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Paradigm™ Customer Newsletter, Vol.3 Ed.1 February 2010


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Paradigm SKUA and Paradigm GOCAD 2009.2 released

At the end of 2009, Paradigm released the latest version of Paradigm™ SKUA® and GOCAD®. Here are some of the new features and enhancements that were included. For a complete list and description, please click here to access the download site and the release notes (software and release notes download password protected - must be under valid maintenance to access).

  • Paradigm™ Epos® Link:
    • Epos well logs are now imported by reference.
    • 32-bit voxet properties can now be saved in Epos.
  • Paradigm SKUA:
    • Users are now able to edit faults direcly in 3D with a new fault editing tool.
    • Fig. 1: Editing faults interactively in the 3D Viewer.
    • Users can now easily create a thickness map to validate their model.
    • Fig. 2: Settings in the Checking Thickness and Volumes panel and resulting thickness map.
    • Additional alignment options for Flow Simulation Grids are now available. It is possible to align the grid along the dault dip or along the fault plane.
    • Fig. 3: Flow simulation grid aligned along borders and main fault.

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Paradigm Launches New StratEarth Training Course for Rock & Fluid Canvas 2009 Release

Paradigm is pleased to announce the creation of a new course for our users as part of the Rock & Fluid Canvas™ 2009 release. The new training course, Introduction to Paradigm™ StratEarth® for Well Correlation, is a two day course designed for geologists, petrophysicists, or other technical personnel interested in using StratEarth Rollup 1 for performing well correlation.

Procedures taught in the course include displaying a traverse, as a well section and a cross-section, editing a well display, interpreting stratigraphic markers, correlating interpretation from well to well, reviewing interpretation in the time migrated domain, printing plots, and saving images.

Prerequisites for the course include a background in geology, geophysics, or petrophysics, working knowledge of the operating system in use, and familiarity with Epos® applications such as the Paradigm Product Manager and Session Manager.

The course was officially launched in late 2009. Customers can register for this new course online. Paradigm has also released the new 2010 Training Catalog available on our training website. The training catalog gives a robust description of every course in Paradigm’s training portfolio.

Susan Lockhart
Technical Training Director

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» Paradigm Lunch & Learn Series in Calgary

Some of the industry's hottest topics will be addressed in a series of monthly Lunch & Learns at the Paradigm office. Join us for lunch and refreshments while watching demonstrations that can help you tackle today’s exploration challenges.

Register now >>

¤ February 24, 2010 - Higher Order Workflow®: Integrating Advanced Geological and Geophysical Interpretation

Part 1: Advancing Seismic Interpretation in Paradigm™ SeisEarth® presented by Andrea Pronk.
Part 2: Bridging the Gap between Geological and Geophysical Interpretation with Paradigm™ StratEarth™ presented by Kim McLean.

Feb24_LL"Visualization and interpretation of multiple 2D and 3D seismic surveys within SeisEarth 3D Canvas enable a better understanding of basin evolution. The speed and accuracy of advanced interpretation tools, such as 3D Propagator, result in a major acceleration of the interpretation process.

In this demo, we’ll show you how you can:
– Take your interpretation further with on-the-fly attribute extraction to enhance both the physical and geometric description of the sub-surface.
– Work from regional to prospect scales in 3D space to better understand reservoir connectivity and economic potential.Further validate your interpretation by fully integrating all available subsurface data in StratEarth.
– Complete geologic correlation and cross sections while incorporating live seismic displays and geophysical interpretations.
– Enable cross-disciplinary workflows to improve E&P processes."

¤ March 16, 2010 - Higher Order Workflow®: Integrating Geophysical Interpretation with 3D Seismic and Geological Reservoir Characterization

Part 1: Advanced seismic interpretation and geobody detection using Paradigm™ SeisEarth® and VoxelGeo® presented by Andrea Pronk.
Part 2: Seismic facies determination with Paradigm™ Stratimagic® and geological/seismic facies calibration to process a guided reservoir characterization with Paradigm™ GOCAD® presented by Dany Cadiou.

March16_LL.jpg"Visualization and interpretation of multiple 2D and 3D seismic surveys within SeisEarth 3D Canvas and VoxelGeo enable a better understanding of basin evolution. The speed and accuracy of advanced interpretation tools, such as 3D Propagator, result in a major acceleration of the interpretation process.
In this section, we’ll show you how you can:
– Take your interpretation further with on-the-fly attribute extraction to enhance both the physical and geometric description of the sub-surface.
– Extract geobodies based on attribute response to identify subtle prospects within your volume and to better understand reservoir connectivity and economic potential.

