Reservoir Characterization of the Clinton Sandstone in Eastern Ohio Utilizing 3D Seismic Interpretation and Well Log Analysis

The Clinton Sandstone is a tight, laterally discontinuous sandstone that was deposited in the Early Silurian in both deltaic and shallow marine environments. This interval is well known in the western Appalachian Basin as the reservoir rock for several large as well as historic oil and gas fields. In eastern Ohio exists the East Canton Oil Field (ECOF) which is primarily controlled by stratigraphic trapping and is estimated to have contained 1.5 billion barrels of oil in place. The presence of a thick regional carbonate above the Clinton Sandstone and advances in directional drilling make it an ideal candidate for horizontal drilling and completion. Located over the southeastern extent of the north south trending ECOF is a 400 square mile 3D survey of which a 40 square mile cutout will be used in this study. Within the 3D survey study area, are 3 wells that contain dipole sonic and bulk density log curves. At the base of the Clinton Sand exists an AVO anomaly seen in the log data by a large increase in shear wave velocity and a large decrease in Poisson’s ratio. Using the available logs and seismic data, a pre stack inversion was generated for both compressional impedance, shear impedance and Poisson’s ratio. Variations in seismic response of the Clinton Sandstone are closely related to porosity variability within the reservoir interval. Inverting for Poisson’s Ratio has shown to be a useful tool for tight sand exploration in the Appalachian Basin as its relationship to clean sand is utilized to better understand and map reservoir variability within the ECOF boundaries as well as outside.