The impact of common‐offset migration on porosity estimation by AVO inversion

Geophysics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 755-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arild Buland ◽  
Martin Landrø

The impact of prestack time migration on porosity estimation has been tested on a 2-D seismic line from the Valhall/Hod area in the North Sea. Porosity is estimated in the Cretaceous chalk section in a two‐step procedure. First, P-wave and S-wave velocity and density are estimated by amplitude variation with offset (AVO) inversion. These parameters are then linked to porosity through a petrophysical rock data base based on core plug analysis. The porosity is estimated both from unmigrated and prestack migrated seismic data. For the migrated data set, a standard prestack Kirchhoff time migration is used, followed by simple angle and amplitude corrections. Compared to modern high‐cost, true amplitude migration methods, this approach is faster and more practical. The test line is structurally fairly simple, with a maximum dip of 5°; but the results differ significantly, depending on whether migration is applied prior to the inversion. The maximum difference in estimated porosity is of the order of 10% (about 50% relative change). High‐porosity zones estimated from the unmigrated data were not present on the porosity section estimated from the migrated data.

Geophysics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 1446-1454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Side Jin ◽  
G. Cambois ◽  
C. Vuillermoz

S-wave velocity and density information is crucial for hydrocarbon detection, because they help in the discrimination of pore filling fluids. Unfortunately, these two parameters cannot be accurately resolved from conventional P-wave marine data. Recent developments in ocean‐bottom seismic (OBS) technology make it possible to acquire high quality S-wave data in marine environments. The use of (S)-waves for amplitude variation with offset (AVO) analysis can give better estimates of S-wave velocity and density contrasts. Like P-wave AVO, S-wave AVO is sensitive to various types of noise. We investigate numerically and analytically the sensitivity of AVO inversion to random noise and errors in angles of incidence. Synthetic examples show that random noise and angle errors can strongly bias the parameter estimation. The use of singular value decomposition offers a simple stabilization scheme to solve for the elastic parameters. The AVO inversion is applied to an OBS data set from the North Sea. Special prestack processing techniques are required for the success of S-wave AVO inversion. The derived S-wave velocity and density contrasts help in detecting the fluid contacts and delineating the extent of the reservoir sand.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. SF43-SF54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelby L. Peterie ◽  
Richard D. Miller

Tunnel locations are accurately interpreted from diffraction sections of focused mode converted P- to S-wave diffractions from a perpendicular tunnel and P-wave diffractions from a nonperpendicular (oblique) tunnel. Near-surface tunnels are ideal candidates for diffraction imaging due to their small size relative to the seismic wavelength and large acoustic impedance contrast at the tunnel interface. Diffraction imaging algorithms generally assume that the velocities of the primary wave and the diffracted wave are approximately equal, and that the diffraction apex is recorded directly above the scatterpoint. Scattering phenomena from shallow tunnels with kinematic properties that violate these assumptions were observed in one field data set and one synthetic data set. We developed the traveltime equations for mode-converted and oblique diffractions and demonstrated a diffraction imaging algorithm designed for the roll-along style of acquisition. Potential processing and interpretation pitfalls specific to these diffraction types were identified. Based on our observations, recommendations were made to recognize and image mode-converted and oblique diffractions and accurately interpret tunnel depth, horizontal location, and azimuth with respect to the seismic line.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Scafidi ◽  
Daniele Spallarossa ◽  
Matteo Picozzi ◽  
Dino Bindi

<p>Understanding the dynamics of faulting is a crucial target in earthquake source physics (Yoo et al., 2010). To study earthquake dynamics it is indeed necessary to look at the source complexity from different perspectives; in this regard, useful information is provided by the seismic moment (M0), which is a static measure of the earthquake size, and the seismic radiated energy (ER), which is connected to the rupture kinematics and dynamics (e.g. Bormann & Di Giacomo 2011a). Studying spatial and temporal evolution of scaling relations between scaled energy (i.e., e = ER/M0) versus the static measure of source dimension (M0) can provide valuable indications for understanding the earthquake generation processes, single out precursors of stress concentrations, foreshocks and the nucleation of large earthquakes (Picozzi et al., 2019). In the last ten years, seismology has undergone a terrific development. Evolution in data telemetry opened the new research field of real-time seismology (Kanamori 2005), which targets are the rapid determination of earthquake location and size, the timely implementation of emergency plans and, under favourable conditions, earthquake early warning. On the other hand, the availability of denser and high quality seismic networks deployed near faults made possible to observe very large numbers of micro-to-small earthquakes, which is pushing the seismological community to look for novel big data analysis strategies. Large earthquakes in Italy have the peculiar characteristic of being followed within seconds to months by large aftershocks of magnitude similar to the initial quake or even larger, demonstrating the complexity of the Apennines’ faults system (Gentili and Giovanbattista, 2017). Picozzi et al. (2017) estimated the radiated seismic energy and seismic moment from P-wave signals for almost forty earthquakes with the largest magnitude of the 2016-2017 Central Italy seismic sequence. Focusing on S-wave signals recorded by local networks, Bindi et al. (2018) analysed more than 1400 earthquakes in the magnitude ranges 2.5 ≤ Mw ≤ 6.5 of the same region occurred from 2008 to 2017 and estimated both ER and M0, from which were derived the energy magnitude (Me) and Mw for investigating the impact of different magnitude scales on the aleatory variability associated with ground motion prediction equations. In this work, exploiting first steps made in this direction by Picozzi et al. (2017) and Bindi et al. (2018), we derived a novel approach for the real-time, robust estimation of seismic moment and radiated energy of small to large magnitude earthquakes recorded at local scales. In the first part of the work, we describe the procedure for extracting from the S-wave signals robust estimates of the peak displacement (PDS) and the cumulative squared velocity (IV2S). Then, exploiting a calibration data set of about 6000 earthquakes for which well-constrained M0 and theoretical ER values were available, we describe the calibration of empirical attenuation models. The coefficients and parameters obtained by calibration were then used for determining ER and M0 of a testing dataset</p>


