Paradigm™ Customer Newsletter, Vol.3 Ed.2 June 2010

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Analyzing and Interpreting Geologic Structure with Automatic Fault Extraction - Rock & Fluid Canvas 2009 | Epos 4 Paradigm AFE New Features Fault-stick interpretation has long been a mainstay of the work of the seismic interpreter. In the past this was accomplished by tedious picking of either one or several faults at a time on an evenly spaced subset of the lines or crossline vertical seismic amplitude sections. The advent of Coherence Cube in the mid 1990s made the process easier to check for errors such as crossing fault relays, or incorrectly joining intersecting faults, and in some cases made it easier to understand the relationship of cross-cutting faults in determining relative fault timing. However, fault interpretation still primarily consisted of manual picking on a subset of lines, crosslines or z-slices. Automatic Fault Extraction (AFE), introduced by Paradigm* in 2006, reduced the tedium of the slice to slice interpretation and enabled the seismic interpreter to quickly pick hundreds of faults at a time. Faults were now automatically picked in all 3 dimensions and the task of the interpreters changed from spending most of the available time making the picks to editing and interpreting the results of the automatic picks. Fig. 1: Fault Enhanced Volume with Planar Clustered Faults – Gulf of Mexico dataset. In the Rock & Fluid Canvas™ 2009 release, AFE has undergone significant changes to make the editing and interpretation of the results easier and faster. All faults are now named according to their strike and dip orientations which enables the interpreter to quickly sort on loading or in the display so that one major orientation at a time can be identified, turned on or off, copied to an interpretation list or geoset, or have all faults of the group displayed with the same display properties. The fault segments now more closely track the discontinuities than in previous versions of AFE because of better enhancement processing of the coherence input data. The better-enhanced coherence data is now immediately available as an Epos brick file to assist even in a manual fault interpretation process. Fig. 2: Fault Enhanced mid-Cretaceous time slice w/ Rose diagram Analysis showing primary(blue), secondary(green) , and tertiary(black) structural orientations--Australia dataset. New analysis capabilities are also included in the new Rock & Fluid Canvas 2009 version of AFE. A Rose diagram allowing independent statistical analysis of the automatically extracted lineaments is useful to the structural interpreter in understanding fault orientations relative to different areas or different geologic ages (based on marker horizons). A statistical analysis of the lineaments is also available to study fractured plays such as the Barnett shale. The lineaments are also presented in a new volume (the vector azimuth volume) in which the direction of each lineament is presented as the value along the lineament while the rest of the non-extracted data remains undefined. This volume can be viewed separately or co-rendered with amplitude or coherence data to enhance understanding of the stress orientations. One of the results of improved lineament tracking is that many more faults are extracted than in prior versions. Single geologic faults are often represented by numerous separate AFE faults which need to be joined together in order to create a meaningful surface. The joining of these faults can be readily accomplished using standard interpretation tools that reassign fault segments to another fault, or that build a single T-surface with multiple different faults as input. In Rock & Fluid Canvas 2009, we provide a new tool in AFE to automatically cluster the constituent faults into a single surface. The Planar Clustering feature, which uses a separate license, allows the user to select which faults potentially may be clustered together. The process reduces the total number of fault “pieces” for the individual geologically significant faults using a different algorithm than the initial fault linkage algorithm. For example the user might select 700 faults with NNW strike and West dip as output from the initial fault linkage step and the planar cluster process may reduce that to 75 NNWstrike, West dip faults. The new AFE adds some powerful tools to the structural interpreter’s toolbox. Faults are better quality and much easier to work with than faults generated with earlier versions of software, allowing the interpreter to spend more time with structural interpretation analysis activities rather than tedious fault picking activities. *AFE is a joint development of TerraSpark Geosciences and Paradigm. Laura Evins Senior Geophysicist

