HOLA14 - 161

Construction of Training Images Using Seismic Attributes to

delineate Braided Channels in Morichal Member, Oficina
Formation, Faja Petrolifera del Orinoco, Venezuela
Pedro Gonzlez, Petroindependencia., PDVSA Affiliate, Ronny Meza, ARC Solutions SA and Universidad
Central de Venezuela
This paper has been selected for presentation and/or publication in the proceedings for the 2014 Heavy Oil Latin America Congress.
The authors of this material have been cleared by all interested companies/employers/clients to authorize dmg: events (Canada) inc.,
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ABSTRACT
During static model construction, the knowledge and
understanding of the environment of deposition is a key,
especially when dealing with an environment that was
controlled by the development of fluvial channels. The classic
work scheme used in the construction of a sedimentological
model is based on well data (cores and logs). However, when
this methodology is applied in fields where the distance
between wells is around 4 km in average, the information to be
inferred is unrepresentative when a training image is made to
support the construction of a static model 3D by multipoint
geostatistics.
In this case the study area is Carabobo 5 Block of
Petroindependencia field in the Faja Petrolfera del Orinoco;
where the main production unit Morichal Member, comprises
fluvial-transitional unconsolidated sands. In this interval, the
sedimentation evolution generated a stacking pattern of
braided channels with variable thickness, and in some cases
these channels are eroded or overlapped with other channels,
giving rise to a multi-story channel system. These
characteristics represent a challenge when it comes to the
building of a static model 3D, due to the difficulty of
interpreting the channel geomorphology, especially its areal
location.
Therefore, it was necessary to carry out a seismic
interpretation of reflectors of interest throughout the 3D
seismic volume with an exhaustive detail; the interpreted
horizons were used for various analyses of seismic attributes
of complex trace, such as: signal envelope, spectral
decomposition, statistical attributes, RGB Blending and
attributes for classification based on neural networks. The
latter being those who managed to solve the complexity of the
paleo braided channel belt.

KEY WORDS
Training images, Seismic attributes, Braided channel, Faja
Petrolfera del Orinoco.

INTRODUCTION
In the oil industry is very important the precise
characterization of a reservoir in terms of facies distributions,
essential for optimal planning and operation of these
reservoirs. In this sense, Petroindependencia, towards
optimizing well planning design and to achieve the proposed
goals of production, has been using all available information
to generate a static model to characterize the complexity of the
stacked braided paleochannels sands which conform the
Morichal Member in Oficina Formation.
The classical static models are constructed using seismic and
well data (geological tops and calibration logs as VSP and/or
Check Shots) to generate the structural framework, which is
used to generate a grid; this grid is filled with information
provided by the petrophysical evaluation and the
sedimentological facies interpretation, using algorithms
supported by propagation properties models. The algorithms
are designed to honor the information provided by wells;
however, the results of performing the facies are not
necessarily linked with the 3D seismic data area.
Nevertheless, the propagation properties program that uses
variograms has limitations for modeling complex
environments; these programs usually fail when attempting to
model the sinuous channels. In fluid simulation applications,
the models based on variogram methods tend to produce high
entropy and eventually distorts the reservoir connectivity
heterogeneous field, and therefore may provide inaccurate
predictions flows. Several solutions have been proposed to go
beyond the two-point statistics to be capable of reproducing
realistic geological patterns. Due to the fact that the limited

data sample makes statistical inference at multiple points

extremely challenging, the idea of using an external source,
called training image with power to describe the expected
subsurface geology, has been a very attractive solution.
The focus of this paper is to present a methodology employed
by Petroindependencia to generate training images of
Morichal Member in Oficina Formation from seismic
attributes information. The training image is a new concept
introduced in Multipoint Geostatistics. These can be defined
as a numerical 3D rendering of a reservoir. The training image
should represent a wide range of possibilities and different
ways of geobodies that are present in the subsurface; also this
one should indicate the association that may exist between the
different facies; Fig. 1 shows an example of a complete 3D
training image.
Traditionally, the image of training has been conceived as a
conceptual geological model, which is not the absolute truth,
on the contrary, represents a geological model that is not
conditioned by hard data. However, if the hard data to be
modeled do not have a good sampling, training image or a
priori model these generates model which does not fit the
geological reality of the field. For this reason, it is necessary to
develop a strategy to build a best approach training image for
the subsurface geology reality, and one of the means to get the
best approximation is using the information provided by the
seismic volume 3D seismic volume to build.

