33 Advances in Subsurface Characterization for Energy Exploration and Utilization

Advances in the characterization of the subsurface for applications in both oil and gas, and geothermal energy (conventional, AGS, and EGS), carbon capture and storage (CCS), energy storage, and other low-carbon technologies.

Wednesday, 20 May 2026
8:00 AM - 10:20 AM
Alvarado A

Structural and Petrophysical Constraints from 2D Seismic Data and Seismic Attributes: Application for Carbon Capture and Storage in the San Juan Basin

Paper number: 33-3
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:45 AM – 9:05 AM

Authors

Abstract

The San Juan Basin is a Laramide-age foreland basin located on the Colorado Plateau, formed during Late Cretaceous - Paleogene compressional tectonism associated with the Laramide orogeny. Deep saline aquifers within the San Juan Basin are potential candidates for large-scale geologic carbon sequestration. This study integrates newly acquired 2D seismic reflection data with comprehensive well-log datasets to construct a basin scale structural framework and quantitatively characterize subsurface reservoir and seal properties.

A regional structural model was developed from interpreted seismic horizons and fault geometries constrained by well log data. Particular emphasis was placed on delineating the geometry, kinematics, and lateral extent of the Hogback Monocline and evaluating its spatial relationship to candidate CO₂ injection sites. Structural analysis indicates that the Hogback Monocline formed through fault-propagation folding and flexural-slip deformation of the pre-Laramide sedimentary succession under Laramide compressional stresses.

Seismic attribute analysis was conducted to enhance lithologic and petrophysical prediction. Attributes including relative acoustic impedance, instantaneous phase, instantaneous frequency, signal envelope, and chaos were extracted from the 2D seismic volume. These attributes served as input features for supervised machine learning algorithms trained to predict key petrophysical parameters calibrated to well-log measurements. This workflow enabled spatial interpolation of reservoir properties between control wells and reduced uncertainty in basin-scale characterization.

Sedimentological interpretation of lithofacies and depositional environments was performed to constrain reservoir heterogeneity and stratigraphic continuity. Mesozoic fluvial–continental sandstones exhibit favorable reservoir quality, including sufficient porosity, lateral continuity, and stratigraphic distribution to support CO₂ storage. Seal integrity was evaluated through structural analysis and petrophysical characterization of low-permeability caprock intervals to ensure long-term containment and minimize leakage risk.

The resulting structural and property models were incorporated into a high resolution numerical simulation framework to evaluate CO₂ injection, migration, and trapping mechanisms . Integrated results demonstrate that coupling 2D seismic attributes with well log data significantly improves confidence in subsurface structural and petrophysical models. This quantitative, data-driven approach enhances storage capacity estimates and supports the technical feasibility of commercial-scale CO₂ sequestration in deep saline aquifers of the San Juan Basin.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 4

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026RM-410648

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