Search

Seabed logging (SBL) is an electromagnetic (EM) method to detect hydrocarbon (HC) laid beneath the seafloor, which is a development of marine controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) method. CSEM is a method to show resistivity log of geological layers, transmitting ultra-low frequency EM wave. In SBL a net of receivers, placed on the seafloor, detect reflected and refracted EM wave by layers with different resistivity. Contrast of electrical resistivity of layers impacts on amplitude and phase of the EM wave response. The most indispensable concern in SBL is to detect guided wave via high resistive layer under the seafloor that can be an HC reservoir. Guided wave by HC creates a remarkable difference in received signal when HC reservoir does not exist. While the major contribution of received EM wave in large offset, especially in shallow water environment, is airwave, which is refracted by sea surface due to extremely high resistivity of atmosphere, airwave can affect received guided wave, dramatically. Our objective for this work is to compare HC delineation of tangential and normal components of electric field in shallow water area, using finite element method simulation. Will be reported that, in shallow water environment, minor contribution of air wave in normal component of E field (Ey) versus its major contribution in the tangential component (Ex), causes a considerable contrast on HC delineation of Ey for deeply buried reservoirs (more than 3000 m), while Ex is unable to show different contrasts of received data for with and without HC media at the same condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seabed Logging (SBL), is a recently used application of Controlled Source Electromagnetic (CSEM) method based on study on resistivity of layers beneath seafloor, to delineate marine hydrocarbon reservoir. In this method, an ultralow frequency electromagnetic (EM) wave is emitted by an electric straight dipole which moves parallel to the seabed. Following Maxwell's equations, reflected and refracted waves from different layers are recorded by receiver line which is laying on the sea floor to define the contrast between amplitude and phase of responding waves of bearing oil reservoir and surrounding host rocks. The main concern of the current work is to study behavior of airwave, which is propagated wave in the seawater area, guided by sea surface and refracted back to the receiver line, and its impact on tangential and normal components of received electric field amplitude. Will be reported that the most significant part of tangential component is airwave, while it does not affect normal component of received electric field, remarkably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]