Seismic Attributes & Wave Form Classification: An Emerging Tool for Exploration of Shallow Oil Play, Kuwait

Lower Fars Formation of Middle Miocene age has become focus of exploration in North Kuwait area after the recent discovery of hydrocarbons in the North Western Kuwait. Being a shallow reservoir with depths ranging from 400ft to 1200ft, identifying and characterizing of this Lower Fars play with the sparse well data, lack of E-logs and with seismic data acquired for evaluating the deeper targets make this task highly challenging. A detailed analysis of the mapped structure with the hydrocarbon indications in Lower Fars Formation observed in the mud logs of wells drilled for deeper Jurassic targets in the study area indicates that the present day structural configuration has a limited role in these hydrocarbon accumulations and the play appear to be primarily strati-structural in nature. Keeping this in mind an integrated approach had been adopted in relating the seismic data with hydrocarbon indications in wells and subsequent correlation through a combination of seismic attributes as well as waveform classification. A suitable geologic model has been postulated with seismic and well analysis which has resulted in identifying a target area for exploration. The exploratory well drilled to validate the model had encountered hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs as predicted and successfully established the shallow Lower Fars play opening a large area for active exploration and development in North East Kuwait area. The integrated approach has validated the crucial role of seismic attributes, seismic facies analysis through waveform classification in defining reservoir geometry and hydrocarbon charging in a new area with limited well data.