Low-amplitude structure recognition method based on non-subsampled contourlet transform

Currently, horizontal well fracturing is indispensable for shale gas development. Due to the variable reservoir formation morphology, the drilling trajectory often deviates from the high-quality reservoir, which increases the risk of fracturing. Accurately recognizing low-amplitude structures plays a crucial role in guiding horizontal wells. However, existing methods have low recognition accuracy, and are difficult to meet actual production demand. In order to improve the drilling encounter rate of high-quality reservoirs, we propose a method for fine recognition of low-amplitude structures based on the non-subsampled contourlet transform (NSCT). Firstly, the seismic structural data are analyzed at multiple scales and directions using the NSCT and decomposed into low-frequency and high-frequency structural components. Then, the signal of each component is reconstructed to eliminate the low-frequency background of the structure, highlight the structure and texture information, and recognize the low-amplitude structure from it. Finally, we combined the drilled horizontal wells to verify the low-amplitude structural recognition results. Taking a study area in the west Sichuan Basin block as an example, we demonstrate the fine identification of low-amplitude structures based on NSCT. By combining the variation characteristics of logging curves, such as organic carbon content (TOC), natural gamma value (GR), etc., the real structure type is verified and determined, and the false structures in the recognition results are checked. The proposed method can provide reliable information on low-amplitude structures for optimizing the trajectory of horizontal wells. Compared with identification methods based on traditional wavelet transform and curvelet transform, NSCT enhances the local features of low-amplitude structures and achieves finer mapping of low-amplitude structures, showing promise for application.