Analysis of Seismic Attributes and Pre-stack Parameters for the Prediction of Dolostone Reservoir in the Penobscot Area, Offshore Nova Scotia, Canada

We analyzed post-stack attributes and pre-stack parameters to investigate the potential of hydrothermal dolostone in the Penobscot area, offshore Nova Scotia, Canada located on the Jurassic Abenaki carbonate platform about 60 km from the Deep Panuke field which reservoirs gas in hydrothermal dolostone along the platform edge. An exploration well penetrated two tight limestone layers (lower C1 and upper C2) in the Abenaki Formation of the Penobscot area. C1 forms a rimmed shelf, much gentler than the Abenaki platform of the Deep Panuke field where disrupted seismic signals, indicating faulting and/or inhomogeneity due to dolomitization, occur along the edge. Deeply-rooted faults are not evident in the variance and curvature attributes in the Penobscot area. Seismic amplitude and texture and lithofacies attributes do not show distinct patterns along the platform edge where dolomitization may have occurred. The crossplots of the pre-stack parameters of C1 and C2 predict that the potential of dolostone is very low. We interpret that reactivation of the basement faults that can act as conduits for hot fluids was limited in the area and thus the rock property change caused by dolomitization was not sufficient to be detected by seismic attributes and pre-stack parameters.