» Redefining Interpretation Workflow Series Paradigm is pleased to announce the 2010 Paradigm Workflow Series, which will officially begin on Wednesday June 23. The Workflow Series presents examples of how you can apply Paradigm technologies to your exploration and production projects. Customers in Canada, USA and Latin America are invited to participate using the WEBEX service! ¤ June 23, 2010 (12:00 noon - 12:30 pm CST) - Investigating the Barnett Shale co-authored by Fred Jenson and Gerald Kidd "The Mississippian Barnett Shale (Fort Worth Basin, Texas) is certainly the largest onshore field in North America. To develop such unconventional reservoirs, the principal drivers have been associated to technological advances in drilling and completion. With such reserves potential, a need for understanding how to develop the reservoir itself is growing and how to get the benefits of the most advanced technology in interpretation and reservoir characterization. A detailed petrophysical evaluation of the Barnett Shale has identified key intervals that are investigated using volume visualization methods and detailed stratigraphic seismic facies classifications. Analysis of full azimuth reflection angle investigations provide anisotropic and stress field orientations. 3D Micro-Seismic mapped magnitude data, with respect to structural and stratigraphic elements, provide insights on interactions of hydraulic fracturing with fracture systems and stress regimes. Integrating the results reveal optimal areas for planning lateral drilling." Venue: Paradigm Houston Visionarium and Online using Webex Registration: Please choose one of the following links: • I will participate Via Webex, please send me the log in instructions. • I will attend in Person. Handouts: We are happy provide the expanded article: “An integrated workflow for selecting optimal drilling locations” at the end of the presentation. ¤ Upcoming “Redefining Interpretation” Presentations • August 25, 2010 - Modeling While Interpreting by Charmaine Bixler » Upcoming Events ¤ October 5-6 — Hart's Energy Developing Unconventional Gas in San Antonio, Texas. ¤ October 17-20 — Society of Exploration Geophysicists in Denver, Colorado. » Paradigm Webinars on Demand 2009 H.O.W. Series is still available on demand! If you missed the 2009 workflow presentations, you can register to view the recorded sessions by clicking the links below: Well Planning, Engineering and Geosteering Geologically Constrained History Matching –Engineering Modeling, the Quest for Geologically Coherent Production Forecasts Integrating Seismic & Well Bore Data for Advanced Dynamic Stratigraphic Interpretation - featuring Paradigm™ StratEarth™ Petrophysical Evaluation of the Barnett Shale Salt Interpretation, Modeling, and Velocity (Grid) Update The Art of 3D Stratigraphic Volume Imaging for Geomorphologic Interpretation

Paradigm Announces New Salt Interpretation & Modeling Training Course Paradigm is pleased to announce the creation of a new course for our users working in salt environments. The new training course, Interpreting and Modeling Salt, covers several methods for interpreting and modeling salt bodies using depth migrated volumes and/or velocity volumes as part of a salt flood/sediment flood workflow. Salt and sediment flood workflows are usually performed to generate a depth migrated volume which can be used for structural interpretation in salt regions. This advanced course is designed specifically for geoscientists who are interpreting and modeling salt bodies. Attendees should already be familiar with basic usage of SeisEarth, 3D Canvas, and SKUA. Two versions of this new class will be offered. One version will address salt interpretation and modeling utilizing Paradigm™ SeisEarth® and 3D Canvas. A second version will address salt interpretation and modeling utilizing Paradigm™ SeisEarth®, 3D Canvas, and SKUA®. Students should select the version that utilizes the tools with which they currently work. The course was officially launched in May 2010. Customers can register for this new course online. A complete description of the course can be viewed by accessing the 2010 Training Catalog. Paradigm Launches New and Improved Training Website As part of our continuous improvement process, Paradigm has made some very important changes to our Training website at www.pdgm.com/training. Our new Training website allows customers to more readily view courses offered globally by Paradigm. Prospective students can now view all classes in all regions, or sort classes by product, location, and date. Once a class is identified, customers can easily register by pressing the green “Register” button next to each course. If a class is not currently scheduled, customers can select the yellow “Request” button. This allows our users to inform Paradigm of their interest in a class. This information is sent to each regional training registrar so that the class may be scheduled. Susan Lockhart Technical Training Director