Framework for AVO gradient and intercept interpretation

Geophysics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 948-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. Castagna ◽  
Herbert W. Swan ◽  
Douglas J. Foster
Keyword(s):  
Reflection Coefficient ◽  
Normal Incidence ◽  
Bright Spot ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
High Impedance ◽  
Bright Spots ◽  
Fluid Factor ◽  
Amplitude Increase ◽  
Nonuniform Gas ◽  
Background Trend

Amplitude variation with offset (AVO) interpretation may be facilitated by crossplotting the AVO intercept (A) and gradient (B). Under a variety of reasonable petrophysical assumptions, brine‐saturated sandstones and shales follow a well‐defined “background” trend in the A-B plane. Generally, A and B are negatively correlated for “background” rocks, but they may be positively correlated at very high [Formula: see text] ratios, such as may occur in very soft shallow sediments. Thus, even fully brine‐saturated shallow events with large reflection coefficients may exhibit large increases in AVO. Deviations from the background trend may be indicative of hydrocarbons or lithologies with anomalous elastic properties. However, in contrast to the common assumptions that gas‐sand amplitude increases with offset, or that the reflection coefficient becomes more negative with increasing offset, gas sands may exhibit a variety of AVO behaviors. A classification of gas sands based on location in the A-B plane, rather than on normal‐incidence reflection coefficient, is proposed. According to this classification, bright‐spot gas sands fall in quadrant III and have negative AVO intercept and gradient. These sands exhibit the amplitude increase versus offset which has commonly been used as a gas indicator. High‐impedance gas sands fall in quadrant IV and have positive AVO intercept and negative gradient. Consequently, these sands initially exhibit decreasing AVO and may reverse polarity. These behaviors have been previously reported and are addressed adequately by existing classification schemes. However, quadrant II gas sands have negative intercept and positive gradient. Certain “classical” bright spots fall in quadrant II and exhibit decreasing AVO. Examples show that this may occur when the gas‐sand shear‐wave velocity is lower than that of the overlying formation. Common AVO analysis methods such as partial stacks and product (A × B) indicators are complicated by this nonuniform gas‐sand behavior and require prior knowledge of the expected gas‐sand AVO response. However, Smith and Gidlow’s (1987) fluid factor, and related indicators, will theoretically work for gas sands in any quadrant of the A-B plane.

Nonbright‐spot AVO: Two examples

Geophysics ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 1398-1408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Ross ◽  
Daniel L. Kinman
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Acoustic Impedance ◽  
Normal Incidence ◽  
Bright Spot ◽  
Seismic Section ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Avo Analysis ◽  
Impedance Contrast ◽  
Seismic Anomalies ◽  
Low Amplitude

The use of amplitude variation with offset (AVO) attribute sections such as the product of the normal incidence trace (A) and the gradient trace (B) have been used extensively in bright spot AVO analysis and interpretation. However, while these sections have often worked well with low acoustic impedance bright spot responses, they are not reliable indicators of nonbright‐spot seismic anomalies. Analyzing nonbright‐spot seismic data with common AVO attribute sections will: (1) not detect the gas‐charged reservoir because of near‐zero acoustic impedance contrast between the sands and encasing shales, or (2) yield an incorrect (negative) AVO product if the normal incidence and gradient values are opposite in sign. We divide nonbright‐spot AVO offset responses into two subcategories: those with phase reversals and those without. An AVO analysis procedure for these anomalies is presented through two examples. The procedure exploits the nature of the prestack response, yielding a more definitive AVO attribute section, and this technique is adaptive to both subcategories of nonbright‐spot AVO responses. This technique identifies the presence of gas‐charged pore fluids within the reservoir when compared to a conventionally processed, relative amplitude seismic section with characteristically low amplitude responses for near‐zero acoustic impedance contrast sands.

