Stereotomography assisted by migration of attributes

Depth velocity model building remains a difficult step within the seismic depth imaging sequence. Stereotomography provides an efficient solution to this problem but was limited until now to a picking of seismic data in the prestack time un-migrated domain. We propose here a method for stereotomographic data picking in the depth migrated domain. Picking in the depth migrated domain exhibits the advantage of a better signal-to-noise ratio and of a more regular distribution of picked events in the model, leading to a better constrained tomographic inverse problem. Moreover, any improvement on the velocity model will improve the migrated results, again leading to improved picking. Our strategy for obtaining a stereotomographic dataset from a prestack depth migration is based on migration of attributes (and not on a kinematic demigration approach!). For any locally coherent event in the migrated image, migration of attributes allows one to compute ray parameter attributes corresponding to the specular reflection angle and dip. For application to stereotomography, the necessary attributes are the source/receiver locations, the traveltime and the data slopes. For the data slope, when the migration velocity model is erroneous, some additional corrections have to be applied to the result of migration of the attributes. Applying these corrections, our picking method is theoretically valid whatever the quality of the migration velocity model. We first present the theoretical aspects of the method and then validate it on 2D synthetic and real seismic reflection data sets.     

Stereotomography: a semi-automatic approach for velocity macromodel estimation

Most methods for velocity macromodel estimation require considerable operator input, mainly concerning the regularization and the picking of events in the data set or in the migrated images. For both these aspects, slope tomography methods offer interesting solutions. They consider locally coherent events characterized by their slopes in the data cube. Picking is then much easier and consequently denser than in standard traveltime tomography. Stereotomography is the latest slope tomography method. In recent years it has been improved significantly, both from an algorithmic point of view and in terms of practical use. Robust and fast procedures are now available for 2D stereotomographic picking and optimization. Concerning the picking, we propose simple criteria for the selection of relevant data among the automatically picked events. This enables an accurate smooth velocity macromodel to be estimated quite rapidly and with very limited operator intervention. We demonstrate the method using a 2D line extracted from the Oseberg NH8906 data set.     

地震立体层析成像的实现方法及效果分析

立体层析成像是一种新的地震反射波层析成像方法,能为叠前深度偏移提供较为精确的宏观速度模型。本文研究了立体层析成像的实现方法,包括斜率与走时数据的拾取、离散速度模型构建和初始化、射线参数的确定、斜率和走时及射线计算以及反演问题解法等,建立立体层析成像的算法流程。并通过对Marmousi模型试验,对立体层析成像运行所需的主要参数,如初始速度模型、拾取数据量、离散网格尺寸、速度平滑权重等进行测试和分析,总结这些不同参数对立体层析反演结果的影响规律,用以指导生产实践。     

Elastic full waveform inversion of multi‐component OBC seismic data

Elastic full waveform inversion of seismic reflection data represents a data‐driven form of analysis leading to quantification of sub‐surface parameters in depth. In previous studies attention has been given to P‐wave data recorded in the marine environment, using either acoustic or elastic inversion schemes. In this paper we exploit both P‐waves and mode‐converted S‐waves in the marine environment in the inversion for both P‐ and S‐wave velocities by using wide‐angle, multi‐component, ocean‐bottom cable seismic data. An elastic waveform inversion scheme operating in the time domain was used, allowing accurate modelling of the full wavefield, including the elastic amplitude variation with offset response of reflected arrivals and mode‐converted events. A series of one‐ and two‐dimensional synthetic examples are presented, demonstrating the ability to invert for and thereby to quantify both P‐ and S‐wave velocities for different velocity models. In particular, for more realistic low velocity models, including a typically soft seabed, an effective strategy for inversion is proposed to exploit both P‐ and mode‐converted PS‐waves. Whilst P‐wave events are exploited for inversion for P‐wave velocity, examples show the contribution of both P‐ and PS‐waves to the successful recovery of S‐wave velocity.     