Fig. 1. (a) A complete 3D training image containing channel

structures and (b), (c), (d) its slices along different orientation
planes. These slices can be used as 2D training images in the
proposed approaches (Comunian, Renard, & Straubhaar,
2012)

FIELD LOCATION
The Petroindependencia concession is located in the Carabobo
area, southern Llanos plains of Venezuela; 375 kilometers SE
of Caracas, 150 kilometers NE of the Petropiar Hamaca Field
and 25 to 50 kilometers north of the Orinoco River, a
continental river that flows east from the Amazon forest at
South.

The concession is adjacent to the west, south and east of the

Petromonagas and Petrolera Sinovensa heavy oil projects of
the Faja, or Petrolfera del Orinoco. Fig. 2 shows the location
of Carabobo 5 Block. The area is gentle and flat with
elevations ranging from 250 to 350 feet and is covered with
cultivated pine plantations and grassland. The Rio Yabo, Rio
Cogollar, Rio Yabito o Campeo, and Rio Uracoa tributaries
of the northern Orinoco dissect the northern margins of the
blocks. In the river bottoms tropical forest referred to as
morichales are environmentally sensitive.

Fig. 2. Carabobo 5 Block is highlighted in green color

LOCAL GEOLOGY
The production intervals in the studied area are associated to
the Oficina Formation of Miocene Age. The formation is
divided in four main members, defined from old to young, as:
Morichal, Yabo, Jobo, Piln. Towards the east of the
Carabobo Area, the thickness of the Morichal Member gets
reduced until it disappears by pinching out against the Uverito
High; the same happens towards the south where such
sedimentary pinches out against the igneous metamorphic
Basement.
The Morichal Member at the base represents the rock interval
with the best potential from the hydrocarbons productions
point of view.
The Lower Morichal member consists of sand packages with
little consolidation associated to a fluvial environment, while
in the medium section named Middle Morichal and in the
superior section named Superior Morichal there are
interspersed unconsolidated sand beds with shale and silt with
carbon presence and a reduced thickness in the beds.
According to the core description present in the area, the basal
sands of Oficina formation (Morichal Lower-Middle) are
formed by stacking braided fluvial systems incised into the
earlier igneous-metamorphic basement during a period of
maximum relative sea level fall and rise or Lowstand System
Tract, which is consistent with global changes in sea level, in
this case the Basement - Miocene boundary. These basal sands
transitionally change into fluvial deltaic facies with a wellmarked tidal influence.

STRUCTURAL STYLE
The structural scheme of the study area consists of an
extensive system, consisting of normal faults involving the
basement. The largest structure is represented by a regional
monocline dipping three degrees. This structure defines the
morphology of the sedimentary basin. Fault blocks are caused
by lithostatic charges over crystalline Basement. Minor
structures consist of sequences of uplifted blocks and
depressed blocks in alternating sequences; in some cases the
sequence of blocks can be gradational, with intermediate
blocks marking the turning points, and the maximum and
minimum denoting the raised and depressed blocks. The
combination of major and minor structures, sequence denotes
an extensive system failed, as product of lithostatic charge.

SEISMIC INTERPRETATION
The seismic interpretation of horizons departed from
calibration by constructing synthetic seismograms. The
synthetic seismogram allowed defining feature of the seismic
reflector interpreted. The variant in terms of classical seismic
interpretation was the rigor and quality control techniques
employed during the horizon interpretation, because the
reflectors are not continuous, showing phase shift, producing
the thinning out of reflectors. Once, generated a dense grid,
where, the interpretation was made every 5 lines and 5 traces,
it proceeds the propagation the seismic horizon with
autotracking engine for each horizon of interest.

