First order seismic attributes for clastic seismic facies interpretation: Examples from the East China Sea

Seismic attributes for the interpreting explorationist are numerous. Some are useful, some duplicative, and some less useful. However, with respect to optimizing a systematic basin analysis approach which relies upon heavily upon integrating seismic facies, there are eight particularly useful attributes which have clear geophysical meaning, strong underlying geological rock-fluid implications, and which for clastic depositional environments greatly assist in determining seismic facies, associated paleoenvironments, and lessening the number of interpretive possibilities. They are: Amplitude Envelope, Chaos, Cosine of Phase, Dip Deviation, Instantaneous Frequency, Q, Relative Acoustic Impedance, and Variance. A systematic application of these first order attributes for the East China Sea in particular, and for other clastic environments in general, allows a first pass assessment of a basin’s exploration potential through seismic reconnaissance, an interpretive reconnaissance whose accuracy is limited only by the seismic fidelity of the lines and logic of the assumed geology employed.

► We suggest a simple threefold classification for seismic attributes.
► We term the standard amplitude display Zeroth order as it is the most fundamental.
► First order are basic geophysical attributes illuminating basic geological property.
► Second order are all additional attributes which supplement fundamental attributes.
► The eight basic, pragmatic seismic attributes used for the East China Sea.