A two-step screening procedure to identify zones with higher hydrocarbon potential in a sandstone reservoir using geomechanical parameters

The main objective of this study is to discriminate high-potential hydrocarbon zones utilising a two-step screening procedure on three-dimensional pre-stack seismic data accompanied by information from four wells. In the first step, we prepared an integrated attribute consisting of P-wave impedance (ZP), VP/VS, Young's modulus (E), Poisson's ratio (ν), and Mu-Rho (MR) geomechanical parameters. By performing simultaneous inversion, acoustic impedances, and density were obtained. Then, the geomechanical parameters were extracted using several equations. To identify and assess zones with high hydrocarbon potential, the integrated attribute was accomplished laterally and vertically at the various zones of a reservoir layer. We found that when a lower value of the integrated attribute appears at a higher thickness of the reservoir layer, it indicates the zones with higher hydrocarbon potential. In the second step, to single out the shale, brine, and hydrocarbon-bearing intervals, the high hydrocarbon potential locations identified in the first step were used and five scatter plots were prepared. The scatter plots consist of E versus ν, ZP versus VP/VS, ZP versus ν, MR versus Lambda-Rho (LR), and MR/LR versus LR. Among them, the MR/LR versus LR and ZP versus ν best-distinguished shale, brine, oil, and gas-bearing intervals.