Examination of AVO responses in the eastern deepwater Gulf of Mexico

Geophysics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 1864-1876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tad M. Smith ◽  
Carl H. Sondergeld
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Shear Velocity ◽  
Bright Spot ◽  
Velocity Data ◽  
Amplitude Variation ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Saturated Sands ◽  
Local Shear

Exploration programs in deepwater Tertiary basins (e.g., the Gulf of Mexico) typically rely on bright‐spot and amplitude variation with offset (AVO) technology to help identify oil‐ and gas‐charged sands. The reliance on these attributes, along with the high cost of exploration programs in deepwater environments, has driven the need to examine the limitations of these technologies and to build robust models for the conditions under which AVO is useful as a fluid and/or lithology indicator. We build subregional AVO background trends for both brine‐ and gas‐saturated sands from several wells from the eastern deepwater Gulf of Mexico. These trends are built from the depth dependencies of velocities and densities for both shale and sands (brine saturated). Simple models of AVO gradient and intercept are constructed as a function of depth below the mud line. Sand and shale properties show little velocity contrast, justifying the interpretation of these data in the context of linearized AVO models. In addition to the in‐situ brine response, the response to gas is also calculated. These trend models indicate that the AVO response is suppressed (although still positive) below a depth of approximately 10 000 ft below the mud line. Even optimistic porosity modeling (sand porosity >30°) does not substantially change this conclusion. An important corollary is that the absence of a strong AVO anomaly at these deeper depths cannot be used with confidence when ruling out hydrocarbon presence. This observation also highlights the need to crossplot attributes to best predict hydrocarbon presence. Velocity data collected as part of this study are also used to generate a local shear velocity estimator for sands and shale. These shear estimators are similar in form to other published estimators, but minor differences in coefficients may become important in AVO modeling.

Linearized amplitude variation with offset (AVO) inversion with supercritical angles

Geophysics ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. E49-E55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan E. Downton ◽  
Charles Ursenbach
Keyword(s):  
Reflection Coefficient ◽  
Critical Angle ◽  
Waveform Inversion ◽  
Phase Variation ◽  
Reflection Coefficients ◽  
Amplitude Variation ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Zoeppritz Equations ◽  
Avo Inversion ◽  
Angle Data

Contrary to popular belief, a linearized approximation of the Zoeppritz equations may be used to estimate the reflection coefficient for angles of incidence up to and beyond the critical angle. These supercritical reflection coefficients are complex, implying a phase variation with offset in addition to amplitude variation with offset (AVO). This linearized approximation is then used as the basis for an AVO waveform inversion. By incorporating this new approximation, wider offset and angle data may be incorporated in the AVO inversion, helping to stabilize the problem and leading to more accurate estimates of reflectivity, including density reflectivity.

GOLDEN BEACH: A BRIGHT SPOT

1978 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
R. B. Mariow
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Late Eocene ◽  
Polarity Reversal ◽  
Bright Spot ◽  
Areal Extent ◽  
Water Contact ◽  
Bright Spots ◽  
Gippsland Basin ◽  
Seismic Reflector

The Golden Beach closed anticlinal structure lies five kilometres offshore in the Gippsland Basin. Golden Beach 1A was drilled in 1967 near the crest of the structure and intersected a gas column of 19 m (63 feet) at the top of the Latrobe Group (Late Eocene) where most of the hydrocarbon accumulations in the Gippsland Basin have been found. The gas-water contact lies at a depth of 652 m (2139 feet) below sea level.On seismic data recorded over the structure, a high amplitude flat-lying event was interpreted as a bright 'flat spot' at the gas-water contact. Reprocessing of the seismic data enhanced the bright spot effect and enabled the areal extent of the gas zone to be mapped. The presence of the gas also leads to a polarity reversal of the top of the Latrobe Group seismic reflector over the gas accumulation.Seismic data from other structures containing hydrocarbons in the Gippsland Basin support the concept that bright spots and flat spots are more likely to be associated with gas than with oil accumulations, and that the observed bright spot effect decreases with increasing depth.