各向异性衰减薄层地震响应特征研究

薄储层的叠前地震响应特征研究,特别是针对具有速度各向异性的含流体薄层,对储层描述具有十分重要的意义.文中基于波动方程数值模拟方法,正演得到各向同性弹性、各向同性衰减、速度各向异性、各向异性衰减模型的地震波场,并对比分析了四种模型的纵波(PP)和转换横波(PS)地震反射特征.研究结果表明:在衰减介质背景下,引入各向异性,PP和PS波的反射波振幅较弹性介质均减弱,且衰减因素对薄层振幅的影响强于各向异性.同时,VTI各向异性衰减在单频PS振幅曲线上表现出强差异性,而HTI各向异性衰减则会影响PP和PS波单频振幅曲线的极值点幅值和位置,通过分析单频振幅曲线的极值点振幅和极值点位置对各向异性衰减薄层预测有指导作用,尤其对平时较难分辨的VTI各向异性衰减薄层,单频分析方法的优势更明显.     

3D simultaneous joint PP‐PS prestack seismic inversion at Schiehallion field,United Kingdom Continental Shelf

A workflow for simultaneous joint PP‐PS prestack inversion of data from the Schiehallion field on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf is presented and discussed. The main challenge, describing reasonable PS to PP data registration before any prestack or joint PP‐PS inversion, was overcome thanks to a two‐stage process addressing the signal envelope, then working directly on the seismic data to estimate appropriate time‐variant time‐shift volumes. We evaluated the benefits of including PS along with PP prestack seismic data in a joint inversion process to improve the estimated elastic property quality and also to enable estimation of density compared with other prestack and post‐stack inversion approaches. While the estimated acoustic impedance exhibited a similar quality independent of the inversion used (PP post‐stack, PP prestack or joint PP‐PS prestack inversion) the shear impedance estimation was noticeably improved by the joint PP‐PS prestack inversion when compared to the PP prestack inversion. Finally, the density estimated from joint PP and PS prestack data demonstrated an overall good quality, even where not well‐controlled. The main outcome of this study was that despite several data‐related limitations, inverting jointly correctly processed PP and PS data sets brought extra value for reservoir delineation as opposed to PP‐only or post‐stack inversion.     

Observation of shear‐wave splitting in the multicomponent node data from Atlantis field,Gulf of Mexico

In 2005, a multicomponent ocean bottom node data set was collected by BP and BHP Billiton in the Atlantis field in the Gulf of Mexico. Our results are based on data from a few sparse nodes with millions of shots that were analysed as common receiver azimuthal gathers. A first‐order look at P‐wave arrivals on a common receiver gather at a constant offset reveals variation of P‐wave arrival time as a function of azimuth indicating the presence of azimuthal anisotropy at the top few layers. This prompted us to investigate shear arrivals on the horizontal component data. After preliminary processing, including a static correction, the data were optimally rotated to radial (R) and transverse (T) components. The R component shows azimuthal variation of traveltime indicating variation of velocity with azimuth; the corresponding T component shows azimuthal variation of amplitude and phase (polarity reversal). The observed shear‐wave (S‐wave) splitting, previously observed azimuthal P‐wave velocity variation and azimuthal P‐wave amplitude variation, all indicate the occurrence of anisotropy in the shallow (just below the seafloor) subsea sediment in the area. From the radial component azimuthal gather, we analysed the PP‐ and PS‐wave amplitude variation for the first few layers and determined corresponding anisotropy parameter and V_P/V_S values. Since fracture at this depth is not likely to occur, we attribute the observed azimuthal anisotropy to the presence of microcracks and grain boundary orientation due to stress. The evidence of anisotropy is ubiquitous in this data set and thus it argues strongly in favour of considering anisotropy in depth imaging for obtaining realistic subsurface images, at the least.     

