3-D seismic interpretation and reserve estimation of Ossu Field in OML 124, onshore Niger
Delta Basin, Nigeria
Uzonna Anyiam
*
, Victor Nduka and Alex Opara, Federal University of Technology Owerri
Summary
In the Ossu field oil block, the Agbada Formation consists
of multiple vertically-stacked reservoir sequences.
Multidisciplinary approaches – petrophysical, seismic
interpretation and volumetric method were undertaken in
this study. The objectives are to show how 3-D seismic
data acquired on Ossu field can be used to ascertain if the
structure and its closures are favourable for hydrocarbon
accumulation; to obtain reserve estimation for determining
the field’s fair market; and to illustrate the processes of
iterative seismic interpretation and structural modeling in a
structurally complex basin. The northern area has
predominantly widely spread simple rollover structures,
bounded by growth faults, triggered by the movement of
deep-seated, over-pressured ductile marine shale aided by
slope instability. Faulted rollover anticlines prevail in the
middle zone while the southern area is characterized by
collapsed- crest structures. The -7480ft sand contains non-
associated oil trapped in annealment phase trap. The -
4540ft sand contains associated oil. The oil in Reservoir A
is not in commercial quantity, while only about 77.6
million barrels is recoverable from the estimated 1207.5
million barrels for Reservoir I. Key exploration risk is that
growth-fault-related anticlinal traps are segmented by
normal faults.
Introduction
The structural setting of the Niger Delta in the study area is
predominantly growth faults with associated rollover
anticlines, which are generated by rapid sedimentation load
and gravitational instability of the Agbada sediment pile
accumulating on the mobile undercompacted Akata shales.
The essence of the 3-D seismic method is a real data
collection followed by the processing and interpretation of
a closely-spaced data volume. Because a more detailed
understanding of the subsurface emerges, 3-D surveys have
been able to contribute significantly to the problems of
field appraisal, development and production, as well as to
exploration. It is in these post-discovery phases, that many
of the successes of 3-D seismic surveys have been
achieved.
The Ossu field is located onshore some 55 km South of
Onitsha in the South-western sector and straddles at deeper
levels to the West concession border with Shell. The major
part of the field is located in a drawn river valley affected
by seasonal flooding which limits the access to the field
during the rainy season (Figure 1a). The Ossu field rollover
structure is situated in the distal part of the northern
depositional belt of the Niger Delta. The producing
sequence (4500 – 8500ft Tvdss) consists of fourteen
stacked hydrocarbon reservoirs characterized by large gas
caps with underlying thin oil rims (10ft – 70ft). A system of
antithetic and synthetic normal faults compartmentalizes
the reservoirs below 5700 ft Tvdss into several blocks of
variable size. In this paper integrated seismic interpretation
method, petrophysical evaluation and volumetric approach
are used to delineate the structures and estimate the
possible reserves contained in the field. About 22 seismic
lines (average spacing of 2km) with a total length of over
350km were shot. In addition, six wells were available: A-
1, A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5 and A-6; and check shots.
a)
b)
BASIN DIRECTION
STRUCTURAL MODEL BASED ON SEISMIC AND GEOLOGIC OBSERVATION SHOWING THE EFFECTS OF THE MAJOR AND
SUBSIDIARY GROWTH FAULTS ON THE AGBADA FORMATION IN THE OSSU FIELD OF OML 124. DEFORMATION IS MORE
PRONOUNCED IN THE HANGING - WALL SIDES OF THE MAJOR GROWTH FAULTS.
S N
MAJOR FAULT
SUBSIDIARY FAULT
MH
MH
MH
MH
MH
MH
Figure 1: a) Production and prospect map showing the
location of the Ossu field of OML124 oil block, and the 3-
D seismic survey coverage. b) Structural model based on
seismic and geologic observation, showing the effects of
the major and subsidiary growth faults on the Agbada
Formation in the Ossu field of OML 124. Deformation is
more pronounced in the Hanging-wall sides of the major
growth faults.
1327
SEG Denver 2010 Annual Meeting
© 2010 SEG
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