Impact of fluid saturation on the reflection coefficient of a poroelastic layer

Geophysics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. N1-N12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Quintal ◽  
Stefan M. Schmalholz ◽  
Yuri Y. Podladchikov
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Reflection Coefficient ◽  
Analytical Solution ◽  
Quality Factor ◽  
Velocity Dispersion ◽  
Normal Incidence ◽  
Sand Layer ◽  
Partially Saturated ◽  
Fluid Saturation ◽  
Wave Induced

The impact of changes in saturation on the frequency-dependent reflection coefficient of a partially saturated layer was studied. Seismic attenuation and velocity dispersion in partially saturated (i.e., patchy saturated) poroelastic media were accounted for by using the analytical solution of the 1D White’s model for wave-induced fluid flow. White’s solution was applied in combination with an analytical solution for the normal-incidence reflection coefficient of an attenuating layer embedded in an elastic or attenuating background medium to investigate the effects of attenuation, velocity dispersion, and tuning on the reflection coefficient. Approximations for the frequency-dependent quality factor, its minimum value, and the frequency at which the minimum value of the quality factor occurs were derived. The approximations are valid for any two alternating sets of petrophysical parameters. An approximation for the normal-incidence reflection coefficient of an attenuating thin (compared to the wavelength) layer was also derived. This approximation gives insight into the influence of contrasts in acoustic impedance and/or attenuation on the reflectivity of a thin layer. Laboratory data for reflections from a water-saturated sand layer and from a dry sand layer were further fit with petrophysical parameters for unconsolidated sand partially saturated with water and air. The results showed that wave-induced fluid flow can explain low-frequency reflection anomalies, which are related to fluid saturation and can be observed in seismic field data. The results further indicate that reflection coefficients of partially saturated layers (e.g., hydrocarbon reservoirs) can vary significantly with frequency, especially at low seismic frequencies where partial saturation may often cause high attenuation.

Two-step joint PP- and PS-wave three-term amplitude-variation with offset inversion

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. T613-T625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qizhen Du ◽  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Xianjun Meng ◽  
Chengfeng Guo ◽  
Gang Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reflection Coefficient ◽  
Wave Reflection ◽  
Coefficient Matrix ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Inversion Method ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Amplitude Variation ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Avo Inversion ◽  
Pp Wave

Three-term amplitude-variation with offset (AVO) inversion generally suffers from instability when there is limited prior geologic or petrophysical constraints. Two-term AVO inversion shows higher instability compared with three-term AVO inversion. However, density, which is important in the fluid-type estimation, cannot be recovered from two-term AVO inversion. To reliably predict the P- and S-waves and density, we have developed a robust two-step joint PP- and PS-wave three-term AVO-inversion method. Our inversion workflow consists of two steps. The first step is to estimate the P- and S-wave reflectivities using Stewart’s joint two-term PP- and PS-AVO inversion. The second step is to treat the P-wave reflectivity obtained from the first step as the prior constraint to remove the P-wave velocity related-term from the three-term Aki-Richards PP-wave approximated reflection coefficient equation, and then the reduced PP-wave reflection coefficient equation is combined with the PS-wave reflection coefficient equation to estimate the S-wave and density reflectivities. We determined the effectiveness of our method by first applying it to synthetic models and then to field data. We also analyzed the condition number of the coefficient matrix to illustrate the stability of the proposed method. The estimated results using proposed method are superior to those obtained from three-term AVO inversion.

A SIMPLE UPGRADE FOR SOME BRIGHT SPOTS

Geophysics ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 868-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry A. Ware
Keyword(s):  
Constant Velocity ◽  
Bright Spot ◽  
Ray Theory ◽  
Multiple Reflections ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Reasonable Estimate ◽  
Raw Data ◽  
Common Depth Point ◽  
Bright Spots ◽  
The Common

Confirmation that a bright spot zone in question is low velocity can sometimes be made by looking at constant velocity stacks or the common‐depth‐point gathers. When this confirmation does exist, then it is usually possible to do simple ray theory to get a reasonable estimate of the pay thickness, especially if the water‐sand velocity and the gas‐sand velocity are either known or can be predicted for the area. The confirmation referred to can take the form of under‐removal of the primary events or be exhibited by multiple reflections from the bright spot zone. Such under‐removals or multiple reflections will not be seen on the stacked sections but are sometimes obvious on the raw data, such as the common‐depth‐point gathers, or can be implied by looking at constant velocity stacks of the zone in question at different stacking velocities.

AVA analysis after velocity-independent DMO and imaging

Geophysics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 686-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald H. F. Gardner ◽  
Anat Canning
Keyword(s):  
Reflection Coefficient ◽  
Peak Amplitude ◽  
Angle Of Incidence ◽  
Amplitude Variation ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
The Past ◽  
Reflectivity Function ◽  
Velocity Of Propagation ◽  
Zero Offset ◽  
Amplitude Versus

A common midpoint (CMP) gather usually provides amplitude variation with offset (AVO) information by displaying the reflectivity as the peak amplitude of symmetrical deconvolved wavelets. This puts a reflection coefficient R at every offset h, giving a function R(h). But how do we link h with the angle of incidence, θ, to get the reflectivity function, R(θ)? This is necessary for amplitude versus angle-of-incidence (AVA) analysis. One purpose of this paper is to derive formulas for this linkage after velocity-independent dip-moveout (DMO), done by migrating radial sections, and prestack zero-offset migration. Related studies of amplitude-preserving DMO in the past have dealt with constant-offset DMO but have not given the connection between offset and angle of incidence after processing. The results in the present paper show that the same reflectivity function can be extracted from the imaged volume whether it is produced using radial-trace DMO plus zero-offset migration, constant-offset DMO plus zero-offset migration, or directly by prestack, common-offset migration. The data acquisition geometry for this study consists of parallel, regularly spaced, multifold lines, and the velocity of propagation is constant. Events in the data are caused by an arbitrarily oriented 3-D plane reflector with any reflectivity function. The DMO operation transforms each line of data (m, h, t), i.e., midpoint, half-offset, and time, into an (m1, k, t1) space by Stolt-migrating each radial-plane section of the data, 2h = Ut, with constant velocity U/2. Merging the (m1, k, t1) spaces for all the lines forms an (x, y, k, t1) space, where the first two coordinates are the midpoint location, the third is the new half-offset, and the fourth is the time. Normal moveout (NMO) plus 3-D zero-offset migration of the subspace (x, y, t1) for each k creates a true-amplitude imaged volume (X, Y, k, T). Each peak amplitude in the volume is a reflection coefficient linked to an angle of incidence.

Frequency-dependent spherical-wave reflection coefficient inversion in acoustic media: Theory to practice

Geophysics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. R425-R435
Author(s):  
Binpeng Yan ◽  
Shangxu Wang ◽  
Yongzhen Ji ◽  
Xingguo Huang ◽  
Nuno V. da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Reflection Coefficient ◽  
Wave Reflection ◽  
Incident Angle ◽  
Spherical Wave ◽  
Frequency Dependent ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
Acoustic Media ◽  
The Time Domain

As an approximation of the spherical-wave reflection coefficient (SRC), the plane-wave reflection coefficient does not fully describe the reflection phenomenon of a seismic wave generated by a point source. The applications of SRC to improve analyses of seismic data have also been studied. However, most of the studies focus on the time-domain SRC and its benefit to using the long-offset information instead of the dependency of SRC on frequency. Consequently, we have investigated and accounted for the frequency-dependent spherical-wave reflection coefficient (FSRC) and analyzed the feasibility of this type of inversion. Our inversion strategy requires a single incident angle using reflection data for inverting the density and velocity ratios, which is distinctly different from conventional inversion methods using amplitude variation with offset. Hence, this investigation provides an alternative approach for estimating media properties in some contexts, especially when the range of aperture of the reflection angles is limited. We apply the FSRC theory to the inversion of noisy synthetic and field data using a heuristic algorithm. The multirealization results of the inversion strategy are consistent with the feasibility analysis and demonstrate the potential of the outlined method for practical application.

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