Dengliang Gao - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Dengliang Gao

Computers & Geosciences

American Association of Petroleum Geologists eBooks, Apr 5, 2015

In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petrolife... more In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petroliferous sedimentary basins worldwide; however, the net volume of hydrocarbons discovered each year has been declining since the late 1970s, and the number of new field discoveries per year has dropped since the early 1990s. We are finding hydrocarbons in more difficult places and in more subtle traps. Although geophysical and engineering technologies are crucial to much of the exploration success, fundamentally, the success is dependent on innovative play concepts associated with spatial and temporal relationships among deformation, deposition, and hydrocarbon accumulation. Unraveling the dynamic interplay among tectonics, sedimentation, and petroleum systems in the subsurface is a challenge and relies on an integrated approach that combines seismic imaging, well logging, physical and/or computational modeling, as well as outcrop analogs. In recent decades, an increasing coverage of high-quality three-dimensional (3-D) seismic data, along with state-of-the-art 3-D visualization technologies, extensive well tests, sophisticated modeling capabilities, and field (outcrop) analogs, has significantly added to our understanding of subsurface complexities in structure, stratigraphy, and petroleum systems. This volume is intended to provide a snapshot of the most recent advances in petroleum exploration by presenting state-of-the-art reviews and overviews, current case studies, and the latest modeling results. The reviews and overviews offer the current status of knowledge in extensional, strike-slip, and contractional tectonic settings, as well as their influence on sedimentation and hydrocarbon accumulation. The case studies cover diverse geologic settings, with special reference to the most prolific high-profile frontier sedimentary basins, such as those in west Africa, east Africa, east Brazil, Gulf of Mexico, South China Sea, Russian Arctic, and the Mediterranean Sea. The models provide both numerical and physical simulations of basin structures as well as their spatial variation and temporal evolution in response to different tectonic processes. The objective of this volume is to contribute toward an enhanced understanding of the spatial and temporal relationships among tectonics of different structural styles, syntectonic sedimentation, and hydrocarbon accumulation. Achieving this objective is the key to

Communications earth & environment, Nov 11, 2022

South Atlantic opening has been typically modelled as being related to symmetric and static therm... more South Atlantic opening has been typically modelled as being related to symmetric and static thermal upwelling and seafloor spreading that drive divergent continental drift of South America and Africa. Comparative analyses, however, show that South Atlantic opening is asymmetric and non-uniform. For neither asymmetric nor non-uniform opening are the underlying mechanisms clear. Here I use geological and geophysical data to inform analytical modelling, revealing that westward drifting and southward tapering of the South American continent have controlled the asymmetry and the non-uniformity in South Atlantic opening. I interpret that the asymmetric non-uniform seafloor spreading caused the ridge and hotspots to migrate, leaving behind non-linear seamount trails that are indicative of the speed of hotspot migration rather than direction of plate movement. The findings point towards a chain reaction from continental drifting, through seafloor spreading to ridge-hotspot interaction, which is instrumental in understanding the geodynamics for global plate tectonics.

Marine and Petroleum Geology, Mar 1, 2020

We propose a machine learning-based seismic spectral attribute (SSA) analysis to delineate the th... more We propose a machine learning-based seismic spectral attribute (SSA) analysis to delineate the thickness of a tight-sand reservoir in the Sulige gas field of central Ordos Basin, western China. In our workflow, we first implement the seismic spectral decomposition by using the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) with the generalized Morse wavelets (GMWs). The best parameters of generalized Morse wavelets (GMWs) are obtained by using a geological model of the tight reservoir. Second, we extract SSAs of the target reservoir of interest. Then, we perform multi-dimensional data analysis using the principal component analysis (PCA), thus significantly reduce the computational time and storage space for SSAs analysis and visualization. Using red-greenblue (RGB) blending technique we make a high-resolution subsurface depositional facies map from the reduced three principal components from the original multi-dimensional SSAs. Next, we perform unsupervised classification via clustering of SSAs using the fuzzy self-organizing map (FSOM) to generate a seismic facies classification of the reservoir. Finally, we combine multiple linear regression (MLR) and the radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) to provide a quantitative prediction of the reservoir thickness by using preciously drilled wells to train the neural network and to validate the results. Our results illustrate significant variation in reservoir thickness across the field, which can be useful for evaluating reservoir heterogeneity and connectivity. We conclude that our machine-aided multi-dimensional SSAs analysis can be useful for play screening in the reconnaissance phase, prospect generation and maturation in the exploration phase, and well placement in the development phase.

