Interpretation of full-azimuth broadband land data from Saudi Arabia and implications for improved inversion, reservoir characterization, and exploration

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. T167-T176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian P. Wallick ◽  
Luis Giroldi

Interpretation of conventional land seismic data over a Permian-age gas field in Eastern Saudi Arabia has proven difficult over time due to low signal-to-noise ratio and limited bandwidth in the seismic volume. In an effort to improve the signal and broaden the bandwidth, newly acquired seismic data over this field have employed point receiver technology, dense wavefield sampling, a full azimuth geometry, and a specially designed sweep with useful frequencies as low as three hertz. The resulting data display enhanced reflection continuity and improved resolution. With the extension of low frequencies and improved interpretability, acoustic impedance inversion results are more robust and allow greater flexibility in reservoir characterization and prediction. In addition, because inversion to acoustic impedance is no longer completely tied to a wells-only low-frequency model, there are positive implications for exploration.

Geophysics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. R989-R1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleg Ovcharenko ◽  
Vladimir Kazei ◽  
Mahesh Kalita ◽  
Daniel Peter ◽  
Tariq Alkhalifah

Low-frequency seismic data are crucial for convergence of full-waveform inversion (FWI) to reliable subsurface properties. However, it is challenging to acquire field data with an appropriate signal-to-noise ratio in the low-frequency part of the spectrum. We have extrapolated low-frequency data from the respective higher frequency components of the seismic wavefield by using deep learning. Through wavenumber analysis, we find that extrapolation per shot gather has broader applicability than per-trace extrapolation. We numerically simulate marine seismic surveys for random subsurface models and train a deep convolutional neural network to derive a mapping between high and low frequencies. The trained network is then tested on sections from the BP and SEAM Phase I benchmark models. Our results indicate that we are able to recover 0.25 Hz data from the 2 to 4.5 Hz frequencies. We also determine that the extrapolated data are accurate enough for FWI application.


Geophysics ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. R59-R67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor B. Morozov ◽  
Jinfeng Ma

The seismic-impedance inversion problem is underconstrained inherently and does not allow the use of rigorous joint inversion. In the absence of a true inverse, a reliable solution free from subjective parameters can be obtained by defining a set of physical constraints that should be satisfied by the resulting images. A method for constructing synthetic logs is proposed that explicitly and accurately satisfies (1) the convolutional equation, (2) time-depth constraints of the seismic data, (3) a background low-frequency model from logs or seismic/geologic interpretation, and (4) spectral amplitudes and geostatistical information from spatially interpolated well logs. The resulting synthetic log sections or volumes are interpretable in standard ways. Unlike broadly used joint-inversion algorithms, the method contains no subjectively selected user parameters, utilizes the log data more completely, and assesses intermediate results. The procedure is simple and tolerant to noise, and it leads to higher-resolution images. Separating the seismic and subseismic frequency bands also simplifies data processing for acoustic-impedance (AI) inversion. For example, zero-phase deconvolution and true-amplitude processing of seismic data are not required and are included automatically in this method. The approach is applicable to 2D and 3D data sets and to multiple pre- and poststack seismic attributes. It has been tested on inversions for AI and true-amplitude reflectivity using 2D synthetic and real-data examples.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. T523-T530
Author(s):  
Ehsan Zabihi Naeini ◽  
Mark Sams

Broadband reprocessed seismic data from the North West Shelf of Australia were inverted using wavelets estimated with a conventional approach. The inversion method applied was a facies-based inversion, in which the low-frequency model is a product of the inversion process itself, constrained by facies-dependent input trends, the resultant facies distribution, and the match to the seismic. The results identified the presence of a gas reservoir that had recently been confirmed through drilling. The reservoir is thin, with up to 15 ms of maximum thickness. The bandwidth of the seismic data is approximately 5–70 Hz, and the well data used to extract the wavelet used in the inversion are only 400 ms long. As such, there was little control on the lowest frequencies of the wavelet. Different wavelets were subsequently estimated using a variety of new techniques that attempt to address the limitations of short well-log segments and low-frequency seismic. The revised inversion showed greater gas-sand continuity and an extension of the reservoir at one flank. Noise-free synthetic examples indicate that thin-bed delineation can depend on the accuracy of the low-frequency content of the wavelets used for inversion. Underestimation of the low-frequency contents can result in missing thin beds, whereas underestimation of high frequencies can introduce false thin beds. Therefore, it is very important to correctly capture the full frequency content of the seismic data in terms of the amplitude and phase spectra of the estimated wavelets, which subsequently leads to a more accurate thin-bed reservoir characterization through inversion.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. SL1-SL8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehsan Zabihi Naeini ◽  
Russell Exley

