Application of seismic attributes for 3-D seismic visualization contributed in structural and stratigraphic interpretation of the Tangahoe and Farewell formations in the Kupe Field, Taranaki Basin, New Zealand : a thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the Missouri University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Geology and Geophysics / by Housam Hussein Grabeel.

Approved by: Dr. Kelly Liu, Advisor, Dr. Stephen Gao, Dr. Neil Anderson.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 82-84).

Abstract – Acknowledgements – List of Illustrations – List of Tables -- 1. Introduction – 1.1. Area of Study – 1.2. Previous Studies – 1.3 Objectives – 2. Regional Geology – 2.1. Geological Setting and Tectonic History – 2.2. Local Setting – 2.3. Stratigraphy -- 2.3.1. North Cape Formation -- 2.3.2. Puponga Formation (Member) -- 2.3.3. Farewell Formation -- 2.3.4. Otaraoa Formation -- 2.3.5. Taimana Formation -- 2.3.6. Lower and Upper Manganui Formation -- 2.3.7. Kiore Formation -- 2.3.8. Matemateaonga Formation – 2.3.9. Tangahoe Formation -- 2.3.10. Giant Foresets Formation – 2.4. Petroleum System -- 2.4.1. Source Rock -- 2.4.2. Maturity and Migration -- 2.4.3. Reservoir -- 2.4.4. Seal -- 2.4.5. Diageneses -- 2.4.6. Traps -- 2.4.7. Timing – 2.5 Seismic Stratigraphy – 3. Data and Methodology – 3.1. Kupe 3-D Seismic Data -- 3.1.1. Data Acquisition Parameters -- 3.1.2. Polarity Check – 3.2. Well Data – 3.3. Methodology – 4. Seismic Attributes and Box Probes Generation – 4.1. Attribute Volume Derivation -- 4.1.1. Post-Stack Attributes -- 4.1.1.1. Amplitude Gain Control (AGC) -- 4.1.1.2. Frequency filter -- 4.1.1.3. Structural smoothing -- 4.1.2. Structural and Stratigraphic Attributes -- 4.1.2.1. Chaos -- 4.1.2.2. Variance (Coherence) -- 4.1.2.3. Envelope -- 4.1.2.4. Instantaneous phase -- 4.1.2.5. Iso-frequency component – 4.2 Probe Creation and Color Blending -- 4.2.1. Box Probe -- 4.2.1.1. RGB blend -- 4.2.1.2. CMY blend – 5. Structural and Stratigraphic Interpretation – 5.1. Synthetic Seismogram and Well Tie – 5.2. Fault Interpretation – 5.3. Horizon Interpretation -- 5.3.1. Time Structural Map -- 5.3.2. Average Velocity Map -- 5.3.3. Depth Structural Map – 6. Conclusions – 6.1. Structural Interpretation – 6.2. Stratigraphic Interpretation – 6.3. Recommendations – References – Vita.

"Taranaki Basin is a mainly offshore basin covering an area of approximately 100,000 km2, elongated across the western margin of New Zealand's north island. However, the modern limit of the basin is extended toward the deep water to cover about 330,000 km2. The basin is divided by tectonic activities into northern and southern grabens. The southern region has become the most extensively researched district in recent years as its prime lithology and structural trap distributions provide numerous hydrocarbon fields. One such field is the Kupe Field (256 km2), which lies on a northerly-plunging, reverse-faulted, and inversion structure of Manaia anticline. The Kupe_3D seismic data allow for detailed structural and stratigraphic interpretation of Farewell (reservoir) and Tangahoe formations. A number of attributes, i.e, amplitude gain control (AGC), frequency filtering, structural smoothing, variance, chaos, envelop, isofrequency, and instantaneous phase were generated in this study. RGB (red, green, and blue) and CMY (cyan, magenta, and yellow) color blending techniques were applied utilizing Box Probe to reveal more edge continuity for fault and channel detections. In addition to top Tangahoe horizon, thirteen faults and channels associated with the Tangahoe interval were studied to better understand their initiation. Additionally, multiple faults and top Paleocene horizon (Farewell reservoir) were highlighted based on the visible displacement of reflected and continuous layers within each vertical and horizontal seismic section."--Abstract, page iii