GEOPHYSICS

Due to the complex depositional environment of a turbidite reservoir in the Niuzhuang Delta, Chin... more Due to the complex depositional environment of a turbidite reservoir in the Niuzhuang Delta, China, the traditional seismic facies classification is a challenge to perform accurately and continuously. Due to the thin turbidite layers in the reservoir, machine-learning based prediction of sandstone thickness is challenging. Inspired by the autoencoder, we propose an open-source deep learning workflow that combines unsupervised and supervised learning with jointed latent eigenvalues of the convolutional autoencoder and traditional seismic attributes for seismic facies classification and sandstone thickness prediction constrained by the facies distribution. First, we extract lower-dimensional latent eigenvalues as a category of novel seismic attributes from the seismic data using a convolutional autoencoder. To accurately and effectively extract lower-dimensional latent eigenvalues, we propose a hybrid loss function based on the mean squared error loss and the smooth L1 loss in this co...

American Association of Petroleum Geologists eBooks, Apr 5, 2015

Approximately 20,000 km2 (7900 mi2) of three-dimensional (3-D) seismic data, along with the Bougu... more Approximately 20,000 km2 (7900 mi2) of three-dimensional (3-D) seismic data, along with the Bouguer gravity and bathymetry, show a series of intraslope lineaments that extend more than tens of kilometers (miles) in the Lower Congo Basin, offshore Angola (west Africa). Most of these lineaments trend to the northeast at approximately 45, crossing the regional northwest-trending folds and thrusts. Geometric relationships and distribution patterns of folds and faults shown in the postsalt Tertiary section suggest that many of the lineaments might have a significant strike-slip component. Seismic structures, facies, and prospects indicate that the lineaments have been associated with the allochthonous salt bodies, turbidite sands, and oil and gas fields. We interpret that the lineaments are primarily related to the postsalt regional gravitational sliding of the Tertiary sediments. They could provide fairways for turbidite flow and pathways for salt emplacement and hydrocarbon migration. We infer that many cross-regional lineaments are the expression of the presalt basement transfer faults formed during the rifting phase of the continental crust in the Early Cretaceous have influenced the locus and orientation of the lineaments in the postsalt sediments. The obliquity of the continental lineaments (45) to the oceanic fracture zones (80) is consistent with and supportive of the previously recognized plate tectonic model depicting the counterclockwise rotation of the west African continent associated with the southward opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. These findings provide important insights to the nature of the cross-regional lineaments and their implications for tectonics, sedimentation, and petroleum systems at the west African passive continental margin.

In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petrolife... more In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petroliferous sedimentary basins worldwide; however, the net volume of hydrocarbons discovered each year has been declining since the late 1970s, and the number of new field discoveries per year has dropped since the early 1990s. We are finding hydrocarbons in more difficult places and in more subtle traps. Although geophysical and engineering technologies are crucial to much of the exploration success, fundamentally, the success is dependent on innovative play concepts associated with spatial and temporal relationships among deformation, deposition, and hydrocarbon accumulation. Unraveling the dynamic interplay among tectonics, sedimentation, and petroleum systems in the subsurface is a challenge and relies on an integrated approach that combines seismic imaging, well logging, physical and/or computational modeling, as well as outcrop analogs. In recent decades, an increasing coverage of high-qu...

Geophysical Journal International, 2019

D seismic interpretation is essential for subsurface characterization and exploration. Many exist... more D seismic interpretation is essential for subsurface characterization and exploration. Many existing interpretation techniques have been developed for identifying certain seismic features (e.g. faults and salt domes) that are important for depositional facies and hydrocarbon system analysis, but at the expense of deemphasizing or removing other features. Interpreting all the important seismic patterns simultaneously is a long-time issue, although many authors have attempted with the aid of multiple seismic attributes and classification schemes. To resolve this problem, this study proposes developing a seismic texture network (StNet) for automated pattern recognition, classification, and interpretation from 3-D seismic data. The workflow begins with constructing a preliminary seismic texture data set (StData-12), which tentatively categorizes 12 commonly observed seismic patterns based on their signal texture of important geological features such as faults, salt bodies, gas chimneys, depositional facies and stratigraphic features. Then we build the StNet using the state-of-the-art architecture of fully convolutional neural networks and train it based on the constructed data set StData-12. For the seismic data sets we have tested, the StNet is proven to be capable of automatically recognizing and annotating the 12 defined seismic patterns in real time, which allows interpreters to quickly identify the important seismic features simultaneously from a seismic volume. Moreover, we demonstrate that the StNet can be utilized for deriving more task-oriented networks, such as a fault-detection neural network. It is concluded that the proposed StNet as an automated process for machine cognitive data analysis should have broad applications in geological and environmental sciences, mining and drilling engineering, and hydrocarbon exploration. Indepth seismic texture analysis and interdisciplinary collaboration are expected in the future for both enriching the StData-12 and correspondingly optimizing the StNet.

