24. Geomechanics Effects in Thermal Processes for Heavy-Oil Exploitation

THEOR processes, such as steam injection, generate large changes in amplitude and travel time in the complicated signature of a reservoir’s seismic response. Conventionally, pressure, temperature, and saturation changes induced by thermal recovery are examined to study their complex and often counteracting effects on the seismic attributes of the reservoir and bounding rocks. The effects of geomechanical changes in stress and stiffness are less often considered, though they may dominate seismic property changes. Thus, seismic data interpretation to deconvolve in situ rock properties is non-unique and it also varies with time as these physical parameters change with the maturity of the THEOR process. A fuller understanding of the effects of these changes will lead to better interpretation of changes of seismic attributes, hence better project management.