Geophysics ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. R1-R11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omid Karimi ◽  
Henning Omre ◽  
Mohsen Mohammadzadeh

Bayesian closed-skew Gaussian inversion is defined as a generalization of traditional Bayesian Gaussian inversion, which is used frequently in seismic amplitude-versus-offset (AVO) inversion. The new model captures skewness in the variables of interest; hence, the posterior model for log-transformed elastic material properties given seismic AVO data might be a skew probability density function. The model is analytically tractable, and this makes it applicable in high-dimensional 3D inversion problems. Assessment of the posterior models in high dimensions requires numerical approximations, however. The Bayesian closed-skew Gaussian inversion approach has been applied on real elastic material properties from a well in the Sleipner field in the North Sea. A comparison with results from traditional Bayesian Gaussian inversion shows that the mean square error of predictions of P-wave and S-wave velocities are reduced by a factor of two, although somewhat less for density predictions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eser Çakti ◽  
Fatma Sevil Malcioğlu ◽  
Hakan Süleyman

<p>On 24<sup>th</sup> and 26<sup>th</sup>  September 2019, two earthquakes of M<sub>w</sub>=4.5 and M<sub>w</sub>=5.6 respectively took place in the Marmara Sea. They were associated with the Central Marmara segment of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, which is pinpointed by several investigators as the most likely segment to rupture in the near future giving way to an earthquake larger than M7.0. Both events were felt widely in the region. The M<sub>w</sub>=5.6 event, in particular, led to a number of building damages in Istanbul, which were larger than expected in number and severity. There are several strong motion networks in operation in and around Istanbul. We have compiled a data set of recordings obtained at the stations of the Istanbul Earthquake Rapid Response and Early Warning operated by the Department of Earthquake Engineering of Bogazici University and of the National Strong Motion Network operated by AFAD. It consists of 148 three component recordings, in total.  444 records in the data set, after correction, were analyzed to estimate the source parameters of these events, such as corner frequency, source duration, radius and rupture area, average source dislocation and stress drop. Duration characteristics of two earthquakes were analyzed first by considering P-wave and S-wave onsets and then, focusing on S-wave and significant durations. PGAs, PGVs and SAs were calculated and compared with three commonly used ground motion prediction models (i.e  Boore et al., 2014; Akkar et al., 2014 and Kale et al., 2015). Finally frequency-dependent Q models were estimated using the data set and their validity was dicussed by comparing with previously developed models.</p>


Geophysics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arild Buland ◽  
Henning Omre

A new linearized AVO inversion technique is developed in a Bayesian framework. The objective is to obtain posterior distributions for P‐wave velocity, S‐wave velocity, and density. Distributions for other elastic parameters can also be assessed—for example, acoustic impedance, shear impedance, and P‐wave to S‐wave velocity ratio. The inversion algorithm is based on the convolutional model and a linearized weak contrast approximation of the Zoeppritz equation. The solution is represented by a Gaussian posterior distribution with explicit expressions for the posterior expectation and covariance; hence, exact prediction intervals for the inverted parameters can be computed under the specified model. The explicit analytical form of the posterior distribution provides a computationally fast inversion method. Tests on synthetic data show that all inverted parameters were almost perfectly retrieved when the noise approached zero. With realistic noise levels, acoustic impedance was the best determined parameter, while the inversion provided practically no information about the density. The inversion algorithm has also been tested on a real 3‐D data set from the Sleipner field. The results show good agreement with well logs, but the uncertainty is high.