Attributes: New Views on Seismic Imaging -- Their Use in Exploration and Production: 31st Annual, 2011

This CD ROM is a single-user-only product and may only be used on a network if a server license i... more This CD ROM is a single-user-only product and may only be used on a network if a server license is purchased from the GCSSEPM Foundation.

In petroleum exploration and production, faults are of importance by controlling pathways of hydr... more In petroleum exploration and production, faults are of importance by controlling pathways of hydrocarbon migration and accumulation in the subsurface, and robust fault detection is one of the major tasks of geologic and geophysical interpretation from three-dimensional (3D) seismic data. Traditionally, faults are interpreted by manually picking on vertical/horizontal seismic sections with geologic consistence; however, such manual tool is time consuming and sensitive to the visibility and interpreters’ bias, especially for a large dataset with structural complexities. With the development of new signal processing and data visualization technologies, computer-aided semiautomatic/automatic fault extraction has been the focus of recent geophysical research on seismic fault detection with superiorities in both computational efficiency and result accuracy. Various methods have been developed and * E-mail address: haibin.di@ece.gatech.edu. † E-mail address: dengliang.gao@mail.wvu.edu. Com...

The influence of tectonics on sedimentation and hydrocarbon accumulation is different among exten... more The influence of tectonics on sedimentation and hydrocarbon accumulation is different among extensional, strike-slip, and contractional structural styles. Addressing the role of different structural styles and syntectonic sedimentation in petroleum systems is essential to assess the hydrocarbon potential of sedimentary basins. This 18-chapter volume is small enough to focus on the interplay among tectonics, sedimentation, and petroleum systems. Yet it is big enough to cover the diversity of structural styles in important petroliferous sedimentary basins around the globe, including those in west Africa, east Africa, east Brazil, east United States of America, Gulf of Mexico, South China Sea, the Russian Arctic, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Interpretation, 2021

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Interpretation, 2018

Recognizing and tracking weak reflections, which are characterized by low amplitude, low signal-t... more Recognizing and tracking weak reflections, which are characterized by low amplitude, low signal-to-noise ratio, and low degree of lateral continuity, is a long-time issue in 3D seismic interpretation and reservoir characterization. The problem is particularly acute with unconventional, fractured shale reservoirs, in which the impedance contrast is low and/or reservoir beds are below the tuning thickness. To improve the performance of interpreting weak reflections associated with shale reservoirs, we have developed a new workflow for weak-reflection tracking guided by a robust structural-orientation vector (SOV) estimation algorithm. The new SOV-guided auto-tracking workflow first uses the reflection orientation at the seed location as a constraint to project the most-likely locations in the neighboring traces, and then locally adjust them to maximally match the target reflection. We verify our workflow through application to a test seismic data set that is typical of routine 3D seis...

In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petrolife... more In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petroliferous sedimentary basins worldwide; however, the net volume of hydrocarbons discovered each year has been declining since the late 1970s, and the number of new field discoveries per year has dropped since the early 1990s. We are finding hydrocarbons in more difficult places and in more subtle traps. Although geophysical and engineering technologies are crucial to much of the exploration success, fundamentally, the success is dependent on innovative play concepts associated with spatial and temporal relationships among deformation, deposition, and hydrocarbon accumulation. Unraveling the dynamic interplay among tectonics, sedimentation, and petroleum systems in the subsurface is a challenge and relies on an integrated approach that combines seismic imaging, well logging, physical and/or computational modeling, as well as outcrop analogs. In recent decades, an increasing coverage of high-qu...