Then, to get a complete picture, geoscientists should tie their well bore data with their seismic data to take a closer look at rock properties. Relating geological facies to seismic facies within a reservoir model provides interpreters a more accurate and complete picture of the facies distribution within the reservoir.
Ultimately, a better understanding of your reservoir will give you a better estimate of your volumetrics and a better feel for your economics."

» Upcoming Training

Make the most of your investment in Paradigm technology by taking advantage of our first semester 2010 training sessions at the Paradigm Calgary Training Centre.

Paradigm™ Epos® System Administration

March 23-25

Paradigm™ VoxelGeo® 4.0 Basic

June 1-3

Paradigm™ VoxelGeo® Advanced: Advanced Visualization and Interpretation

March 16-18

Paradigm™ SeisEarth®: Multi-Survey (2D-3D) Interpretation

July 6-8

Basic Paradigm™ Stratimagic® 3.2: Seismic Interpretation and Facies Analysis

March 2-3

Basic Paradigm™ Stratimagic® 4.0

July 21-22

Introduction to Paradigm™ StratEarth™ for Well Correlation

June 29-30

Introduction to Paradigm™ GOCAD® for Building Geologic Models

February 22-24
April 19-21
June 21-23

Advanced Data Analysis and Property Modeling using Paradigm™ GOCAD®

February 25-26
April 22-23
June 24-25

Object Modeling Using Paradigm™ GOCAD®

May 20

Paradigm™ SKUA® Fundamentals

June 11

Modeling Reservoir Architecture Using Paradigm™ SKUA®

May 26-27

Introduction to Paradigm™ Geolog® 6

March 4-5
April 28-29
June 16-17

Paradigm™ Geolog® Facimage

February 18

Paradigm™ Geolog® Determin

July 28-29

Paradigm™ Geolog® Correlator

March 30

Paradigm™ Geolog® Multimin

April 13-14

Paradigm™ Geolog® Geosteer®: Well Directional Steering

June 8-9

For a printable list of our offerings, go here.

For course details and to register, visit www.pdgm.com and click on the Training tab. Alternatively, email Training Info.

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Probing the subsurface with amplitude versus angle analysis - Rock & Fluid Canvas 2009 Paradigm Probe New Features

Asset geoscientists routinely make use of amplitude versus angle (AVA) inversion and analysis procedures at every stage of the reservoir cycle. These AVA procedures play a role in exploration (as direct hydrocarbon indicators), in appraisal and delineation (as lithology indicators), and in field development (as a fluid migration indicator). To understand how lithology and fluid changes impact the amplitude versus angle “signature “and to make this data and information available to interpreters in a convenient and transparent manner, you need a software solution that is rich in signal (seismic and well) analysis and that connects to the interpreters canvas so that this additional dimension of information can be incorporated into the earth model.

Paradigm™ Probe™ amplitude versus angle system was engineered to meet the challenges and expectations of the E&P community by combining processing, interpretation, visualization, modeling, and analysis tools with the best amplitude versus angle (AVA) science. By doing so, both seismic and geologic interpreters have the “bridge” to better understand the correlations and disparities between well log signatures and seismic amplitudes present in the interpretation deliverables. Additionally, Probe’s seismic inversion suite can be used to create a new set of volume deliverables (e.g. angle stacks, fluid factor, P and S wave reflectivities) to qualify amplitude anomalies and strengthen the interpreter’s prospecting, ranking, and delineation capabilities.

Fig. 1: Co-visualization of fracture density and coherence cube attributes.

The Rock & Fluid Canvas™ 2009 version of Probe breaks new ground as an exploration and delineation tool with its support for the Azimuthal inversion of seismic data. Inversion is an ideal match for modern rich and wide azimuth seismic acquisitions that “sample” the directional dependence of amplitude as a function of the acquisition (source to receiver) azimuth. For many of the unconventional plays (e.g. shale gas), this advanced inversion capability allows geoscientists to generate new attributes (e.g. fracture orientation, anisotropic gradient, fracture density) that reveal stress orientations and intensity (Figure 1).

These attributes become part of the data asset portfolio for the placement of laterals. It also supports geosteering activities in these very topical reservoir plays.

Fig. 2: Well to seismic calibration utility.

