Outline

In this paper, we present what we believe to be a major step forward in establishing the petrophysical basis for reservoir monitoring by conducting a comprehensive physical modeling study combining fluid flow simulation and rock physics with seismic imaging and impedance estimation. The paper proceeds as follows. For a simple but realistic reservoir model, we compute the pore pressure and oil/water saturation spatial distributions for two water injection well galleries in a light-oil bearing Ottawa sand reservoir, based on simple fluid-flow theory. These fluid-flow parameters are then mapped through laboratory-measured rock physics relationships to predict the resulting spatial distributions of rock bulk and shear moduli, and density. This process is repeated at three distinct phases of waterflood. We then input the rock physics seismic parameters to a Kirchhoff synthetic seismogram modeling code to simulate both a pre-flood seismic base survey, and two subsequent waterflood surveys. In the final analysis section, we make stacked and prestack migrated difference sections which clearly show the extent of each phase of the waterflood, and make elastic impedance estimates which accurately assess the change in petrophysical properties in the reservoir due to the waterflood process.