Application of time-lapse seismic shear wave inversion to characterize the stimulated rock volume in the Niobrara and Codell reservoirs, Wattenberg field, CO

Abstract

Advances in horizontal drilling and completions in shale reservoirs have allowed operators to extract hydrocarbons within low permeability reservoirs that were once impossible to access. The integration of time-lapse multicomponent seismic data with engineering technology aids in the characterization of these reservoirs through monitoring. This thesis investigates the fast and slow shear wave components of a time-lapse, nine-component seismic survey to determine the stimulated volume in the Niobrara and Codell reservoir intervals. The time-lapse post-stack inversions of the shear wave datasets provide insight into how the shear impedance is affected by hydraulic fracturing through the work of cross-equalized seismic shear impedances and shear wave splitting. The study area is the Wishbone Section within Wattenberg Field, CO, which is owned and operated by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and contains eleven horizontal wells that vary in spacing and completion methods. Shear seismic data sets were acquired over this section before and after hydraulic stimulation. The time-lapse shear seismic inversions show an increase in fast shear wave velocity and a decrease in slow shear velocity after stimulation. The sensitivity of both the fast and slow shear seismic to stimulation correlates with the net pressure trends at each stage. Borehole image log interpretations are compared to the inversions to analyze the affect that a complex fracture network has on induced anisotropy. The stimulated volume for the Niobrara and Codell reservoir intervals are now more accurately defined. Time-lapse shear seismic is the only technology that is able to define the stimulated rock volume and reveal areas that are not being accessed by the wells currently drilled. These areas are now detected within the Wishbone section, and may be candidates for future re-completion.