D R .

RWAI DA KAI S E R

LEC T URE 4 – P ET ROLE UM E X P LORATION - PART 2

 Seismic Method
o it is most successful and widely applied method of determining the type of rock, their
relative depth and the location of traps that are suitable for petroleum accumulation and
finding good drilling locations .
o The word “seismic” refers to vibrations of the earth, including both earthquakes and
artificially created sound waves that penetrate into the earth. Sounds measured are in the
frequency range of about 10–100 cycles.s¯¹ . The depths investigated for a sound to travel
into the earth and return are as much as 16 km.
o This methods is based on the difference in propagation velocity of artificially induced
elastic wave through various subsurface strata (i.e. seismic waves travel with different
velocities in different rocks). A sound waves, generated by explosion of dynamite or viber
series, which are sending through the earth. A pattern of recording detectors
(Geophones) arranged at known distance from the shot points record the arrival time of
the reflected and refracted waves.
 Seismic Method
oIf wave paths and their velocities are known, then their travelled distances
can be found by the time of arrival at the detectors
Note: variations in depth from a common surface elevation indicate
structure.
odetermining the depth at a large number of points the geophysicist create a
profile of the underground layer along the line
oData received is recorded on a paper known as seismograph.
oSeismograms generate a seismic section, which is a two- dimensional slice
from the surface of the earth downward.
oThe information from a seismic survey indicates the types of rock, their
elative depth, and whether a trap is present.
• Seismic Method Energy source »
oOnshore source are
– Explosives
– Dropping heavy weight
– Vibrating plate
oOff shore source are
– Electric sparker (implosion, shallow depths)
– Air gun (bubble of compressed air, up to 5km)

o Two basic seismic techniques exist, which are:

- Refraction method
- Reflection method
Seismic Survey
Onshore seismic operation
• Refraction technique :
o in this technique, the wave travelling along a o it is the principle important technique that is used for
boundary between rocks of different elastic
properties is utilized. Distance between shot
point to recorders (Geophone) is 2 to 8 miles.
o the resulting shock waves caused by the
explosives travel faster through salt and
limestone than through the associated
sedimentary rocks.
o Seismic refraction is also a useful
reconnaissance tool for determining the depth
of a high velocity metamorphic or igneous
basement below a small sedimentary basin,
etc.; each geologic formation has a
characteristic seismic velocity that affects the
arrival time.
o Seismic refraction is used primarily as a
reconnaissance tool to select area and obtain
interpretative data for the more detailed
reflection method
• Reflection technique :
petroleum exploration. It uses the wave reflected from
boundaries between rocks. Since the wave velocities
are known, their depth (travel distance) may be
computed from the arrival time recorded by
geophones as follows:
1
ℎ= 𝑣2 𝑡 2 − 𝑥2
2
Where:
h= depth, v = propagation velocity , t= record arrival
time, x = distance between geophone and shot point
o In this technique, the distance between the shot point
to records is less than 1 mile. The success ratio of
seismic survey is 1 to 5.
o records reflected shock waves from a number of
successive beds and their angle of inclination along the
line of observation.
• 3D Seismic :
o in this technique, a company runs
many seismic survey close together to
create a series of seismic sections of
an area (3 to 5 Km²). Computer
programs paste these sections
together to form a cubic picture of the
area.
o The advantages of 3D seismic is that
the explorationist can move the cube
in any direction which provide much
more reliable information about the
geologic structures it contains.
o Note: After all these methods, maps and
pictures, now we can decide the location
of exploration wells.
 Exploration Drilling
• The data collected from the geologic and geophysical survey are used to
determine the geological structure that may contain oil or gas. Then the
exploration well (wild cat well) is drilled in location determined by geological and
geophysical methods to determine the petroleum existence in this geological
traps. This first well is drilled with in sufficient data available about nature of
drilled formation, fluid and the pressure that may exist in various formations.
• Also we need to determine the petroleum exists in these geological traps that
may make the development of oil and gas fields economical or not. The only way
to provide a definite answer is to drill and test exploratory well(s). This first well
dose not represent the optimum design and would probably cost much more than
the rest of the wells that will be drilled in the field.
• The exploratory well will provide important data on rock and fluid properties,
type and saturation of fluid, initial reservoir pressure, and reservoir productivity.
These are data is important for the development of the field also to provide a
better definition of the size and characteristic of the new reservoir.
• Exploration wells may result in hitting dry holes or they may prove the reservoir
to be an uneconomical development.
• So we concluded that :
• Once geological and geophysical information have defined and
evaluated (technically and economically) the drillable prospect, it is
possible to move to a fundamental phase of the exploration project –
the drilling of the first exploratory well.
• The drilling of the exploration well is aimed to confirm the presence
of the petroleum accumulation.