Interpretation, 2017

Fractured reservoir prediction is risky and challenging because of the variability in fracture ch... more Fractured reservoir prediction is risky and challenging because of the variability in fracture characteristics and the lack of direct observational data in the subsurface. To reduce the risk and challenge, we have developed an integrated workflow to predict fractured reservoirs based on 3D seismic data. The workflow begins with reservoir structure analysis from seismic reflection geometry, which is referred to as seismic structure analysis, to define fracture intensity and fracture orientation using maximum curvature and maximum flexure algorithms. Next, the workflow proceeds with reservoir texture analysis from seismic amplitude signal, which is referred to as seismic texture analysis, to evaluate fracture scale and reservoir facies using waveform regression and calibration algorithms. The results from seismic structure and texture analyses are then used for modeling reservoir properties and fracture networks. Each algorithmic method in the workflow is tested in a siliciclastic tig...

Geophysics, 2003

Visual inspection of poststack seismic image patterns is effective in recognizing large‐scale sei... more Visual inspection of poststack seismic image patterns is effective in recognizing large‐scale seismic features; however, it is not effective in extracting quantitative information to visualize, detect, and map seismic features in an automatic and objective manner. Although conventional seismic attributes have significantly enhanced interpreters' ability to quantify seismic visualization and interpretation, very few attributes are published to characterize both intratrace and intertrace relationships of amplitudes from a three‐dimensional (3D) perspective. These relationships are fundamental to the characterization and identification of certain geological features. Here, I present a volume texture extraction method to overcome these limitations. In a two‐dimensional (2D) image domain where data samples are visualized by pixels (picture elements), a texture has been typically characterized based on a planar texel (textural element) using a gray level co‐occurrence matrix. I extend the concepts to a 3D seismic domain, where reflection amplitudes are visualized by voxels (volume picture elements). By evaluating a voxel co‐occurrence matrix (VCM) based on a cubic texel at each of the voxel locations, the algorithm extracts a plurality of volume textural attributes that are difficult to obtain using conventional seismic attribute extraction algorithms. Case studies indicate that the VCM texture extraction method helps visualize and detect major structural and stratigraphic features that are fundamental to robust seismic interpretation and successful hydrocarbon exploration.

Geoscience Canada, Nov 11, 1975

Computers & Geosciences

American Association of Petroleum Geologists eBooks, Apr 5, 2015

In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petrolife... more In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petroliferous sedimentary basins worldwide; however, the net volume of hydrocarbons discovered each year has been declining since the late 1970s, and the number of new field discoveries per year has dropped since the early 1990s. We are finding hydrocarbons in more difficult places and in more subtle traps. Although geophysical and engineering technologies are crucial to much of the exploration success, fundamentally, the success is dependent on innovative play concepts associated with spatial and temporal relationships among deformation, deposition, and hydrocarbon accumulation. Unraveling the dynamic interplay among tectonics, sedimentation, and petroleum systems in the subsurface is a challenge and relies on an integrated approach that combines seismic imaging, well logging, physical and/or computational modeling, as well as outcrop analogs. In recent decades, an increasing coverage of high-quality three-dimensional (3-D) seismic data, along with state-of-the-art 3-D visualization technologies, extensive well tests, sophisticated modeling capabilities, and field (outcrop) analogs, has significantly added to our understanding of subsurface complexities in structure, stratigraphy, and petroleum systems. This volume is intended to provide a snapshot of the most recent advances in petroleum exploration by presenting state-of-the-art reviews and overviews, current case studies, and the latest modeling results. The reviews and overviews offer the current status of knowledge in extensional, strike-slip, and contractional tectonic settings, as well as their influence on sedimentation and hydrocarbon accumulation. The case studies cover diverse geologic settings, with special reference to the most prolific high-profile frontier sedimentary basins, such as those in west Africa, east Africa, east Brazil, Gulf of Mexico, South China Sea, Russian Arctic, and the Mediterranean Sea. The models provide both numerical and physical simulations of basin structures as well as their spatial variation and temporal evolution in response to different tectonic processes. The objective of this volume is to contribute toward an enhanced understanding of the spatial and temporal relationships among tectonics of different structural styles, syntectonic sedimentation, and hydrocarbon accumulation. Achieving this objective is the key to

