Improving lithofacies prediction in lacustrine shale by combining deep learning and well log curve morphology in Sanzhao Sag, Songliao Basin, China

Abstract

The accurate identification of shale lithofacies is crucial for characterizing the hydrocarbon potential of lacustrine shale oil reservoirs. Petrophysical logging, serving as an effective tool for acquiring subsurface lithofacies information, provides a convenient and reliable lithofacies identification solution. Deep learning technology, capable of adapting to the nonlinearity and non-stationarity inherent in geological statistics, exhibits unique advantages in conventional reservoir lithofacies prediction. However, the lithofacies of lacustrine shale formations undergo rapid spatial and temporal changes, rendering lithofacies prediction more complex compared to conventional reservoirs. In this study, the lower Qingshankou member in the Sanzhao Sag was selected as the research target, and the Deep Residual Shrinkage Network (DRSN), known for its ability to handle complex nonlinear relationships and mitigate the effects of noisy data through residual connections and shrinkage mechanisms, was employed as a deep learning framework for predicting lithofacies in lacustrine shale formations for the first time. Well logging data, including natural gamma ray (GR), acoustic (AC), deep investigate double lateral resistivity log (RD), shallow investigate double lateral resistivity log (RS), and corrected compensated neutron log (CNC), were used as input features for the model. The results indicate that the DRSN model achieves an accuracy of 76.3% in predicting lithofacies in lacustrine shale formations. However, the DRSN model still exhibits shortcomings in capturing lithofacies change information. To enhance the model's ability to identify lithofacies change interfaces, this study further explicitly introduces Well Logging Curve Morphological Features (WLCM) as additional features and establishes a recognition method combining DRSN with WLCM. The combined DRSN-WLCM model was validated using a separate test dataset, demonstrating an improved accuracy of 85.5%, using the five well logging attributes and the derivative of the AC as inputs. Furthermore, the study reveals the lithofacies spatial distribution characteristics of the lower Qingshankou member in the Sanzhao Sag. This method can be widely applied to lithofacies delineation in lacustrine shale formations and similar stratigraphic units.