Geophysics ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. N17-N24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoyun Zong ◽  
Xingyao Yin ◽  
Guochen Wu

The fluid term in the Biot-Gassmann equation plays an important role in reservoir fluid discrimination. The density term imbedded in the fluid term, however, is difficult to estimate because it is less sensitive to seismic amplitude variations. We combined poroelasticity theory, amplitude variation with offset (AVO) inversion, and identification of P- and S-wave moduli to present a stable and physically meaningful method to estimate the fluid term, with no need for density information from prestack seismic data. We used poroelasticity theory to express the fluid term as a function of P- and S-wave moduli. The use of P- and S-wave moduli made the derivation physically meaningful and natural. Then we derived an AVO approximation in terms of these moduli, which can then be directly inverted from seismic data. Furthermore, this practical and robust AVO-inversion technique was developed in a Bayesian framework. The objective was to obtain the maximum a posteriori solution for the P-wave modulus, S-wave modulus, and density. Gaussian and Cauchy distributions were used for the likelihood and a priori probability distributions, respectively. The introduction of a low-frequency constraint and statistical probability information to the objective function rendered the inversion more stable and less sensitive to the initial model. Tests on synthetic data showed that all the parameters can be estimated well when no noise is present and the estimated P- and S-wave moduli were still reasonable with moderate noise and rather smooth initial model parameters. A test on a real data set showed that the estimated fluid term was in good agreement with the results of drilling.


Geophysics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. C119-C128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Li ◽  
Antoine Guitton ◽  
Ilya Tsvankin ◽  
Tariq Alkhalifah

Processing algorithms for transversely isotropic (TI) media are widely used in depth imaging and typically bring substantial improvements in reflector focusing and positioning. Here, we develop acoustic image-domain tomography (IDT) for reconstructing VTI (TI with a vertical symmetry axis) models from P-wave reflection data. The modeling operator yields an integral wave-equation solution, which is based on a separable dispersion relation and contains only P-waves. The zero-dip NMO velocity ([Formula: see text]) and anellipticity parameter [Formula: see text] are updated by focusing energy in space-lag images obtained by least-squares reverse-time migration (LSRTM). Application of LSRTM helps mitigate aperture- and illumination-induced artifacts in space-lag gathers and improve the robustness of [Formula: see text]-estimation. The impact of the trade-off between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is reduced by a three-stage inversion algorithm that gradually relaxes the constraints on the spatial variation of [Formula: see text]. Assuming that the depth profile of the Thomsen parameter [Formula: see text] is known at two or more borehole locations, we employ image-guided interpolation to constrain the depth scale of the parameter fields and of the migrated image. Image-guided smoothing is also applied to the IDT gradients to facilitate convergence towards geologically plausible models. The algorithm is tested on synthetic reflection and borehole data from the structurally complicated elastic VTI Marmousi-II model. Although the initial velocity field is purely isotropic and substantially distorted, all three relevant parameters ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]) are estimated with sufficient accuracy. The algorithm is also applied to a line from a 3D ocean-bottom-node data set acquired in the Gulf of Mexico.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anass Rahouti ◽  
Ruggiero Lovreglio ◽  
Phil Jackson ◽  
Sélim Datoussaïd

Assessing the fire safety of buildings is fundamental to reduce the impact of this threat on their occupants. Such an assessment can be done by combining existing models and existing knowledge on how occupants behave during fires. Although many studies have been carried out for several types of built environment, only few of those investigate healthcare facilities and hospitals. In this study, we present a new behavioural data-set for hospital evacuations. The data was collected from the North Shore Hospital in Auckland (NZ) during an unannounced drill carried out in May 2017. This drill was recorded using CCTV and those videos are analysed to generate new evacuation model inputs for hospital scenarios. We collected pre-movement times, exit choices and total evacuation times for each evacuee. Moreover, we estimated pre-movement time distributions for both staff members and patients. Finally, we qualitatively investigated the evacuee actions of patients and staff members to study their interaction during the drill. The results show that participants were often independent from staff actions with a majority able to make their own decision.


Geophysics ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. B183-B195 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. De Meersman ◽  
J.-M. Kendall ◽  
M. van der Baan

We relocate 303 microseismic events recorded in 1998 by sensors in a single borehole in the North Sea Valhall oil field. A semiautomated array analysis method repicks the P- and S-wave arrival times and P-wave polarizations, which are needed to locate these events. The relocated sources are confined predominantly to a [Formula: see text]-thick zone just above the reservoir, and location uncertainties are half those of previous efforts. Multiplet analysis identifies 40 multiplet groups, which include 208 of the 303 events. The largest group contains 24 events, and five groups contain 10 or more events. Within each multiplet group, we further improve arrival-time picking through crosscorrelation, which enhances the relative accuracy of the relocated events and reveals that more than 99% of the seismic activity lies spatially in three distinct clusters. The spatial distribution of events and wave-form similarities reveal two faultlike structures that match well with north-northwest–south-southeast-trending fault planes interpreted from 3D surface seismic data. Most waveform differences between multiplet groups located on these faults can be attributed to S-wave phase content and polarity or P-to-S amplitude ratio. The range in P-to-S amplitude ratios observed on the faults is explained best in terms of varying source mechanisms. We also find a correlation between multiplet groups and temporal variations in seismic anisotropy, as revealed by S-wave splitting analysis. We explain these findings in the context of a cyclic recharge and dissipation of cap-rock stresses in response to production-driven compaction of the underlying oil reservoir. The cyclic nature of this mechanism drives the short-term variations in seismic anisotropy and the reactivation of microseismic source mechanisms over time.


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