P-536

4D seismic for identification of potential unswept areas for development

in a producing field with water injection support: A case study of the
Ravva Field, east coast of India
Sivasankar Josyula*, Rao, C.G, Swarup Sarkar, Kondal Reddy,
Menal Gupta, Kausik Saikia, CARIN

Summary

The Ravva Field is a mature oil field in the shallow offshore KG Basin, Andhra Pradesh, which has been
producing from Middle Miocene reservoirs since 1993. Pressure support by water injection was provided in the early
stages of production life (1997). Water injection sustained a plateau production of 50000 bopd for ~ 9 years. The field is
currently on decline with increasing water cut. Reservoir simulation and history matching data suggest additional recovery
from the unswept zones in the crestal part of the structure are present, together with by-passed zones of commercial
value contained within the assumed swept zone up-dip of the original oil-water contact (OWC). A feasibility study was
carried out to model the expected seismic response resulting from oil production and water injection between 2000 and
2010. From the modeling it is estimated that an acoustic impedance change of 3 – 12% in the reservoir occurs due to
saturation changes and expansion of solution gas. This is observed to be sufficient to map the advancing water front in
the reservoir sands. An OBC survey was acquired in 2000 (the Base survey) with a Monitor survey being
subsequently acquired in 2010. Base and Monitor data sets were processed in a 4D sense to map time lapse seismic
effects caused by production and water injection. Initial 4D interpretation studies reveal areas of reservoir sweep,
potential unswept areas and probable intra-reservoir heterogeneities. Hydrocarbon saturations were confirmed at the
crestal part of the structure. An infill drilling campaign was executed during 2010 -11 and the drilling results are in line
with 4D interpretations. Several potential unswept areas have been identified in the Ravva Field and further work is on-
going to assess their value. 4D seismic has provided key data which is being used to optimize well plac ement
and generate additional value by way of extracting increased recovery from this mature field.

Keywords: 4D seismic, Acoustic Impedance changes (AIC), Water injection (WI), Reservoir modeling, unswept areas,
oil water contacts (OWC), Base and Monitor surveys, by-pass zones.

Introduction based on the existing static model, and incorporating

stochastic inversion models, derived reservoir parameters
Cairn India’s Ravva Field is located in shallow waters off from the 2000 OBC 3D. These indicate potential
Kakinada, on the east coast of India in the KG Basin undrained areas in the crestal part of the structure. An
(Figure.1). The field was discovered in 1983, and consists incremental recovery of 4% over the initial estimate of 51%
of two main blocks; RAD and REFB separated by shale- of OIIP was predicted following a 5 well infill drilling
filled erosional cut of Pliocene age. The main reservoirs are campaign in 2011.
high Darcy sands of Middle Miocene age. The field
was put on production in 1993 and water injection 4D seismic technology was applied as a field development
started in 1997 and to date has achieved an oil recovery of strategy to arrest the production decline and add
47%. Currently production in the field is declining incremental reserves, The objective of the 4D project was
with increasing water cut. Reservoir simulation studies to confirm the model predictions and map the reservoir

