THREE DIMENSIONAL INTERPRETATION OF THE SOCKEYE STRUCTURE: SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL, CALIFORNIA

The Sockeye Field lies south of the Santa Clara trend and west of the Hueneme field in the southeastern Santa Barbara Channel. Sockeye was discovered by Exxon and Chevron, developed by Chevron, and purchased by Venoco in 1999. Even before the field was purchased a geoscience team began interpreting using 3D techniques and tools. As this interpretation would use different tools we needed to start over, beginning with the raw data.

A critical step for us was reprocessing the 1980's vintage 3-D seismic survey. Ongoing concurrently with the seismic intrepretation, were stratigraphic studies of the Miocene Monterey Formation, upper Topanga turbidite, transgressive Lower Topanga sand, and the Oligocene Sespe fluvial sands. We also present a new structural interpretation based on our reprocessed seismic data, dipmeter data, stratigraphic information, and regional considerations. All of these data and interpretations are then integrated in the three dimensional field model.

Our general field model contains stratigraphic, structural, petrographic, fluid, and engineering information that can be dissected and viewed from any orientation. We are currently using this model for generating/testing hypothesis, planing future development, calculating rock volumes, and communication.