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The seismic properties of rocks are known to be sensitive to partial liquid or gas saturation, and to aligned fractures. P-wave anisotropy is widely used for fracture characterization and is known to be sensitive to the saturating fluid. However, studies combining the effect of multiphase saturation and aligned fractures are limited even though such conditions are common in the subsurface. An understanding of the effects of partial liquid or gas saturation on P-wave anisotropy could help improve seismic characterization of fractured, gas bearing reservoirs. Using octagonal-shaped synthetic sandstone samples, one containing aligned penny-shaped fractures and the other without fractures, we examined the influence of water saturation on P-wave anisotropy in fractured rocks. In the fractured rock, the saturation related stiffening effect at higher water saturation values is larger in the direction across the fractures than along the fractures. Consequently, the anisotropy parameter 'ε' decreases as a result of this fluid stiffening effect. These effects are frequency dependent as a result of wave-induced fluid flow mechanisms. Our observations can be explained by combining a frequency-dependent fractured rock model and a frequency-dependent partial saturation model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractured rocks are known to exhibit seismic anisotropy and shear wave splitting (SWS). SWS is commonly used for fractured rock characterization and has been shown to be sensitive to fluid type. The presence of partial liquid/gas saturation is also known to affect the elastic properties of rocks. The combined effect of both fractures and partial liquid/gas saturation is still unknown. Using synthetic, silica-cemented sandstones with aligned penny-shaped voids, we conducted laboratory ultrasonic experiments to investigate the effect fractures aligned at an oblique angle to wave propagation would have on SWS under partial liquid/gas saturation conditions. The result for the fractured rock shows a saturation dependence which can be explained by combining a fractured rock model and a partial saturation model. At high to full water saturation values, SWS decreases as a result of the fluid bulk modulus effect on the quasi-shear wave. This bulk modulus effect is frequency dependent as a result of wave-induced fluid flow mechanisms, which would in turn lead to frequency dependent SWS. This result suggests the possible use of SWS for discriminating between full liquid saturation and partial liquid/gas saturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have carried out two seismic physical experiments to acquire wide-azimuth P-wave 3-D seismic data with a scaled down model (1:10 000) and scaled-up frequencies (10 000:1). Our aims are to verify the physical basis of using P-wave attributes for fracture detection, to understand the usage of these attributes and their merits, and to investigate the effects of acquisition geometry and structural variations on these attributes. The base model consists of a fractured layer sandwiched between two isotropic layers (Epoxylite). Inside the fractured layer there is a dome and a fault block for investigating the effects of structural variations. The two experiments were carried out using different acquisition geometries. The first experiment was conducted to maximize the data quality, with an offset-depth ratio of only 0.68 to the bottom of the fracture layer. For comparison, the second experiment was carried out to maximize the anisotropy effects, with the offset-depth ratio to the bottom of the fracture layer raised to 1.34. For each experiment, about 20 km2 of wide-azimuth 3-D data were acquired with a P-wave source. The physical modelling confirms that the P-wave attributes (traveltime, amplitude and velocity) exhibit azimuthal variations diagnostic of fracture-induced anisotropy. For the first experiment with noise-free data, the amplitude from the top of the fracture layer yields the best results that agree with the physical model parameters and free of the acquisition footprint. The results from other attributes (traveltime, velocity, AVO gradient) are either contaminated by the structural imprint, or by the acquisition footprint due to the lack of offset coverage. For the second experiment, despite the interferences from multiples and other coherent noise, the traveltime attributes yield the best results; both the acquisition footprint and the structural imprint are reduced due to the increased offset coverage. However, the results from the amplitudes are affected by the noise and are less reliable. Analysis of the two experiments reveals that the offset-depth ratio to the target is a key parameter for the success of the P-wave techniques. Smaller offset-depth coverage may only be applicable to amplitude attributes with high quality data; whilst large offset coverage makes it possible to use traveltime attributes. A reliable estimation from traveltime attributes requires an offset-depth ratio of 1.0 or more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of seismic data suggests that hydrocarbon deposits are often associated with higher than usual values of attenuation, but this is generally ignored during amplitude-versus-offset (AVO) analysis. The effect can be modelled with equivalent medium theory based on the squirt flow concept, but the excess attenuation is associated with strong velocity dispersion. Consequently, when we study reflections from the interface between such an equivalent medium and an elastic overburden we find that the reflection coefficient varies with frequency. The impact of this variation depends on the AVO behaviour at the interface; class I reflections tend to be shifted to higher frequency while class III reflections have their lower frequencies amplified. We calculate synthetic seismograms for typical models using the reflectivity method for materials with frequency dependent velocities and attenuations, and find that these effects are predicted to be detectable on stacked data. Two field data sets show frequency anomalies similar to those predicted by the analysis, and we suggest that our modelling provides a plausible explanation of the observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method is developed for the determination of nine organophosphorus pesticide residues in cereals and kidney beans by capillary gas chromatography with flame-photometric detection. In this method, dichloromethane is used for clean-up after liquid-liquid extraction. It is shown that good separations are obtained using a fused-silica capillary column (DB-1701) by the optimized temperature program. In the spiked levels of 0.012-0.43 mg/kg, the recoveries are from 83.7% to 107%, with the relative standard deviation between 3.2% and 13% and limits of detection from 8.2 to 15 μg/kg. The method is rapid, sensitive, and practical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes two four-dimensional, 3C onshore surveys from New Mexico where the reservoir of interest is a fractured dolomite. Importance of time-lapse seismology for monitoring subsurface pressure changes and fluid movements in producing hydrocarbon reservoirs; Main causes of time-lapse changes.