Direct reservoir parameter estimation using joint inversion of marine seismic AVA and CSEM data

Accurately estimating reservoir parameters from geophysical data is vitally important in hydrocarbon exploration and production. We have developed a new joint-inversion algorithm to estimate reservoir parameters directly, using both seismic amplitude variation with angle of incidence (AVA) data and marine controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) data. Reservoir parameters are linked to geophysical parameters through a rock-properties model. Errors in the parameters of the rock-properties model introduce errors of comparable size in the reservoir-parameter estimates produced by joint inversion. Tests of joint inversion on synthetic 1D models demonstrate improved fluid saturation and porosity estimates for joint AVA-CSEM data inversion (compared with estimates from AVA or CSEM inversion alone). A comparison of inversions of AVA data, CSEM data, and joint AVA-CSEM data over the North Sea Troll field, at a location for which we have well control, shows that the joint inversion produces estimates of gas saturation, oil saturation, and porosity that are closest (as measured by the rms difference, the [Formula: see text] norm of the difference, and net values over the interval) to the logged values. However, CSEM-only inversion provides the closest estimates of water saturation.