Reprocessing of time-lapse seismic data improves seismic history matching

Time lapse seismic data have recently been used for the detection of bypassed oil as well as the general problem of reservoir management. In many cases, legacy data has been used because it is the least expensive approach. However, the poor repeatability of legacy data is a significant limitation (Beasley et al. 1996). Using two 3D seismic data sets acquired over a field in the Gulf of Mexico, this paper demonstrates how data reprocessing will affect the reservoir modeling, especially the dynamic performance prediction. Based on the “off-the-shelf “ data, a reasonable difference map was obtained, and an initial reservoir model was characterized using the base survey. The model was further updated using seismic history matching. Dynamic performance in the time frame after the monitor survey underestimated actual production. Using the newly reprocessed data, the model is updated and performance prediction is improved.