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Seismic azimuthal amplitude variation with offset response analysis in coalbed methane reservoirs with aligned fractures using Biot theory

ZhaoJi Zhang1 ,  Fei Gong1,2* ,  GuanGui Zou1,2* ,  Qiang Guo3 ,  GuoWei Zhu1,2 ,  Hao Li1
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1 Department of Geophysics, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology–Beijing, Beijing, China
2 State Key Laboratory for Fine Exploration and Intelligent Development of Coal Resources, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology–Beijing, Beijing, China
3 Department of Geophysics, School of Resources and Geosciences, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
JSE 2026, 35(2), 025470118 https://doi.org/10.36922/JSE025470118
Submitted: 22 November 2025 | Revised: 3 February 2026 | Accepted: 10 February 2026 | Published: 4 March 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 development of coalbed methane (CBM) relies on high-precision reservoir prediction and lithological inversion. Seismic amplitude variation with offset (AVO) technology is an important tool for fine-scale reservoir characterization. However, the seismic AVO response of CBM reservoirs is complex and is affected by seismic rock physics parameters at different scales. Microscopically, aligned fractures in CBM reservoirs produce complex anisotropy due to formation inclination. At the macroscopic scale, the thickness of CBM reservoirs within seismic frequency bands is comparable to the seismic wavelength and should therefore be treated as a layered medium. In addition, pore fluid significantly affects seismic wave propagation. Consequently, determining the azimuthal AVO response of CBM reservoirs in relation to seismic rock physics parameters at different scales can support high-precision reservoir prediction and lithological inversion. In this study, the primary–primary wave reflection coefficient for a two-phase layered medium was derived using Biot’s theory. Using this model, the response characteristics of the reflection coefficients with respect to seismic azimuth, aligned fracture parameters, reservoir thickness, and seismic main frequency were analyzed. A rotated staggered–grid finite–difference algorithm was employed to simulate wavefield characteristics separately for coal seams and surrounding strata. Seismic attributes were then used to characterize the seismic AVO response. The Z-direction seismic amplitude attributes and reflection coefficients showed similar trends in their responses to seismic rockphysical parameters. This study contributes to establishing a more precise seismic AVO response framework to support CBM reservoir prediction and high-quality lithological inversion.

Keywords
Azimuth
Amplitude variation with offset
Tilted transversely isotropic anisotropy
Fracture
Modeling
Funding
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Fund Projects (42274165,42474146), CNPC Innovation Fund (2024DQ02-0133), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2024ZKPYDC03).
Conflict of interest
Fei Gong and Qiang Guo are Editorial Board Members of this journal, but were not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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