Reliability of the automatic procedures for locating earthquakes in southwestern Alps and northern Apennines (Italy)

Reliable automatic procedure for locating earthquake in quasi-real time is strongly needed for seismic warning system, earthquake preparedness, and producing shaking maps. The reliability of an automatic location algorithm is influenced by several factors such as errors in picking seismic phases, network geometry, and velocity model uncertainties. The main purpose of this work is to investigate the performances of different automatic procedures to choose the most suitable one to be applied for the quasi-real-time earthquake locations in northwestern Italy. The reliability of two automatic-picking algorithms (one based on the Characteristic Function (CF) analysis, CF picker, and the other one based on the Akaike’s information criterion (AIC), AIC picker) and two location methods (“Hypoellipse” and “NonLinLoc” codes) is analysed by comparing the automatically determined hypocentral coordinates with reference ones. Reference locations are computed by the “Hypoellipse” code considering manually revised data and tested using quarry blasts. The comparison is made on a dataset composed by 575 seismic events for the period 2000–2007 as recorded by the Regional Seismic network of Northwestern Italy. For P phases, similar results, in terms of both amount of detected picks and magnitude of travel time differences with respect to manual picks, are obtained applying the AIC and the CF picker; on the contrary, for S phases, the AIC picker seems to provide a significant greater number of readings than the CF picker. Furthermore, the “NonLinLoc” software (applied to a 3D velocity model) is proved to be more reliable than the “Hypoellipse” code (applied to layered 1D velocity models), leading to more reliable automatic locations also when outliers (wrong picks) are present.     

Velocity model estimation for depth imaging: Comparison of three tomography methods on a 2D real data set

The estimation of velocity models is still crucial in seismic reflection imaging as it controls the quality of the depth‐migrated image, which is the basis of geological interpretation. Among the numerous existing methods for velocity determination, tomographic methods are very attractive for their efficiency and ability to retrieve heterogeneities of the medium. We present three tomographic methods in order to estimate heterogeneous velocity models from 2D prestack PP reflection data: a traveltime tomography in the time‐migrated domain, a traveltime and slope tomography in the non‐migrated time domain, and a slope tomography in the depth‐migrated domain. The first method (traveltime tomography in the time domain) is based on continuous picked events, whereas the two slope tomographic methods, one in the time domain and the other in the depth domain, are based on locally coherent events, with no assumptions about reflector geometry or the unknown velocity field. The purpose of this paper is not to describe in detail the theoretical basis and implementation of the methods, but to apply and compare their output using the same marine real data set. Based on the estimated velocity models, the migrated images and the common‐image gathers from the three processing routes, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the methods are discussed. Finally, similarities are indicated and potential alternative approaches are proposed.     

Improved microseismic event location by inclusion of a priori dip particle motion: a case study from Ekofisk

Microseismic monitoring in petroleum settings provides insights into induced and naturally occurring stress changes. Such data are commonly acquired using an array of sensors in a borehole, providing measures of arrival times and polarizations. Events are located using 1D velocity models, P‐ and S‐wave arrival times and the azimuths of P‐wave particle motions. However in the case of all the sensors being deployed in a vertical or near‐vertical borehole, such analysis leads to an inherent 180° ambiguity in the source location. Here we present a location procedure that removes this ambiguity by using the dip of the particle motion as an a priori information to constrain the initial source location. The new procedure is demonstrated with a dataset acquired during hydraulic fracture stimulation, where we know which side of the monitoring well the events are located. Using a 5‐step location procedure, we then reinvestigate a microseismic data set acquired in April 1997 at the Ekofisk oilfield in the North Sea. Traveltimes for 2683 candidate events are manually picked. A noise‐weighted analytic‐signal polarization analysis is used to estimate the dip and azimuth of P‐wave particle motions. A modified t‐test is used to statistically assess the reliability of event location. As a result, 1462 events are located but 627 are deemed to be statistically reliable. The application of a hierarchal cluster analysis highlights coherent structures that cluster around wells and inferred faults. Most events cluster at a depth of roughly 3km in the Ekofisk chalk formation but very little seismicity is observed from the underlying Tor chalk formation, which is separated from the Ekofisk formation by an impermeable layer. We see no evidence for seismicity in the overburden but such events may be too distant to detect. The resulting picture of microseismicity at Ekofisk is very different from those presented in previous studies.     