The Rock & Fluid Canvas 2009 versions of Probe also introduces expanded and advanced well to seismic calibration functionality, including support for multi-well operations such as wavelet extractions and synthetics generation (Figure 2).

These functionalities allow Probe users, for example, to explore different wavelet extraction options (e.g. time variant wavelets, new amplitude-phase split wavelet estimation methods) that result in improved synthetics generation, improved seismic to well calibration, and consequently improved AVA attribute quality and accuracy. Of particular importance to Probe users is the ability to use the well to seismic calibration utility to more easily perform angle dependent wavelet extractions and to carry out modeling and calibration operations in multi attribute mode. In this mode, wavelets can be extracted separately for each attribute, and modeling is then performed using these attribute-dependent wavelets.

Finally, Probe users will enjoy new data preconditioning options to improve AVA quality, including automatic flattening of main gather events (with interpolation shifts in between), wavelet unstretching to remove wavelet stretch due to NMO or migration operations, and improved fourth order NMO corrections for better handling of long offset data.

Duane Dopkin
Senior Vice President - Technology

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4D Modeling of Salt-Sediment Interactions During Diapir Growth

Challenges

Salt related structures hold a large economical interest in oil exploration, not only because they create traps or seals, but also because of their control on the development of reservoirs in adjacent sediments. Trusheim's (1960) study of salt diapirs in northern Germany showed that the stratal patterns adjacent to diapirs form two main sediment bodies (Figure 1A): the primary rim-syncline thins towards the salt pillow, whereas the secondary rim-syncline thickens towards the diapir, thus recording the transition from the pillow to the diapir. Geometrical reconstruction through time of the successive evolution stages is essential to constrain both the reservoir setting and strain, but also to propose a valid scenario as an input for basin modeling.

Figure 1: A) Three-stage growth of salt dome (Trusheim 1960);
B) 3D analog model reproducing the setting up of the 3 successive rim-synclines (Rondon et al., 2006).

Diapir growth

Figure 1B shows the evolution with time of a model based on the gravitational settling of the overburden, following the inception of the pillow by erosion. The first rim syncline follows the growth of the pillow. Flank rotation occurs due to the differential pressure gradient along the gently dipping diapir walls. The down building of the diapiric body is a late phenomenon, associated to a crestal graben parallel to the diapir elongation, and to the flank rotation, which is delayed by the rigidity of the overburden flank above the salt pillow.

Figure 2: 3D evolution of a salt dome from North Germany, with a similar three stage evolution.
The kinematic scenario is obtained by the sequential restoration of the present day geometry with Kine3D-2 (Rondon et al., 2006).

Thanks to GDF Suez and its subsidiary PEG-Lingen, we were given the opportunity to compare our modeling results to a real seismic case study. The 3D evolution of the salt structure is obtained by using Paradigm Kine3D-2 on the model built with GOCAD (Figure 2). The Late Permian salt evolves first as a salt pillow. When the first rim syncline reaches the basement, during the erosive stage of the Lower Cretaceous, it triggers the development of the second rim-syncline. The age of the initiation of growth coincides with that obtained during the study of the Gorleben salt diapir. The salt volume estimate computed from the 3D model shows a good correlation between the pillow withdrawal and the diapir growth, indicating a mostly closed system evolution.

Diapir pinching during contraction

Figure 3: 3D model built with GOCAD illustrating the compression
of pre-existing silicon diapirs and restored using Kine3D.

A complex pattern of salt diapirs and large folds shapes the southern Zagros province (Iran), at this point in time still an under-explored area. Analog laboratory experiments (Figure 3) are designed to better understand the mechanisms of diapir extrusion, and particularly the critical role of pre-existing salt structures (i.e. pillows and diapirs) in the localization and evolution of newly formed fold sequences. During shortening, pre-existing ridges and domes are pinched horizontally, forcing the silicone mainly upwards through the overburden layer (Figure 4). The fold pattern is directly controlled by the pre-existing salt structures: originally sub-circular diapirs will constrain the folding process to a smaller area. These salt-cored anticlines now exhibit a particular “peanut”-like shape.

Figure 4: Comparison between folded and pinched diapirs
and a field case study from the Fars area, Iranian Zagros (Callot et al., 2007).

We thank IFP and GDF Suez for authorizing this publication and the IFP and Paradigm teams who are in charge of the development and commercialization of the Kine3D suite.

For a list of references, please go here.

J.-P. Callot, D. Rondon, A. Arbaumont, J. Letouzey
IFP France

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