Author: Mike Cline, T/X Resources
Why bother using synthetic seismograms (aka. synthetics) to calibrate well info to our seismic data? Simple answer, TO REDUCE DRILLING RISK !
For example, I’ve seen prospects “evaporate” because the originator was mapping the wrong event—or just as bad, started mapping on the correct event, but ended up on the wrong event due to a character, or response change in the seismic data. This only became evident after a couple of synthetic correlations!
I also continue to see prospects that are being sold on the strength of an amplitude, or avo response, that is somehow related to a key wellbore. However, often a synthetic hasn’t been used to tie (correlate) the well to the seismic data. How could they even know for sure what was causing the anomaly, without a synthetic tie?
So, with these recent real-life examples in mind, I thought that it would be a good idea to cite some reasons why we should use synthetics, with a blog posting.

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Author: Mike Cline, T/X Resources
I was just notified that the instructions in the info page of the Culture Symbol Spreadsheet (posted on 02/08/08) were in error.
I had copied-and-pasted the intial text, for the info page, from another spreadsheet, and thought that I had made the appropriate changes. However, I may have uploaded the wrong version when I finished.
Sorry for any confusion, previously. I have corrected the version in the original posting, but here is the corrected Culture Symbol Spreadsheet, along with the ascii file that goes with it.
Copyright © T/X RESOURCES, 1995-2008. All Rights Reserved.
Author: Mike Cline, T/X Resources
Here’s the latest in the series of T/X Resources spreadsheets designed to help when you need to create symbols to import as an SMT culture layer.
In the image below, a variety of symbols have been created to highlight certain wellbore attributes. For example, they could represent producing formations, hydrocarbon shows, well log types, or test results. You can also vary the symbol sizes, and colors, to represent a ranking order, such as production volumes, etc. It doesn’t really matter what you want to show on your map—this is an easy way to do it.
See the larger Adobe Reader pdf file.
Author: Mike Cline, T/X Resources
Have you ever wanted to post a shortened version of the wellbore API numbers on a map because the original 12-digit UWI numbers created too much map “clutter”, but you didn’t have an easy way to do it?
Here’s an example T/X Resources spreadsheet that I use to create an SMT Culture file for posting the shortened, five digit API numbers above well symbols. (Note: just click on these links, and then select Save after the File Download box opens). In the image below, the 5-digit API number is posted above the well symbol (or surface location, if it’s a deviated wellbore), the well number to the right of the wellbore, and the TD below the well symbol.
See the larger Adobe Reader pdf file.
Author: Mike Cline, T/X Resources
In this SMT VuPak 3D perspective display, only the largest 30% of the seismic troughs (negative amplitudes) have been selected. In conjunction with this amplitude extraction, the “Base of Channel” horizon, fault interpretation, along with the nearby wellbores have been selected for viewing. This results in an impressive cloud of large amplitudes, which exhibits a distinct, and channel-like sinuous character (red event, highlighted by yellow arrow), in close proximity with other controlling geologic features.

See the VuPak animation (18MB Media Player avi file), or see a larger Adobe Reader pdf file.
Note: The avi file is fairly large, so it will take some time before the animation starts.