CAIRN INDIA LIMITED

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sweep, as well as define associated heterogeneities, flow crossequalization and spatial matching of both datasets.
barriers and pressure compartments. The results of the This ensured seismic data repeatability and time-lapse
project would be used to up-date the reservoir model for integrity to enhance the production-related reservoir
optimal reservoir management and development of anomalies in the difference volumes. The processing
an unswept oil strategy going forward. sequence also included pre- and post-stack cross-
equalization processes which incorporated amplitude, phase
Methodology and frequency balancing, local and global static shifting and
spatial crosscorrelation to correct for possible systematic
The Ravva implementation of 4D seismic technology was positioning errors, as well as design of full spectrum global
carried out in several planned, inter-related stages, namely: matching operator to balance amplitude and spectral
feasibility study, survey design, acquisition, processing, composition of the embedded seismic wavelets.
and interpretation.
Interpretation
Feasibility study
The Ravva Field 4D interpretation studies, undertaken by
Cairn India involved mapping of reservoirs in time and
To assess the Acoustic Impedance Change (AIC)
depth and extraction of seismic amplitude attributes
and seismic response caused by production and water
together with time shift volumes on both the Base and
injection in the reservoir, a feasibility study was carried out.
Monitor data sets. The observed differences in seismic
The changes in water saturation, expansion of solution gas
attributes are linked with changes in reservoir properties as
etc. were estimated at the production periods 2000, 2003
interpreted from model and actual data. The Ravva Field
and 2005 from the Reservoir Simulation Model (Figure.
reservoirs exhibit a classic Class II AVO response and fluid
2). Rock physics modeling and fluid substitution studies
effects are more pronounced at far angles. Integrated study
on well logs were carried out and AIC in the reservoirs
of all attributes with production data and geology aids in
was estimated to be of the order, from 2% to around 10% –
reservoir characterization and interpretation of dynamic
12% (Ghosh at al., 2007). This AIC range enables the
changes in the reservoir between 2000 and 2010. Far angle
4D seismic data set to be used for mapping reservoir
minimum amplitude attribute of Base and Monitor indicate
details, e.g. advancing water front, unswept zones, and other
the movement of OWC from the original 1707m to 1650m
production and WI related heterogeneities in the reservoir
subsea (Figure. 2). High amplitudes at the crestal part of the
sands.
structure in RAD and REFB blocks confirm the un drained
areas as predicted by the model (Figures 3 and 4). The
Survey design, acquisition and processing movement of the water front is clear in the REFB area
which is corroborated by well data. Interpretations suggest
The first OBC 3D seismic was acquired in 2000 and the presence of flow barriers and compartments that were
considered as the Base survey. A Monitor OBC 3D survey not were considered in the earlier interpretations and
was shot in 2010, with a dual objective of high resolution dynamic reservoir models. However, the 4D response is the
and high degree of repeatability with the Base. The Monitor result of a combination of changes in saturation and
survey was designed and executed with a position accuracy pressures and hence requires discrete separation of the
of <5m. To obtain the required coverage near the new pressure and saturation components of the 4D effect to
platform facilities extra lines were shot. enable quantitative interpretation. Whilst the reservoir
pressure has been maintained in the RAD block, the REFB
Processing of the Base and Monitor surveys includes block has undergone pressure reduction by 400 psi due to
analysis of trace pairs for repeatability and only those trace inadequate initial water injection support. This lack of
pairs, with minimum source & receiver distance error, were pressure maintenance resulted in solution gas expansion and
selected as the input to the 4D processing sequence. therefore has contributed to the 4D signal. To decouple the
pressure and saturation effects and estimate the current
Processing of the OBC data made full use of established saturation levels 4D AVO Simultaneous Inversion was
best practice processing sequences customized and carried out on the Base and Monitor datasets. Currently
supported by robust data conditioning through further interpretation work is ongoing.

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Conclusions

The 4D seismic studies in the Ravva Field have provided

key information that reveals the position and extent of the
current OWC and reveals potential undrained areas in the
crestal region of the RAD and REFB blocks of the field.
Basic 4D interpretations undertaken so far have enabled
description of the geometry of the reservoir sweep and our
preliminary view is that this may reveal more details of
reservoir continuity than previously recognised in the
previous data sets. The 4D seismic data has already been
used to optimize sub-surface targets, and underpinned Cairn
India’s 2011 infill drilling campaign on the field which was
instrumental in reducing the rate of production decline on
the field. On-going studies are aimed at adding incremental
reserves through the quantitative definition of by-passed oil Figure 1: Location map of Ravva field showing RAD and
zones. REFB areas.

Figure 2: Synthetic seismic amplitudes from the feasibility study. Figures on the left show the modeled seismic amplitudes at the production period
2003 (T1) & 2005 (T2). Figures on the right show the seismic amplitudes between 2000 (T0) & 2003 (T1) and 2000 (T0) & 2005 (T2). 4D signal is
observed at both T1 & T2 time-stamps with increasing production (shown in ellipse).

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 Figure 3: Far angle mimimum amplitude attribute showing the movement of OWC between 2000 & 2010. Areas marked in circle shows
the undrained areas in the crestal part of the structure.

Figure 4: Far angle mimimum amplitude attribute showing the movement of injected water (white arrows) in REFB block. Area
marked in black circle shows the undrained areas which were proved by drilling..

References Acknowledgements

Ghosh, B., K. N. Raju, S. S. Pandian, N. Krishnaiah, 2007, The authors gratefully acknowledge the full support of the
Time- Lapse Seismic (4D) Feasibility Study in Ravva Ravva Field Joint Venture partners Oil and Natural Gas
Field, Seventh International Petroleum Conference Corporation, Videocon limited and Ravva Singapore in the
PETROTECH, India planning and execution of the 4D studies and for their
permission to publish this work.