Application of 3D stereotomography to the deep-sea data acquired in the South China Sea: a tomography inversion case

A 3D stereotomography algorithm, which is derived from the 3D Cartesian coordinate, is applied for the first time to the deep-sea data acquired in the LH area, South China Sea, to invert a macro velocity model for pre-stack depth migration. The successful implementation of stereotomography is highly dependent on the correct extraction of slowness components and the proper application of regularization terms. With the help of the structure tensor algorithm, a high-quality 3D stereotomography data space is achieved in a very efficient manner. Then, considering that the horizontal slowness in cross-line direction is usually unavailable for 3D narrow-azimuth data, the regularization terms must be enhanced to guarantee a stable convergence of the presented algorithm. The inverted model serves as a good model for the 3D pre-stack depth migration. The synthetic and real data examples demonstrated the robustness and effectiveness of the presented algorithm and the related schemes.     

A robust method for microseismic event detection based on automatic phase pickers

We present a robust method for the automatic detection and picking of microseismic events that consists of two steps. The first step provides accurate single-trace picks using three automatic phase pickers adapted from earthquake seismology. In the second step, a multi-channel strategy is implemented to associate (or not) the previous picks with actual microseismic signals by taking into account their expected alignment in all the available channels, thus reducing the false positive rate. As a result, the method provides the number of declared microseismic events, a confidence indicator associated with each of them, and the corresponding traveltime picks. Results using two field noisy data records demonstrate that the automatic detection and picking of microseismic events can be carried out with a relatively high confidence level and accuracy.     

Frequency-dependent PP and PS reflection coefficients in fractured media

When a porous layer is permeated by mesoscale fractures, wave-induced fluid flow between pores and fractures can cause significant attenuation and dispersion of velocities and anisotropy parameters in the seismic frequency band. This intrinsic dispersion due to fracturing can create frequency-dependent reflection coefficients in the layered medium. In this study, we derive the frequency-dependent PP and PS reflection coefficients versus incidence angle in the fractured medium. We consider a two-layer vertical transverse isotropy model constituted by an elastic shale layer and an anelastic sand layer. Using Chapman's theory, we introduce the intrinsic dispersion due to fracturing in the sand layer. Based on the series coefficients that control the behaviour of velocity and anisotropy parameters in the fractured medium at low frequencies, we extend the conventional amplitude-versus-offset equations into frequency domain and derive frequency-dependent amplitude-versus-offset equations at the elastic–anelastic surface. Increase in fracture length or fracture density can enlarge the frequency dependence of amplitude-versus-offset attributes of PP and PS waves. Also, the frequency dependence of magnitude and phase angle of PP and PS reflection coefficients increases as fracture length or fracture density increases. Amplitude-versus-offset type of PP and PS reflection varies with fracture parameters and frequency. What is more, fracture length shows little impact on the frequency-dependent critical phase angle, while the frequency dependence of the critical phase angle increases with fracture density.     

Sensitivity of the elastic anisotropy and seismic reflection amplitude of the Eagle Ford Shale to the presence of kerogen