Quantitative interpretation (QI) is an important part of successful exploration, appraisal, and development activities. Seismic amplitude variation with offset (AVO) provides the primary signal for the vast majority of QI studies allowing the determination of elastic properties from which facies can be determined. Unfortunately, many established AVO-based seismic inversion algorithms are hindered by not fully accounting for inherent subsurface facies variations and also by requiring the addition of a preconceived low-frequency model to supplement the limited bandwidth of the input seismic. We apply a novel joint impedance and facies inversion applied to a North Sea prospect using broadband seismic data. The focus was to demonstrate the significant advantages of inverting for each facies individually and iteratively determine an optimized low-frequency model from facies-derived depth trends. The results generated several scenarios for potential facies distributions thereby providing guidance to future appraisal and development decisions.


Geophysics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. R385-R400
Author(s):  
Luca Bianchin ◽  
Emanuele Forte ◽  
Michele Pipan

Low-frequency components of reflection seismic data are of paramount importance for acoustic impedance (AI) inversion, but they typically suffer from a poor signal-to-noise ratio. The estimation of the low frequencies of AI can benefit from the combination of a harmonic reconstruction method (based on autoregressive [AR] models) and a seismic-derived interval velocity field. We have developed the construction of a convex cost function that accounts for the velocity field, together with geologic a priori information on AI and its uncertainty, during the AR reconstruction of the low frequencies. The minimization of this function allows one to reconstruct sensible estimates of low-frequency components of the subsurface reflectivity, which lead to an estimation of AI model via a recursive formulation. In particular, the method is suited for an initial and computationally inexpensive assessment of the absolute value of AI even when no well-log data are available. We first tested the method on layered synthetic models, then we analyzed its applicability and limitations on a real marine seismic data set that included tomographic velocity information. Despite a strong trace-to-trace variability in the results, which could partially be mitigated by multitrace inversion, the method demonstrates its capability to highlight lateral variations of AI that cannot be detected when the low frequencies only come from well-log information.


Geophysics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. WB53-WB65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huyen Bui ◽  
Jennifer Graham ◽  
Shantanu Kumar Singh ◽  
Fred Snyder ◽  
Martiris Smith

One of the main goals of seismic inversion is to obtain high-resolution relative and absolute impedance for reservoir properties prediction. We aim to study whether the results from seismic inversion of subsalt data are sufficiently robust for reliable reservoir characterization. Approximately [Formula: see text] of poststack, wide-azimuth, anisotropic (vertical transverse isotropic) wave-equation migration seismic data from 50 Outer Continental Shelf blocks in the Green Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico were inverted in this study. A total of four subsalt wells and four subsalt seismic interpreted horizons were used in the inversion process, and one of the wells was used for a blind test. Our poststack inversion method used an iterative discrete spike inversion method, based on the combination of space-adaptive wavelet processing to invert for relative acoustic impedance. Next, the dips were estimated from seismic data and converted to a horizon-like layer sequence field that was used as one of the inputs into the low-frequency model. The background model was generated by incorporating the well velocities, seismic velocity, seismic interpreted horizons, and the previously derived layer sequence field in the low-frequency model. Then, the relative acoustic impedance volume was scaled by adding the low-frequency model to match the calculated acoustic impedance logs from the wells for absolute acoustic impedance. Finally, the geological information and rock physics data were incorporated into the reservoir properties assessment for sand/shale prediction in two main target reservoirs in the Miocene and Wilcox formations. Overall, the poststack inversion results and the sand/shale prediction showed good ties at the well locations. This was clearly demonstrated in the blind test well. Hence, incorporating rock physics and geology enables poststack inversion in subsalt areas.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shyanthony R. Synigal ◽  
Emily S. Teoh ◽  
Edmund C. Lalor

