Reducing Uncertainty in Characterization Of Vaca Mureta Shale with Post-Stack Seismic Data

Shale plays can be identified based on, amongst other characteristics, the total organic carbon (TOC), as better TOC leads to better production. However, there is no way of measuring it directly using seismic data, and it can only be estimated in an indirect way. Considering the influence of TOC on compressional, shear velocities and density, geoscientists have attempted to compute it using the linear or nonlinear relationship it may have with P-impedance. Given the uncertainty in using such a relationship for characterizing the VM formation, a different approach has been followed for characterizing it. In addition to P-impedance, gamma ray (GR) is another parameter of interest for characterizing the VM Formation as a linear relationship seems to exist between GR and TOC.