Communications earth & environment, Nov 11, 2022

South Atlantic opening has been typically modelled as being related to symmetric and static therm... more South Atlantic opening has been typically modelled as being related to symmetric and static thermal upwelling and seafloor spreading that drive divergent continental drift of South America and Africa. Comparative analyses, however, show that South Atlantic opening is asymmetric and non-uniform. For neither asymmetric nor non-uniform opening are the underlying mechanisms clear. Here I use geological and geophysical data to inform analytical modelling, revealing that westward drifting and southward tapering of the South American continent have controlled the asymmetry and the non-uniformity in South Atlantic opening. I interpret that the asymmetric non-uniform seafloor spreading caused the ridge and hotspots to migrate, leaving behind non-linear seamount trails that are indicative of the speed of hotspot migration rather than direction of plate movement. The findings point towards a chain reaction from continental drifting, through seafloor spreading to ridge-hotspot interaction, which is instrumental in understanding the geodynamics for global plate tectonics.

Marine and Petroleum Geology, Mar 1, 2020

We propose a machine learning-based seismic spectral attribute (SSA) analysis to delineate the th... more We propose a machine learning-based seismic spectral attribute (SSA) analysis to delineate the thickness of a tight-sand reservoir in the Sulige gas field of central Ordos Basin, western China. In our workflow, we first implement the seismic spectral decomposition by using the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) with the generalized Morse wavelets (GMWs). The best parameters of generalized Morse wavelets (GMWs) are obtained by using a geological model of the tight reservoir. Second, we extract SSAs of the target reservoir of interest. Then, we perform multi-dimensional data analysis using the principal component analysis (PCA), thus significantly reduce the computational time and storage space for SSAs analysis and visualization. Using red-greenblue (RGB) blending technique we make a high-resolution subsurface depositional facies map from the reduced three principal components from the original multi-dimensional SSAs. Next, we perform unsupervised classification via clustering of SSAs using the fuzzy self-organizing map (FSOM) to generate a seismic facies classification of the reservoir. Finally, we combine multiple linear regression (MLR) and the radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) to provide a quantitative prediction of the reservoir thickness by using preciously drilled wells to train the neural network and to validate the results. Our results illustrate significant variation in reservoir thickness across the field, which can be useful for evaluating reservoir heterogeneity and connectivity. We conclude that our machine-aided multi-dimensional SSAs analysis can be useful for play screening in the reconnaissance phase, prospect generation and maturation in the exploration phase, and well placement in the development phase.

GEOPHYSICS

Due to the complex depositional environment of a turbidite reservoir in the Niuzhuang Delta, Chin... more Due to the complex depositional environment of a turbidite reservoir in the Niuzhuang Delta, China, the traditional seismic facies classification is a challenge to perform accurately and continuously. Due to the thin turbidite layers in the reservoir, machine-learning based prediction of sandstone thickness is challenging. Inspired by the autoencoder, we propose an open-source deep learning workflow that combines unsupervised and supervised learning with jointed latent eigenvalues of the convolutional autoencoder and traditional seismic attributes for seismic facies classification and sandstone thickness prediction constrained by the facies distribution. First, we extract lower-dimensional latent eigenvalues as a category of novel seismic attributes from the seismic data using a convolutional autoencoder. To accurately and effectively extract lower-dimensional latent eigenvalues, we propose a hybrid loss function based on the mean squared error loss and the smooth L1 loss in this co...

American Association of Petroleum Geologists eBooks, Apr 5, 2015

Approximately 20,000 km2 (7900 mi2) of three-dimensional (3-D) seismic data, along with the Bougu... more Approximately 20,000 km2 (7900 mi2) of three-dimensional (3-D) seismic data, along with the Bouguer gravity and bathymetry, show a series of intraslope lineaments that extend more than tens of kilometers (miles) in the Lower Congo Basin, offshore Angola (west Africa). Most of these lineaments trend to the northeast at approximately 45, crossing the regional northwest-trending folds and thrusts. Geometric relationships and distribution patterns of folds and faults shown in the postsalt Tertiary section suggest that many of the lineaments might have a significant strike-slip component. Seismic structures, facies, and prospects indicate that the lineaments have been associated with the allochthonous salt bodies, turbidite sands, and oil and gas fields. We interpret that the lineaments are primarily related to the postsalt regional gravitational sliding of the Tertiary sediments. They could provide fairways for turbidite flow and pathways for salt emplacement and hydrocarbon migration. We infer that many cross-regional lineaments are the expression of the presalt basement transfer faults formed during the rifting phase of the continental crust in the Early Cretaceous have influenced the locus and orientation of the lineaments in the postsalt sediments. The obliquity of the continental lineaments (45) to the oceanic fracture zones (80) is consistent with and supportive of the previously recognized plate tectonic model depicting the counterclockwise rotation of the west African continent associated with the southward opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. These findings provide important insights to the nature of the cross-regional lineaments and their implications for tectonics, sedimentation, and petroleum systems at the west African passive continental margin.

