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Gas hydrate saturation and porosity are the two essential parameters for characterizing a gas hydrate reservoir. Generally, porosities determined at the well locations are interpolated and extrapolated over the seismic volume, which is not so appropriate to get an estimate of gas hydrate saturation. Here, we propose a method to predict both porosity and gas hydrate saturation directly by inverting seismic data using a global optimization technique known as Very Fast Simulated Annealing. Acoustic impedance, as a function of water saturation and porosity, is defined by a second‐degree polynomial equation used as a forward problem. These are used as the primary model parameters. Acoustic impedance derived from these values is then used to compute synthetic seismograms that are compared against observed traces. We demonstrate our approach on a 23.5 km two‐dimensional seismic line crossing four wells in the Krishna Godavari Basin, eastern Indian offshore. First, the proposed method is tested on well log data and then applied on post‐stack seismic data. The posterior probability density function and the correlation matrix between the model parameters (gas hydrate saturation and porosity) are calculated to measure the associated uncertainty in prediction. Inversion results illustrate that the approach can be efficiently used for the prediction of porosity and gas hydrate saturation directly from the seismic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method is proposed to estimate gas hydrate saturation from three dimensional (3-D) heterogeneous model of resistivity simulated using resistivity log. Pure gas hydrates are highly resistive compared to the host sediments, and their presence in the pore space of sediments increase the resistivity of the formation. The anomalous increase of resistivity is used as a proxy for the delineation of gas hydrates using the resistivity log. A 3-D heterogeneous resistivity model has been constructed from one dimensional resistivity log in Krishna Godavari (KG) basin, eastern Indian offshore. The simulated model contains all small scale variation in resistivity of the reservoir and maintains all properties associated with covariance, like root mean square fluctuation, characteristic scales and fractal dimension of the observed log. We have estimated volumetric hydrate saturation using the three dimensional simulated model. The porosity used for estimating hydrate saturation is calculated from the simulated density field generated using the observed density log. Estimated average gas hydrate saturation is about 9.84% of the pore volume over a 1000 m × 1000 m x 131 m cubic meters area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There exist several empirical and statistical methods for estimating porosity from post-stack seismic data. Here we implement and demonstrate a method for direct estimation of porosity from pre-stack seismic data. Rather than solving for acoustic impedance and then mapping those to porosity, we estimate porosity reflectivity. We demonstrate our approach with an application to 2D seismic dataset from Krishna-Godavari basin, which is inverted directly for porosity by simultaneous inversion of angle-stacks. The total porosity estimated from the density log for the depth interval of 1059–1224 m ranges from 49 to 85%. This relationship is used as an input for porosity inversion from the 2D pre-stack seismic data of gas hydrate bearing sediments. Our result images two distinct gas hydrate saturate zones in the porosity image; they are in close agreement with interpretations based on characterization of fractured filled gas hydrate saturation. The porosity along our 2D multichannel seismic section within the time interval of 1450–1615 ms ranges from 50 to 75% within the gas hydrate bearing sediments and unconsolidated sediments below the bottom simulating reflector. The water-bearing silty/clay sediments are characterized by porosity values of about 60–70%. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach is a fast and reliable method for estimating porosity directly from seismic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hikurangi margin, New Zealand, the shallowest subduction zone on Earth is the unique place to study the slow slip creep-like deformation and seafloor failure, and their probable link to the presence of gas hydrate, cold seeps and fluid migration. International Ocean Discovery Program expedition 372 discovered gas hydrate within thin intervals (ranging from ~5 to 25 m) of the deformed sediments in the Tuaheni landslide complex area of the northern Hikurangi margin. Seismic profiles show typical BSRs (bottom simulating reflectors) cutting across the dipping strata throughout the sections. To characterize the reservoir, here, we invert both acoustic impedance (product of velocity and density) and porosity along two perpendicular seismic profiles crossing the well using a model-based post-stack seismic inversion technique. Results show the layer structure of alternate high-impedance with low-porosity and low-impedance with high-porosity sediments. Interestingly, each layer is consisting of thin and relatively low impedance intra-layers, which clearly indicates the possible pathways for fluid and gas migration, and one of the reasons for seafloor collapse in this region. Very low impedance observed below the BSR is due to the gas-charged sediments at the dipping strata, and is the probable source of free-gas migrating upward. Next, we apply rock physics theory to know the distribution of gas hydrate at Site U1517 as well as along two perpendicular seismic profiles. Rock physics modeling using sonic velocity at well location shows that gas hydrate is distributed mainly within the depth intervals of 5–50 m, 90–115 m and 130–155 m with an average saturation of about 10–15% and the maximum concentration of about 35% of the pore space at 100 m depth. Prediction of gas hydrate saturation from the resistivity method using neutron porosity and NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) logs in Archie's empirical formula shows less saturation compared to that from the sonic log. Whereas, estimated gas hydrate saturation from the chloride concentrations ranges from 0 to 45% of the pore space. The spatial distributions of gas hydrate along seismic profiles are predicted by rock physics theory using the inverted impedance and porosity. Saturation of gas hydrate along the seismic profiles varies from 0 to 40% with an average of ~10% of the pore space. The correlation between inverted impedance and porosity indicates that the high impedance layers are due to low porosity consolidated sediment without significant gas hydrate concentration. Gas hydrate is distributed in relatively high porosity and low impedance layers along the seismic profiles. Our result shows that the amount of gas hydrate concentration is low in this region and sediments are highly deformed/disturbed in the presence of many fluid/gas migration pathways. Image 1 • Integration of rock physics modelling with well log and seismic data to characterize a gas hydrate reservoir. • Estimation of acoustic (seismic) impedance and porosity along seismic lines from model-based post stack seismic inversion. • Various features related to the deformation of the sediments and slope failure. • Their possible links to the presence of gas hydrate distribution/amount in the northern Hikurangi margin, New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]