Utilization of seismic modeling and geostatistics for prediction of tight zone in the Norphlet formation

The Norphlet sandstone reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S.A., generally contain a porous zone overlain by an Upper Tight Zone with a maximum thickness of up to 200 feet. Obviously, the upper tight zone thickness information is critical to the optimal placement of the Norphlet wells as well as accurate estimation of reservoir volumes. We present a methodology to estimate the spatial and vertical distribution of the Norphlet upper tight zone by integrating the seismic modeling results with the geostatistical techniques in this paper.