Physical modelling over a fluid injection model; 4D acquisition and preliminary analysis

Kevin L. Bertram, Joe Wong

CREWES has used a physical modeling facility for many years now. This system is used to create datasets for researchers to test processing methods on real data as opposed to computer simulated data. The data generated by this facility is often modelled after real world acquisition projects and as such in recent years a model designed to simulate injection of a fluid such as CO₂ into a porous media has been constructed (Bertram and Wong, 2023).

In 2023 this constructed model was proven to be viable as a small-scale fluid displacement model (Bertram and Wong). The model was first tested using straight water in one survey and then filled with air for the second survey. The porous media, in this case bead blasting sand, was placed in the model and then saturated with water. Another survey was conducted over this setup. Then air was injected into the model and a final survey was conducted. All of these surveys were a single line common offset survey over the middle of the model.

This year much larger surveys were acquired. First a base line with sand saturated with water in the model. The model was then injected with air and the exact same acquisition surveys were performed again. The surveys conducted include: a pseudo 3D survey which was in reality several 2D lines added together; a marine style streamer survey with several lines of receivers and a source only at the beginning of the line; and a vertical seismic profile.