SEISMIC ATTRIBUTES
Geoscientists create volumetric attributes from 3D seismic
amplitude data for improving its interpretation. Seismic
attributes are derived transformations or linear combinations
of the amplitude data, used to highlight important geological
events that could be hidden in conventional seismic amplitude
data. In recent decades there have been numbers 3D seismic
attributes with different qualitative and quantitative
approaches. When is necessary to evaluate events as fluvial
depositional environments, the seismic attributes are the
perfect tool, because, it has capacity to detect edges effect,
body thickness, lithological composition changes, etc. The
attributes can evaluate changes in phase, frequency and
statistical using time windows, the most used, because they
tend to highlight the stratigraphic changes, but in some
instances, some seismic attributes work better than others,
because the conditions of deposition and quality of seismic
data do not favor some seismic attributes.
Channels filled with porous rocks imbedded in other nonporous rock, where well logs report high resistivities, are the
economic importance in field development. However, the
traditional methodology of sedimentological models
construction that integrates interpretation of well logs, cores
facies analysis, electrofacies analysis, etc., can generate
models that are affected by sampling. This is the case of
Carabobo 5 Block of the Faja Petrolifera del Orinoco, where
the production unit, known as the Morichal Member, formed
mostly by unconsolidated-sands of fluvial origin to
transitional, the channels evolution created an interlaced
pattern generating channels with variable thickness and in
other cases, channels eroded or overlapped by other channels,

producing amalgamation or stacking channels with an

extensive lateral propagation.
In Carabobo 5 Block, the wells are spaced at an average
distance of 4 Km, being a great challenge to build a training
image, and even to try to assign an analog, because
information captured by the wells can punish the frequency
with which the channels appear or disappear. In this sense, the
strategy was focused on delineating the presence of channel in
Morichal Member, using seismic attributes.
This paper will showe the results obtained in different stages
of seismic attributes evaluation, trying to reconstruct the
seismic geomorphology of the channel in order to support the
construction of training images to feed geocellular model
using geostatistical multipoint techniques.

METHODOLOGY
There are several ways to approach the analysis by seismic
attributes; some one involving analysis cuts the volume in the
direction of the line or trace or using cuts in time. In this
particular case, the analysis was performed by using horizonslices. This visual tool replaces the color palette that represents
the z axis (time or depth) by the value of the intersection with
the seismic attribute, but keeps the ratio of depth z axis in the
3D display, giving texture to the surface, which provides
information when there are changes associated with paleohigh.
The fourth dimension incorporated by the attribute, assesses
evaluate the lateral variation of the amplitude, which allows to
pick lateral contrast caused by the response of the lithological
unit; this variation in response may be associated with:
faulting, lithological variation, composition variation in the
arrangement, fluid content, etc. Moreover, the analysis using
time windows to evaluate the lateral variation of full cycles of
the signal was made with reference to the interpreted seismic
marker. This methodology was applied to various types of
attributes, such as spectral decomposition, signal envelope,
intervallic statistical attributes, and attributes for classification
based on neural networks, and RGB Blending was used as
visualization seismic attribute tools to integrate information
with different frequencies.

HORIZON-SLICES AMPLITUDE EXTRACTION

In general, the first seismic attribute that is evaluated is the
horizon-slices amplitude extraction; according to (Davies,
2007), the horizon-slices or slices amplitude extraction along
horizons can reveal the presence of depositional elements by
virtue of different impedance characteristics of the
depositional element relative to surrounding strata. Also,
numerous interval attributes can be generated, such as
maximum positive polarity amplitude, maximum absolute
polarity, amplitude the ratio of positive maximum to negative
maximum amplitude, total cumulative amplitude.
In the Fig. 3 is not easy, can be noticed that identification of
geomorphologic shape. Only in the horizon-slices of Middle
Morichal member it is possible to see channels shapes
structurally control. For these reason is necessary to evaluate
several attribute to reveals the braided channel geometry.

