Seismic Facies Analysis

Detailed Seismic Facies Interpretation to Improve Geological Understanding

Seismic Facies Analysis is used to develop Gross Depositional Environment Maps in areas of low well density. 

TGS’s highly experienced and qualified team provides the description and geologic interpretation (in terms of environmental setting, lithofacies, etc.) of seismic reflection parameters. 

Once the major sequence boundaries have been interpreted, each interval is further interpreted to define seismic facies units. A seismic facies unit is a mapped, three-dimensional seismic unit composed of groups of reflections whose parameters differ from adjacent facies units.

Four types of features are used to define separate facies units:
  • Seismic amplitude
  • Reflection geometry
  • Reflection continuity
  • Wavelet frequency

Detailed Geometry - Detailed Maps

The combination of the geometric information with the seismic attributes is used to predict the depositional environments for that unit. 

For example, the top of the package might display erosional truncation, toplap, or concordance. The base of the sequence might display onlap, downlap, or concordance. The geometry of the reflections could be parallel, mounded, oblique progradation, sub-parallel, wavy, sigmoid progradation, divergent or chaotic.

These units are then mapped across the entire seismic survey area to identify the Gross Depositional Environments and associated facies for each sequence.

TGS has completed Seismic Facies Analysis in:

  • Barents Sea, Norway
  • East Canada
  • Offshore Southern Brazil
  • Offshore Northern Brazil