In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petrolife... more In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petroliferous sedimentary basins worldwide; however, the net volume of hydrocarbons discovered each year has been declining since the late 1970s, and the number of new field discoveries per year has dropped since the early 1990s. We are finding hydrocarbons in more difficult places and in more subtle traps. Although geophysical and engineering technologies are crucial to much of the exploration success, fundamentally, the success is dependent on innovative play concepts associated with spatial and temporal relationships among deformation, deposition, and hydrocarbon accumulation. Unraveling the dynamic interplay among tectonics, sedimentation, and petroleum systems in the subsurface is a challenge and relies on an integrated approach that combines seismic imaging, well logging, physical and/or computational modeling, as well as outcrop analogs. In recent decades, an increasing coverage of high-qu...

Geophysical Journal International, 2019

D seismic interpretation is essential for subsurface characterization and exploration. Many exist... more D seismic interpretation is essential for subsurface characterization and exploration. Many existing interpretation techniques have been developed for identifying certain seismic features (e.g. faults and salt domes) that are important for depositional facies and hydrocarbon system analysis, but at the expense of deemphasizing or removing other features. Interpreting all the important seismic patterns simultaneously is a long-time issue, although many authors have attempted with the aid of multiple seismic attributes and classification schemes. To resolve this problem, this study proposes developing a seismic texture network (StNet) for automated pattern recognition, classification, and interpretation from 3-D seismic data. The workflow begins with constructing a preliminary seismic texture data set (StData-12), which tentatively categorizes 12 commonly observed seismic patterns based on their signal texture of important geological features such as faults, salt bodies, gas chimneys, depositional facies and stratigraphic features. Then we build the StNet using the state-of-the-art architecture of fully convolutional neural networks and train it based on the constructed data set StData-12. For the seismic data sets we have tested, the StNet is proven to be capable of automatically recognizing and annotating the 12 defined seismic patterns in real time, which allows interpreters to quickly identify the important seismic features simultaneously from a seismic volume. Moreover, we demonstrate that the StNet can be utilized for deriving more task-oriented networks, such as a fault-detection neural network. It is concluded that the proposed StNet as an automated process for machine cognitive data analysis should have broad applications in geological and environmental sciences, mining and drilling engineering, and hydrocarbon exploration. Indepth seismic texture analysis and interdisciplinary collaboration are expected in the future for both enriching the StData-12 and correspondingly optimizing the StNet.

Attributes: New Views on Seismic Imaging -- Their Use in Exploration and Production: 31st Annual, 2011

This CD ROM is a single-user-only product and may only be used on a network if a server license i... more This CD ROM is a single-user-only product and may only be used on a network if a server license is purchased from the GCSSEPM Foundation.

In petroleum exploration and production, faults are of importance by controlling pathways of hydr... more In petroleum exploration and production, faults are of importance by controlling pathways of hydrocarbon migration and accumulation in the subsurface, and robust fault detection is one of the major tasks of geologic and geophysical interpretation from three-dimensional (3D) seismic data. Traditionally, faults are interpreted by manually picking on vertical/horizontal seismic sections with geologic consistence; however, such manual tool is time consuming and sensitive to the visibility and interpreters’ bias, especially for a large dataset with structural complexities. With the development of new signal processing and data visualization technologies, computer-aided semiautomatic/automatic fault extraction has been the focus of recent geophysical research on seismic fault detection with superiorities in both computational efficiency and result accuracy. Various methods have been developed and * E-mail address: haibin.di@ece.gatech.edu. † E-mail address: dengliang.gao@mail.wvu.edu. Com...