SPECTRAL DECOMPOSITION ATTRIBUTE

Citing spectral decomposition attributes thickness detection;
the starting point is given by the work of (Partyka, Gridley, &
Lopez, 1999). Where they used a small window of time
around the area of interest and showed how the spectral
decomposition can be used to detect changes in the thickness,
lateral variation of thickness and simian images for geological
discontinuities. Exploding a volume of a particular amplitude
frequency range, you can identify the bodies which tune whit
this frequency range.
The wavelet transform is a special type of Fourier transform; it
represents a signal in terms of transported and dilated versions
of a finite wave (called mother wavelet).
In this paper, the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) was
used, because the advantage of CWT lies in its ability to detect
changes in the frequency content in time also, it has greater
ability to reproduce the changes in signal amplitude which
gives higher resolution for detecting interference between the
layers.

When constructing spectral decomposition attributes is very

important to consider to evaluate the frequency, because the
classic frequency spectrum does not help to determine the
frequency ranges which enter the bodies that are of interest in
the subsurface frequency tuning. To define the frequency
ranges were used the time-frequency spectrum graph, at a
depth of 664 ms, it were observed 3 frequencies that describe
the anomaly, which covers the sands of Morichal Member, the
low frequency, medium and high that covert the anomaly are:
40, 70 and 85 Hz, respectively; with these frequency values
the CWT seismic attributes were built.
In evaluating the spectral decomposition attributes illustrated
in the figures A-4, A-5 and A-6, we can see that the
information provided is nascent and much structural control is
observed. In Middle Morichal level it is possible to see a
depocentre at the southeast of the area. However, in general
lines, the information showed in CWT attribute is poor, in this
way, it was necessary to keep trying with other attributes
improving the channel detection.

RGB BLENDING ATTRIBUTE

RGB blending attribute, also called stacking colors, allows
combining multiple attributes on a single screen for
simultaneous analysis. RGB stands make reference to the
colors Red, Green and Blue used in seismic attribute
construction. In general, the methodology has been applied to
integrate information from three different frequency ranges,
however is not limited to spectral decomposition attributes, the
interpreter can use different attributes and generate texture
attributes. The combined data can be evaluated through
combinations of brightness and color balance. In many cases,
the RGB displays show features more clearly and in more
detail in comparison with standard displays. When it comes to
attributes of spectral decomposition, as a rule the red color is
the lowest frequency, green is assigned to the middle
frequency and blue is assigned to the highest frequency.
In Fig. A-7 shows a substantial improvement in the lateral
definition of the channels, in particular at Middle Morichal
where depocenter exhibits several internal channels and also a
strong presence of interleaved channels is observed; however,
in Upper Morichal, channels are thinner and less preserved,
which may be associated with the transitional environment.
Lower Morichal showed a little lateral contrast, which may be
associated with a level whose composition is coarse sand,
maybe the all material have similar composition, so the lateral
contrast is poor; however, in this area can be observed 3
channels with azimuth NESE. It also can be seen as the
channels correspond to different frequency ranges and
channels as some correspond to more than one frequency
range, which is reflected in the secondary colors such as
yellow, cyan, purple and white.

INSTANTANEOUS AMPLITUDE ATTRIBUTE

Fig. 3. Horizon-Slices amplitude extraction along the
members: Upper Morichal, Middle Morichal and Lower
Morichal from top to bottom.

Instantaneous amplitude attribute is the rate of change of

instantaneous phase from one time sample to the next (first
vertical derivative of the phase). It is used for visualizing
regional depositional patterns. In some cases, high frequency
absorption can cause shadow zones beneath condensate and

gas reservoirs. Frequency tuning can indicate changes in bed

thickness (possibly pinchouts, onlaps, or downlaps). Spikes
indicate noise or discontinuous points where frequency can
become zero, negative or anomalously large (Harvey et al.,
2000).
The Fig. A-8 shows the Instantaneous amplitude attribute for
each one of the levels, in Middle Morichal level features
suggestive braided channels geometry and the depocenter can
be observed (highlighted), but in general lines the attribute
resolution is poor, however, with its limitation can resolve the
channel patter and its geometry.

