Improved Reservoir Mapping and Gas Initial in Place Estimation through Broadening the Frequency Spectrum of Seismic Data, East Mediterranean, Egypt

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, the East Mediterranean region of Egypt has garnered significant attention due to its abundant hydrocarbon resources. One of the key challenges faced by the exploration and development of these reserves is the complex reservoir sequence developed during the Pliocene-Pleistocene period. This complexity has resulted in inconsistencies between the static volumes computed for different Direct Hydrocarbon Indicator (DHI) and those generated through dynamic modeling. These inconsistencies have led to an underestimate of the gas volumes in certain gas-producing levels, hindering accurate reserve estimation. In an effort to address this issue, this paper aims to expand and enhance the frequency spectrum of seismic data to improve seismic data resolution hence image the complexity of the reservoir. To achieve this objective, several techniques are presented that seismic colored inversion (CI), seismic spectral blueing (SSB), and spectral decomposition attribute extractions. By increasing the frequency bandwidth of the seismic data, these techniques enhance the resolution of seismic attributes and improve the accuracy of reservoir characterization. The implementation of seismic CI and SSB techniques has been revealed successfully increase the vertical resolution of seismic data from 31 meters to 17 meters using SSB and to 23 meters using CI. These improvements have positively matched drilled wells, providing a more accurate estimate of the hydrocarbon reserves.