Integrating OBN seismic data and machine learning for enhanced fluid discrimination in pre-salt carbonate reservoirs

Accurately identifying reservoir fluids in ultra-deep pre-salt reservoirs remains challenging due to complex lithology, strong heterogeneity, and limited well data. This study develops an integrated workflow combining ocean bottom node (OBN) seismic with pre-stack inversion, AVO analysis, and an LSTM rock physics model to improve fluid prediction. The methodology first extracts P-wave and S-wave impedances through pre-stack inversion, converting these into quantitative fluid indicators for distinguishing hydrocarbons, water zones, and non-reservoir facies. AVO cross-plotting enhances discrimination by exploiting distinct intercept-gradient patterns between oil and brine reservoirs. A key innovation replaces conventional shear-wave modeling with an LSTM network that autonomously learns nonlinear relationships among mineralogy, fluid distribution, and petrophysical parameters without empirical assumptions. Tests using synthetic and field datasets demonstrate superior performance in resolving ambiguous elastic responses characteristic of complex pre-salt reservoirs. The framework significantly reduces fluid identification uncertainties in frontier exploration areas where traditional methods fail, providing critical insights for hydrocarbon exploration while bridging the gap between rock physics theory and practical reservoir evaluation. This data approach offers a robust solution for reservoir characterization in geologically challenging environments, advancing exploration strategies through enhanced diagnostic accuracy.

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Publication Details

Journal
Frontiers in Earth Science
Published
2026-02-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2026.1767668
Primary Topic
Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques
Type
article
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article

Integrating OBN seismic data and machine learning for enhanced fluid discrimination in pre-salt carbonate reservoirs

Lan Ding, Qingshan Liu, Chaofeng Wang, Siwen Wang et al.
Frontiers in Earth Science
Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques
article

Integrating OBN seismic data and machine learning for enhanced fluid discrimination in pre-salt carbonate reservoirs

Lan Ding, Qingshan Liu, Chaofeng Wang, Siwen Wang, Yonggang Zhang, Guozhang Fan, Xu Pang, Guoping Zuo, Hongping Wang
article en

Abstract

Accurately identifying reservoir fluids in ultra-deep pre-salt reservoirs remains challenging due to complex lithology, strong heterogeneity, and limited well data. This study develops an integrated workflow combining ocean bottom node (OBN) seismic with pre-stack inversion, AVO analysis, and an LSTM rock physics model to improve fluid prediction. The methodology first extracts P-wave and S-wave impedances through pre-stack inversion, converting these into quantitative fluid indicators for distinguishing hydrocarbons, water zones, and non-reservoir facies. AVO cross-plotting enhances discrimination by exploiting distinct intercept-gradient patterns between oil and brine reservoirs. A key innovation replaces conventional shear-wave modeling with an LSTM network that autonomously learns nonlinear relationships among mineralogy, fluid distribution, and petrophysical parameters without empirical assumptions. Tests using synthetic and field datasets demonstrate superior performance in resolving ambiguous elastic responses characteristic of complex pre-salt reservoirs. The framework significantly reduces fluid identification uncertainties in frontier exploration areas where traditional methods fail, providing critical insights for hydrocarbon exploration while bridging the gap between rock physics theory and practical reservoir evaluation. This data approach offers a robust solution for reservoir characterization in geologically challenging environments, advancing exploration strategies through enhanced diagnostic accuracy.

Frontiers in Earth ScienceVol. 14
Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geology (CZ), China National Petroleum Corporation (China) (CN)
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Openalex Percentile: Top 71%
Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques
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Integrating OBN seismic data and machine learning for enhanced fluid discrimination in pre-salt carbonate reservoirs — Lan Ding, Qingshan Liu, et al. · Frontiers in Earth Science (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS