Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2005

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Geology and Geography

Committee Chair

Tom Wilson.

Abstract

Regional and local subsurface log and 3D seismic interpretations were undertaken in the vicinity of the Buffalo Valley field in southeastern New Mexico. Oil production in the field is trapped in early Pennsylvanian basal Morrow Formation Harris Channel. Regional interpretation shows that the field is located on the Northwestern Shelf along the rim of the Delaware basin. Structure and isopach maps reveal that high production is associated with a structural low that actively developed during deposition of the reservoir interval. The Harris Channel scoured into the upper Mississippian Barnett shale. Areas of thin Barnett Shale coincide with production and define the channel course.;Seismic data from the field consisted of 24 square miles of 3D P-wave and mode converted shear wave (PS-wave) data collected by WesternGeco. The 3D seismic interpretation reveals that the field is bounded by steeply dipping north-south trending faults along its west and east margins. Dip reversals along these faults suggest they may be strike-slip in origin. The 5 to 30 foot thickness of the Harris Channel lies below the resolution limit (60 feet) of the P-wave seismic and does not produce an easily detectable seismic response. Recursive inversions of the P and PS-wave volumes were combined to provide 3D Vp/Vs and Poisson's ratio volumes. Poisson's ratios were averaged over a 5ms window of time including reflection events from the reservoir interval. Poisson's ratio/lithology relationships were derived from a well in the field. The mapped distribution of Poisson's ratio throughout the survey helps define the distribution of producing sands.

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