3D seismic data is indispensable for most shale drillers, particularly for fault detection. A $6-$10MM horizontal well can lose significant value upon crossing an unknown fault, often going out-of-zone into less productive rock. Unforeseen fault/fractures can also lead to wellbore instability and potential collapse while drilling. For these reasons, it's critical to use seismic techniques that resolve as many fault/fracture zones as possible. Many interpreters fail to get the most out of the data, by relying solely on the full-bandwidth migrated dataset. However, appropriate investigation of frequency subsets of the migrated data can lead to astounding improvements in resolution, giving you much better information to guide your geosteering. Here's an example from the Marcellus Shale.
Hunt Geophysical can help you pull more from your seismic data, for better fault detection in shales. Give us a call at 937-926-2494 or email us at huntgeop@gmail.com
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