4D seismic attribute integration: A technique for enhanced reservoir fluid movement analysis

Abstract Reservoir fluid movement analysis can be enhanced through the integration of 4D seismic attributes and principal component analysis (PCA), showcased through a detailed case study of the C Upper Sand reservoir in the Maui Field, New Zealand. The methodology demonstrates how combining instantaneous, spectral, and geometric attributes can reveal subtle reservoir characteristics that traditional 4D analysis might miss. The case study serves as a vehicle to illustrate the power of this technique, which successfully identifies previously unrecognized fluid barriers, tracks water encroachment patterns, and reveals reservoir compartmentalization affecting production performance. The workflow demonstrates how sweetness and envelope attributes effectively track gas depletion, whereas mean frequency analysis captures water encroachment with remarkable clarity. Spectral bandwidth reveals critical facies variations, including a northeast–southwest trending shoreface deposit acting as a barrier to fluid flow. When integrated through PCA, these attributes provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between reservoir heterogeneity and differential fluid movement. This attribute integration technique offers significant advantages over conventional workflows by linking diagenetic cementation patterns to production discrepancies and identifying zones of calcite cementation through the integration of spectral bandwidth and resistivity data. The approach provides a template for improved 4D seismic analysis applicable to similar reservoirs worldwide, with direct implications for optimizing field development planning, well placement, and production strategies.