AccScience Publishing / JSE / Volume 35 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.36922/JSE025460110
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ARTICLE

Reducing interpretation risks in organic-rich low-velocity mudstone using rock physics modeling in Yinggehai Basin, South China Sea

Yanhua Xie1 ,  Jinpeng Li1* ,  Fang Li1 ,  Wanyuan Sun1 ,  Yayun Dang1
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1 Department of Geophysics, Research Institute, China National Offshore Oil Corporation Limited Hainan Branch, Haikou, Hainan, China
JSE 2026, 35(2), 025460110 https://doi.org/10.36922/JSE025460110
Received: 14 November 2025 | Revised: 2 February 2026 | Accepted: 5 February 2026 | Published online: 30 April 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The mudstone in a specific exploration area of the Yinggehai Basin is rich in organic matter and serves as a paradigmatic example of a low-velocity mudstone formation in rock physics. This type of interval exhibits seismic response characteristics similar to those of hydrocarbon reservoirs, which complicates the identification of gas reservoirs and the prediction of gas-bearing zones in this area. In this study, the analysis and modeling of rock physical characteristics within the exploration area are investigated. Based on the actual drilling curve and coring analysis data, a rock physics model of the low-velocity mudstone reservoir is established using self-consistent approximations and the Ciz–Gassmann model, and the influence of organic matter content on the mudstone’s elastic properties is analyzed. Additionally, a robust quantitative inversion procedure is introduced to test the feasibility of inverting for porosity, clay content, and water saturation to mitigate the risk of low-velocity mudstone. The application of actual data, including core samples, logging data, and seismic database, demonstrates the effectiveness of this method and provides technical support for seismic prediction of sand body identification and hydrocarbon detection.

Keywords
Low-velocity mudstone
Rock physics
Hydrocarbon detection
Total organic carbon
Seismic interpretation
Funding
This study was financially supported by the National Oil and Gas Major Project of China, “Amplitude preserving imaging technology with high precision and multiple geophysical field exploration technology for deep-water complex geological conditions in South China Sea” (Grant No. 2025ZD1402706).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted.
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Journal of Seismic Exploration, Electronic ISSN: 0963-0651 Print ISSN: 0963-0651, Published by AccScience Publishing
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