Abstract
An accurate 3D Earth model showing spatial position of geological structure, faults, and reservoir rock properties is the key for success in petroleum exploration drilling. While Logging While Drilling/Seismic While Drilling (LWD/SWD) and WireLine Logging (WL) provide useful information along the borehole, they offer little understanding about the rock property ahead of bit. Seismic guided drilling, an update technique applied while drilling, is a workflow using and integrating available seismic and borehole information to calibrate and constrain the Earth velocity model ahead and around the drill bit while-drilling to create a new updated image. It not only corrects the model error behind the bit but also improves predictions ahead of the bit with the improved image. The technique generates a 3D image ahead of the drill-bit using data from the well in progress, in near real-time, and honoring the surface seismic. This study successfully demonstrates that the while-drilling update technique added value to improved planning and drilling of target well.
