Correlation between thickness and gradient of spectral amplitude The relationship between the gradient of amplitude spectrum and bed thickness at well locations can now be determined by cross-plotting. Figure 6a shows positive linear correlation between well thickness and the gradient of amplitude spectrum, while Fig.6b and 6c show negative linear correlation between thickness and spectral amplitude. It can be observed that the gradient of amplitude spectrum give a much better correlation to thickness than the conventional amplitude spectrum to thickness. a)
Figure 6: Cross plot between net thickness versus (a) difference of amplitude spectrum (20 Hz - 24 Hz), (b) spectral amplitude at 20 Hz, (c) spectral amplitude at 24 Hz

8. Thickness Mapping Figure 7a is a map of bed thickness produced by using regression between well data and amplitude spectrum difference (20 Hz 24 Hz). The direction of sand distribution is north south, shown by reddish color. It can be seen from this map that the difference in sand thickness found in well STL-5 and STL-6 can now be better traced and a new propose well location can be attained at the highest sand thickness. a)

Thickness estimation using gradient amplitude of spectral decomposition

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Discussion of Results/Conclusions In spectral decomposition, the relationship between the gradient of spectral amplitude to bed thickness is the direct consequence of the fact that thicker beds have shorter period of spectral notches - hence steeper gradient - than thinner beds have. Application of the spectral decomposition technique to stacked seismic section using the gradient of spectral amplitude shows better correlation to bed thickness than the conventional slices of amplitude spectrum. The gradient of spectral amplitude shows positive linear correlation to bed thickness, while the conventional spectral amplitude shows negative correlation. Experiments also show that the gradient of spectral amplitude at low frequencies give better correlation to bed thickness than at high frequencies. This is due to the fact that the removal of wavelet overprint by spectral normalization performed better in low frequencies than in high frequencies. The strong correlation of the spectral amplitude gradient to bed thickness ensures the applicability of the proposed technique for mapping bed thickness distribution. This novel technique has succesfully been used to map the distribution of bed thickness in one of the oil fields in Indonesia. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank to the Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering at the Bandung Institute of Technology for the computing facilities. Support and helps from assistants in the Seismic Laboratory at the Geophysical Engineering Program is unforgettable.

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Figure 7: (a) Map showing the distribution of sandstone, (b) 20 Hz spectral amplitude, (c) 24 Hz spectral amplitude