Abstract / Description of output
We present the results of a synthetic modelling study of the effect of attenuation anisotropy in fractured media. Our theoretical model is made up of one anisotropic and three isotropic horizontal layers. The anisotropic layer consists of a porous fluid-saturated material with aligned vertical fractures, and squirt flow between the pores in the matrix is taken into consideration. We used the spectral ratio method to compute the seismic quality factor, Q, from the synthetic data in four azimuthal directions relative to the fracture strike. The results of our measurement indicate that attenuation increases with incidence angle and azimuth away from the fracture strike. Azimuthal variations in the induced attenuation are elliptical and the fracture orientations obtained from the axes of the ellipse are consistent with the theoretical model. We conclude that these effects, if observed in field data, could be used to determine fracture orientations in the subsurface to supplement the use of other seismic attributes.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Society of Petroleum Engineers - 73rd European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers Conference and Exhibition 2011 - Incorporating SPE EUROPEC 2011 |
Publisher | Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) |
Pages | 5300-5304 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Volume | 7 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781617829666 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2011 |