Seismic Reflection Data: What It Is, How It Can Be Used, & An Application at Elk Hills, CA
Seismic Reflection Data: What It Is, How It Can Be Used, & An Application at Elk Hills, CA
Seismic Reflection Data: What It Is, How It Can Be Used, & An Application at Elk Hills, CA
Seismic Reflection
return of a wave
subject to or from a surface that it
caused by an strikes into the
earth vibration medium through
which it has traveled
- Clay, 1990
• Source
• Receivers
Spacing
cross lines
12.5 m for Wytch Farm Oil Field
16.7 m for Elk Hills Oil Field
Seismic Reflection Data: Processing
- http://walter.kessinger.com/work/seisx_processing.html
Seismic Reflection Data: Processing
Seismic x-section
two-way travel
time (ms)
- Kansas Geological Survey
Vertical
Horizontal
Minimum separation between two features such that we can tell that there are
two features rather than only one
Seismic Reflection Data: Interpretation
Time slice
Cross -section
Seismic Reflection Data: Interpretation
http://www.mines.edu/academic/geology/faculty/btrudgil/research.html
due to faulting
Stratigraphic variations due to depositional changes
Various scales
of
(Scale for this x-section)
interpretation
- http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov
Elk Hills: Motivation
A’
N - Thinning onto highs
NW - Thickening across faults
S
29
B’
R 31
S
Use sedimentary features to
constrain fault movements with time
A
B
2 mi
B’
A West A’ B East
Elk Hills: Stratigraphic Constraints
3D analysis (isochores)
Calitroleum
A’ N
Pseudowell analysis
ms
MYA4-A
West
Wilhelm Pseudowell thickness plots
A
2 mi
A A’
Calitroleum
A A’
BRR
SW NE
Elk Hills: Stratigraphic Constraints
Example 1: Onlap
Syn-faulting strata
Elk Hills: Stratigraphic Constraints
Pre-faulting strata
Elk Hills: Stratigraphic Constraints
0.5 mile
100 ms
Offset onlap:
1. 3R>1R
2. 3R>BRR
Elk Hills: Stratigraphic Constraints
x1 x2 x3 x4 x5
MYA4-A
Wilhelm
Calitroleum
500 ms BRR
McDonald
1 mile
Two Signatures:
1. Close contours A A’
a) a) fault cut
A’ interval
at time
(syn tectonic)
A
b) fault below
c)
interval
c)
(synfilled in
tectonic)
A
paleo high
(post tectonic)
5R Elk Hills: Stratigraphic Constraints
1R
3R
A 5R A’
2R
BRR
McDonald 1R 2R
3R
N 2R Structural high
1R
- active fault
A’
2R
1R 3R 3R Fault cut
Structural high
7
ft
7 - active fault
5R
6R
A
5R No expression
0 1 2 miles
6R
- inactive fault
0 2 4 6 km
Elk Hills: Stratigraphic Constraints
1R 3R 2R
Active faults
6R
McDonald
7, 2R, 3R
B B’
6R
7
east
- Reid, 1990
Elk Hills: Stratigraphic Constraints
N
A’
B’
29 31
R S
Conclusions from all Analyses
2 mi
A
B
WEST A A’
Stage 1 3R
EAST B B’ pre-McDonald
(mid Miocene)
7
Stage 1 A A’
pre-McDonald
(mid Miocene) Stage 2 3R 2R
B B’ pre-McDonald
(mid Miocene)
Stage 2 7
6R
A A’
Post MYA-4A
(late Pliocene) Stage 3 1R 3R 2
R
A 5R A’
Stage 4 1R 2R
3R
pre-Wilhlem
(mid Pliocene)
Elk Hills: Stratigraphic Constraints