RMS ATTRIBUTE
The RMS seismic attribute thus emphasizes the variations in
acoustic impedance over a selected sample interval. In
particular, this attributes is a post-stack attribute that computes
the square root of the sum of squared amplitudes divided by
the number of samples within the specified window used.
With this, is possible to measure reflectivity in order to map
direct hydrocarbon indicators in a zone of interest.
The Fig. A-9 shows RMS attribute evaluated in each level of
Morichal Member, this attribute has not good resolution to
highlight the channel feature, however, the attribute shows the
zones that are homogeneous in the RMS amplitude behavior,
and at Lower Morichal in the zone southwest the RMS
amplitude attribute shows homogeneous values. Also, at
Middle Morichal in the depocenter zone the RMS attribute
shows different values in southwest direction than northwest
direction.

SEISMIC
WAVEFORM
ATTRIBUTE

CLASSIFICATION

The shape and character of the seismic waveform is often used

to characterize reservoir quality. This is because the seismic
waveform carries information about the phase, frequency and
amplitude, and any variation in these parameters is considered
reflective of the lateral variations in lithology, porosity and
fluid content. If the shape and character of seismic waveforms
in a given target zone can be studied using some pattern
recognition type of a process, and then displayed in a map
view, the display would indicate seismic facies variation at the
target level.
One approach to pattern recognition is with the use of neural
networks to compare seismic waveforms and to group them
into different classes. Under this approach two types of
methods could be distinguished, namely unsupervised and
supervised classifications. In the unsupervised method, apart
from defining an analysis interval, no other a priori
information is used for the classification of seismic traces into
groups or classes. The supervised method uses the known
information available at specific well locations for the
classification process (Satinder Chopra, Ritesh Kumar Sharma
and James Keay). In this work unsupervised neural network
was used to compare seismic waveforms and group them into
different classes.
Seismic waveform shape can define facies and reservoir
parameters with far greater detail than traditional time and

amplitude mapping. Modern techniques using waveform

classification make it possible to define and map subtle
changes in seismic response and to match them to subsurface
information (Andersen & Boyd, 2004). The Fig. A-10 shows
the Horizon-Slices intercepted with seismic waveform
classification attribute.

DISCUSSION
Reviewing the different seismic attributes generated, it was
possible to build the braided channel geometry of different
levels of Morichal; the Fig. A-11 shown in green colors the
braided channels geometry for each level. In Upper Morichal,
the channels have not a good continuity because were
reworked in the transitional environment. In Middle Morichal,
the channel showed a good definition, also, the channels are
wider than the other levels. Lower Morichal showed a major
channel frequency, but their channels are narrow and sinuous.
In Upper Morichal the channel geometry is chaotic and the
channel has poor continuity, but in general, the channels keep
the trend. Also, in each level is possible to recognize
geological features as: levee, point bars, crevasse splay, braid
bar and the floodplain. In the Fig. A-11 these geological some
feature have been highlighted in different colors with
opacities. Summarizing, the integration of different seismic
attributes, it makes possible to create to interpret different
geological features but, seismic waveform has being who
managed to solve the complexity of the paleo braided channel
belt in different levels of Morichal Member.

