3-D seismic-based subsurface imaging

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I seek to use 3-D seismic and other data to study fracture development in sedimentary rocks.  Fractures affect the movement of various types of fluids, such as hydrocarbons, potable water and fluids responsible for diagenesis and mineralization.  In low-permeability sedimentary rocks, fracture swarms associated with subtle structures can be zones of enhanced fluid flow.  Lithologic characteristics (e.g., porosity, bed thickness) of those rocks also influence fracture development.  My research group will use advanced analyses of 3-D seismic data to: 1) identify subtle structures, and 2) predict lithology.  By combining results from these two types of analyses, we should be in a better position to predict fracture distribution and orientation.  Other types of petroleum-industry data (e.g., production data, borehole logs) will be used to test our predictions.  The results of this research will have application in the petroleum industry, hydrogeology, structural geology and other geoscience fields. The advanced computational techniques can be adapted to other purposes in science and engineering.