Sinopec lets Sichuan basin imaging contract

July 6, 2006
A unit of China's Sinopec let a contract to GX Technology Corp., Houston, to carry out a comprehensive interpretive imaging program at the largest gas field in western Sichuan Province, China.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 6 -- A unit of China's Sinopec let a contract to GX Technology Corp., Houston, to carry out a comprehensive interpretive imaging program at the largest gas field in western Sichuan Province, China.

GXT's charge is to identify high-potential, drillable prospects based on seismic data previously acquired using parent Input/Output Inc.'s VectorSeis digital full-wave sensors. Awarded after competitive tender, it is GXT's largest full-wave imaging project.

Input/Output had nearly 20,000 live seismic channels in operation at times during the survey to provide the sampling density needed to properly illuminate the reservoir on behalf of Sinopec's Southwest Branch Co.

The contractor will apply a full suite of processing steps to resolve subtle reservoir properties, including mapping fracture density that is believed to correlate with well productivity. It will apply advanced noise attenuation algorithms to extract broadband, high-resolution P-wave data and image the converted shear waves, map subsurface anisotropy using a proprietary technique, and analyze shear wave splitting in the reservoirs to determine fracture orientation and intensity.

GXT has also been requested to undertake advanced geophysical and reservoir analyses that build on the acquired seismic data, such as determining reservoir porosity and permeability, evaluating gas saturation, and mapping sedimentary facies and sequence stratigraphy.

The integrated seismic data sets will ultimately be used to select new well locations and identify other exploitable targets throughout the basin.

Initial imaging is starting, with final results to be delivered in first half 2007.