CONCLUSION
The seismic attributes are a powerful tool for edge detection,
in sedimentation environment similar to Faja Petrolifera del
Orinoco; attributes designed for edges detection can resolve
the channels geometry, some ones better than others.
However, it does not exist as a perfect recipe, but in general
lines with good quality data it makes possible to reconstruct
channel geometry using seismic attributes.
In Carabobo 5 Block, the RGB blending and seismic
waveform classification attributes were the attributes with
most capacity for edge detection; where the latter being those
which managed to solve the complexity of the paleo braided
channel belt. In Upper Morichal, the channels have not a good
continuity because were reworked in the transitional
environment. In Middle Morichal, the channel showed a good
definition, also, the channels are wider than the other levels.
Lower Morichal showed a major channel frequency, but their
channels are narrow and sinuous. In Upper Morichal the
channel geometry is chaotic and the channels have poor
continuity, but in general, the channels keep the trend.
In this work seismic waveform classification was used with
unsupervised approach; once a seismic facies map was
generated, it was possible to apply the process again to
individual classes. In that sense, the hierarchical process was
applied and subdivides each class into smaller subsets.
Iteratively application enhances the resolution of each class.
For this study an interval of 24 ms in each horizon was
selected.

The Fig. A-10 shows an even distribution to all the colors

within the sand boundary, and so can be considered a
reasonable facies variation, some level show better lateral
contrast, in special Middle Morichal member, where the
channel geometry could be easily interpreted. In the other
levels more effort, but is possible to build the geometry using
information from needed previous seismic attributes. In the
Fig. A-11 in each Morichal Member levels were recognized
some geological features such as: levee, point bars, crevasse
splay and the floodplain. The integration of different seismic
attributes, made possible to create and to interpret different
geological features but, seismic waveform has being managed
to solve the complexity of the paleo braided channel belt in
different levels of Morichal Member

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We wish to thank to Petroindependencia SA, PDVSA affiliate
for encouraging this work and for permission to present these
results.

REFERENCES

Computers
&
Geosciences,
doi:10.1016/j.cageo.2011.07.009

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4965.

Davies, R. J. (2007). Seismic Geomorphology: Applications to

Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production. Geological Society
of London.
Harvey, E. L., Sheffield, T. M., Meyer, D., Lees, J., Payne, B.,
& Zeitlin, M. J. (2000). Techniques For Volume Interpretation
of Seismic Attributes. 2000 SEG Annual Meeting. Retrieved
from https://www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/SEG-20000600
Partyka, G., Gridley, J., & Lopez, J. (1999). Interpretational
applications of spectral decomposition in reservoir
characterization. SEG, The Leading Edge, 5.
Andersen, E., & Boyd, J. (2004). Seismic Waveform
Classification: Techniques and Benefits. Retrieved August 25,
2014, from http://www.geomodeling.ca/seismic-waveformclassification-techniques-and-benefits/

Comunian, A., Renard, P., & Straubhaar, J. (2012). 3D

multiple-point statistics simulation using 2D training images.

APPENDIX

Fig. A-4. from top to bottom shows the

horizon-slices
at
Upper
Morichal
intercepted with spectral decomposition
(CWT) for the following frequencies: 40,
70 y 85 Hz.

Fig. A-5. from top to bottom shows the

horizon-slices
at
Middle
Morichal
intercepted with spectral decomposition
(CWT) for the following frequencies: 40,
70 y 85 Hz.

Fig. A-6. from top to bottom shows the

horizon-slices
at
Lower
Morichal
intercepted with spectral decomposition
(CWT) for the following frequencies: 40,
70 y 85 Hz.

Fig. A-7. Horizon-Slices showing RGB blending of the

following frequency ranges: 40, 70 y 85 Hz, for the following
level Upper Morichal, Middle Morichal and Lower Morichal
from top to botton.

Fig. A-8. Horizon-Slices intercepted with Instantaneous

Amplitude attribute for the following level Upper Morichal,
Middle Morichal and Lower Morichal from top to botton.

Fig. 9. Horizon-Slices intercepted with RMS attribute for the

following level Upper Morichal, Middle Morichal and Lower
Morichal from top to bottom.

Fig. 10. Horizon-Slices intercepted with seismic waveform

classification attribute for the following level Upper
Morichal, Middle Morichal and Lower Morichal from top to
botton

Fig. A-11. Horizon-Slices intercepted with seismic waveform

classification attribute were used to show the braided
channels and some geological features highlighted in
different colors for the following level Upper Morichal,
Middle Morichal and Lower Morichal from top to bottom.