Shale rock physics and implications for AVO analysis: A North Sea demonstration

Shales normally constitute more than 80% of sediments and sedimentary rocks in siliciclastic environments. Shales are important both in controlling the overburden seismic wave propagation as well as the reflectivity contrast between cap rocks and reservoir rocks in prestack seismic data. Therefore, during AVO analysis it is crucial to understand the seismic properties of shales as a function of mineralogy and compaction. In this study, we derive the local shale trend for a North Sea gas-and-oil field by integrating rock physics modeling with well-log and seismic data analysis.