The influence of tectonics on sedimentation and hydrocarbon accumulation is different among exten... more The influence of tectonics on sedimentation and hydrocarbon accumulation is different among extensional, strike-slip, and contractional structural styles. Addressing the role of different structural styles and syntectonic sedimentation in petroleum systems is essential to assess the hydrocarbon potential of sedimentary basins. This 18-chapter volume is small enough to focus on the interplay among tectonics, sedimentation, and petroleum systems. Yet it is big enough to cover the diversity of structural styles in important petroliferous sedimentary basins around the globe, including those in west Africa, east Africa, east Brazil, east United States of America, Gulf of Mexico, South China Sea, the Russian Arctic, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Interpretation, 2021

<jats:p> </jats:p>

Interpretation, 2018

Recognizing and tracking weak reflections, which are characterized by low amplitude, low signal-t... more Recognizing and tracking weak reflections, which are characterized by low amplitude, low signal-to-noise ratio, and low degree of lateral continuity, is a long-time issue in 3D seismic interpretation and reservoir characterization. The problem is particularly acute with unconventional, fractured shale reservoirs, in which the impedance contrast is low and/or reservoir beds are below the tuning thickness. To improve the performance of interpreting weak reflections associated with shale reservoirs, we have developed a new workflow for weak-reflection tracking guided by a robust structural-orientation vector (SOV) estimation algorithm. The new SOV-guided auto-tracking workflow first uses the reflection orientation at the seed location as a constraint to project the most-likely locations in the neighboring traces, and then locally adjust them to maximally match the target reflection. We verify our workflow through application to a test seismic data set that is typical of routine 3D seis...

In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petrolife... more In the past few decades, the petroleum industry has seen great exploration successes in petroliferous sedimentary basins worldwide; however, the net volume of hydrocarbons discovered each year has been declining since the late 1970s, and the number of new field discoveries per year has dropped since the early 1990s. We are finding hydrocarbons in more difficult places and in more subtle traps. Although geophysical and engineering technologies are crucial to much of the exploration success, fundamentally, the success is dependent on innovative play concepts associated with spatial and temporal relationships among deformation, deposition, and hydrocarbon accumulation. Unraveling the dynamic interplay among tectonics, sedimentation, and petroleum systems in the subsurface is a challenge and relies on an integrated approach that combines seismic imaging, well logging, physical and/or computational modeling, as well as outcrop analogs. In recent decades, an increasing coverage of high-qu...

Interpretation, 2017

Fractured reservoir prediction is risky and challenging because of the variability in fracture ch... more Fractured reservoir prediction is risky and challenging because of the variability in fracture characteristics and the lack of direct observational data in the subsurface. To reduce the risk and challenge, we have developed an integrated workflow to predict fractured reservoirs based on 3D seismic data. The workflow begins with reservoir structure analysis from seismic reflection geometry, which is referred to as seismic structure analysis, to define fracture intensity and fracture orientation using maximum curvature and maximum flexure algorithms. Next, the workflow proceeds with reservoir texture analysis from seismic amplitude signal, which is referred to as seismic texture analysis, to evaluate fracture scale and reservoir facies using waveform regression and calibration algorithms. The results from seismic structure and texture analyses are then used for modeling reservoir properties and fracture networks. Each algorithmic method in the workflow is tested in a siliciclastic tig...

Geophysics, 2003

Visual inspection of poststack seismic image patterns is effective in recognizing large‐scale sei... more Visual inspection of poststack seismic image patterns is effective in recognizing large‐scale seismic features; however, it is not effective in extracting quantitative information to visualize, detect, and map seismic features in an automatic and objective manner. Although conventional seismic attributes have significantly enhanced interpreters' ability to quantify seismic visualization and interpretation, very few attributes are published to characterize both intratrace and intertrace relationships of amplitudes from a three‐dimensional (3D) perspective. These relationships are fundamental to the characterization and identification of certain geological features. Here, I present a volume texture extraction method to overcome these limitations. In a two‐dimensional (2D) image domain where data samples are visualized by pixels (picture elements), a texture has been typically characterized based on a planar texel (textural element) using a gray level co‐occurrence matrix. I extend the concepts to a 3D seismic domain, where reflection amplitudes are visualized by voxels (volume picture elements). By evaluating a voxel co‐occurrence matrix (VCM) based on a cubic texel at each of the voxel locations, the algorithm extracts a plurality of volume textural attributes that are difficult to obtain using conventional seismic attribute extraction algorithms. Case studies indicate that the VCM texture extraction method helps visualize and detect major structural and stratigraphic features that are fundamental to robust seismic interpretation and successful hydrocarbon exploration.

Geoscience Canada, Nov 11, 1975