ABSTRACTThe human auditory system is adept at extracting information from speech in both single-speaker and multi-speaker situations. This involves neural processing at the rapid temporal scales seen in natural speech. Non-invasive brain imaging (electro-/magnetoencephalography [EEG/MEG]) signatures of such processing have shown that the phase of neural activity below 16 Hz tracks the dynamics of speech, whereas invasive brain imaging (electrocorticography [ECoG]) has shown that such rapid processing is even more strongly reflected in the power of neural activity at high frequencies (around 70-150 Hz; known as high gamma). The aim of this study was to determine if high gamma power in scalp recorded EEG carries useful stimulus-related information, despite its reputation for having a poor signal to noise ratio. Furthermore, we aimed to assess whether any such information might be complementary to that reflected in well-established low frequency EEG indices of speech processing. We used linear regression to investigate speech envelope and attention decoding in EEG at low frequencies, in high gamma power, and in both signals combined. While low frequency speech tracking was evident for almost all subjects as expected, high gamma power also showed robust speech tracking in a minority of subjects. This same pattern was true for attention decoding using a separate group of subjects who undertook a cocktail party attention experiment. For the subjects who showed speech tracking in high gamma power, the spatiotemporal characteristics of that high gamma tracking differed from that of low-frequency EEG. Furthermore, combining the two neural measures led to improved measures of speech tracking for several subjects. Overall, this indicates that high gamma power EEG can carry useful information regarding speech processing and attentional selection in some subjects and combining it with low frequency EEG can improve the mapping between natural speech and the resulting neural responses.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. T701-T711
Author(s):  
Jianhu Gao ◽  
Bingyang Liu ◽  
Shengjun Li ◽  
Hongqiu Wang

Hydrocarbon detection is always one of the most critical sections in geophysical exploration, which plays an important role in subsequent hydrocarbon production. However, due to the low signal-to-noise ratio and weak reflection amplitude of deep seismic data, some conventional methods do not always provide favorable hydrocarbon prediction results. The interesting dolomite reservoirs in Central Sichuan are buried over an average depth of 4500 m, and the dolomite rocks have a low porosity below approximately 4%, which is measured by well-logging data. Furthermore, the dominant system of pores and fractures as well as strong heterogeneity along the lateral and vertical directions lead to some difficulties in describing the reservoir distribution. Spectral decomposition (SD) has become successful in illuminating subsurface features and can also be used to identify potential hydrocarbon reservoirs by detecting low-frequency shadows. However, the current applications for hydrocarbon detection always suffer from low resolution for thin reservoirs, probably due to the influence of the window function and without a prior constraint. To address this issue, we developed sparse inverse SD (SISD) based on the wavelet transform, which involves a sparse constraint of time-frequency spectra. We focus on investigating the applications of sparse spectral attributes derived from SISD to deep marine dolomite hydrocarbon detection from a 3D real seismic data set with an area of approximately [Formula: see text]. We predict and evaluate gas-bearing zones in two target reservoir segments by analyzing and comparing the spectral amplitude responses of relatively high- and low-frequency components. The predicted results indicate that most favorable gas-bearing areas are located near the northeast fault zone in the upper reservoir segment and at the relatively high structural positions in the lower reservoir segment, which are in good agreement with the gas-testing results of three wells in the study area.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (03) ◽  
pp. 1750022
Author(s):  
Xiuwei Yang ◽  
Peimin Zhu

Acoustic impedance (AI) from seismic inversion can indicate rock properties and can be used, when combined with rock physics, to predict reservoir parameters, such as porosity. Solutions to seismic inversion problem are almost nonunique due to the limited bandwidth of seismic data. Additional constraints from well log data and geology are needed to arrive at a reasonable solution. In this paper, sedimentary facies is used to reduce the uncertainty in inversion and rock physics modeling; the results not only agree with seismic data, but also conform to geology. A reservoir prediction method, which incorporates seismic data, well logs, rock physics and sedimentary facies, is proposed. AI was first derived by constrained sparse spike inversion (CSSI) using a sedimentary facies dependent low-frequency model, and then was transformed to reservoir parameters by sequential simulation, statistical rock physics and [Formula: see text]-model. Two numerical experiments using synthetic model and real data indicated that the sedimentary facies information may help to obtain a more reasonable prediction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
pp. 1229-1230
Author(s):  
Yasir Bashir ◽  
Nordiana Mohd Muztaza ◽  
Nur Azwin Ismail ◽  
Ismail Ahmad Abir ◽  
Andy Anderson Bery ◽  
...  

Seismic data acquired in the field show the subsurface reflectors or horizon among the geological strata, while the seismic inversion converts this reflector information into the acoustic impedance section which shows the layer properties based on lithology. The research aims to predict the porosity to identify the reservoir which is in between the tight layer. So, the output of the seismic inversion is much more batter than the seismic as it is closer to reality such as geology. Seismic inversion is frequently used to determine rock physics properties, for example, acoustic impedance and porosity.


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