The AVO Effect of Formation Pressure on Time-Lapse Seismic Monitoring in Marine Carbon Dioxide Storage

Abstract

The phase change of CO₂ has a significant bearing on the siting, injection, and monitoring of storage. The phase state of CO₂ is closely related to pressure. In the process of seismic exploration, the information of formation pressure can be response in the seismic data. Therefore, it is possible to monitor the formation pressure using time-lapse seismic method. Apart from formation pressure, the information of porosity and CO₂ saturation can be reflected in the seismic data. Here, based on the actual situation of the work area, a rockphysical model is proposed to address the feasibility of time-lapse seismic monitoring during CO₂ storage in the anisotropic formation. The model takes into account the formation pressure, variety minerals composition, fracture, fluid inhomogeneous distribution, and anisotropy caused by horizontal layering of rock layers (or oriented alignment of minerals). From the proposed rockphysical model and the well-logging, cores and geological data at the target layer, the variation of P-wave and S-wave velocity with formation pressure after CO₂ injection is calculated. And so are the effects of porosity and CO₂ saturation. Finally, from anisotropic exact reflection coefficient equation, the reflection coefficients under different formation pressures are calculated. It is proved that the reflection coefficient varies with pressure. Compared with CO₂ saturation, the pressure has a greater effect on the reflection coefficient. Through the convolution model, the seismic record is calculated. The seismic record shows the difference with different formation pressure. At present, in the marine CO₂ sequestration monitoring domain, there is no study involving the effect of formation pressure changes on seismic records in seafloor anisotropic formation. This study can provide a basis for the inversion of reservoir parameters in anisotropic seafloor CO₂ reservoirs.

Keywords

Time-lapse seismic monitoring / Marine carbon dioxide storage / AVO modeling / Formation pressure / Anisotropic / Rockphysical model