The Eagle Ford Shale of Central and South Texas is currently of great interest for oil and gas exploration and production. Laboratory studies show that the Eagle Ford Shale is anisotropic, with a correlation between anisotropy and total organic carbon. Organic materials are usually more compliant than other minerals present in organic‐rich shales, and their shapes and distribution are usually anisotropic. This makes organic materials an important source of anisotropy in organic‐rich shales. Neglecting shale anisotropy may lead to incorrect estimates of rock and fluid properties derived from inversion of amplitude versus offset seismic data. Organic materials have a significant effect on the PP and PS reflection amplitudes from the Austin Chalk/Upper Eagle Ford interface, the Upper Eagle Ford/Lower Eagle Ford interface, and the Lower Eagle Ford/Buda Limestone interface. The higher kerogen content of the Lower Eagle Ford compared with that of the Upper Eagle Ford leads to a negative PP reflection amplitude that dims with offset, whereas the PS reflection coefficient increases in magnitude with increasing offset. The PP and PS reflection coefficients at the Austin Chalk/Upper Eagle Ford interface, the Upper Eagle Ford/Lower Eagle Ford interface, and the Lower Eagle Ford/Buda Limestone interface all increase in magnitude with increasing volume fraction of kerogen.     

3D description and inversion of reflection moveout of PS‐waves in anisotropic media

Common‐midpoint moveout of converted waves is generally asymmetric with respect to zero offset and cannot be described by the traveltime series t²(x²) conventionally used for pure modes. Here, we present concise parametric expressions for both common‐midpoint (CMP) and common‐conversion‐point (CCP) gathers of PS‐waves for arbitrary anisotropic, horizontally layered media above a plane dipping reflector. This analytic representation can be used to model 3D (multi‐azimuth) CMP gathers without time‐consuming two‐point ray tracing and to compute attributes of PS moveout such as the slope of the traveltime surface at zero offset and the coordinates of the moveout minimum. In addition to providing an efficient tool for forward modelling, our formalism helps to carry out joint inversion of P and PS data for transverse isotropy with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI media). If the medium above the reflector is laterally homogeneous, P‐wave reflection moveout cannot constrain the depth scale of the model needed for depth migration. Extending our previous results for a single VTI layer, we show that the interval vertical velocities of the P‐ and S‐waves (V_P0 and V_S0) and the Thomsen parameters ε and δ can be found from surface data alone by combining P‐wave moveout with the traveltimes of the converted PS(PSV)‐wave. If the data are acquired only on the dip line (i.e. in 2D), stable parameter estimation requires including the moveout of P‐ and PS‐waves from both a horizontal and a dipping interface. At the first stage of the velocity‐analysis procedure, we build an initial anisotropic model by applying a layer‐stripping algorithm to CMP moveout of P‐ and PS‐waves. To overcome the distorting influence of conversion‐point dispersal on CMP gathers, the interval VTI parameters are refined by collecting the PS data into CCP gathers and repeating the inversion. For 3D surveys with a sufficiently wide range of source–receiver azimuths, it is possible to estimate all four relevant parameters (V_P0, V_S0, ε and δ) using reflections from a single mildly dipping interface. In this case, the P‐wave NMO ellipse determined by 3D (azimuthal) velocity analysis is combined with azimuthally dependent traveltimes of the PS‐wave. On the whole, the joint inversion of P and PS data yields a VTI model suitable for depth migration of P‐waves, as well as processing (e.g. transformation to zero offset) of converted waves.     

横向各向同性介质中地震波速度分析及其意义

在地震学有关领域中，地下介质的薄互层特性与裂隙的定向人布在长波长假设下会产生等效的地震各向异性特性，地震波速度随传播方向和深度发生的变化引起了广大地球物理工作者的广泛兴趣，因为速度拾取的正确与否，会直接影响到油气勘探中动校、偏移、ＡＶＯ和时深转换的结果。本文着重讨论了传统速度分析的局限性，分析了薄互层引起的横向各向同性介质中速度分析的现状和结果，实例讨论了各向异性效应对偏移处理的影响，表明各向异性     

天然地震转换波偏移成像方法

当地震波在层状介质中传播,P波通过速度界面时,会产生PP型折射波和PS型折射转换波．本文利用PS转换波与初至P波的到时差,提出一种不需要拾取P波和转换波震相的转换界面偏移成像方法．文中对三种不同的理论模型,在正演计算的基础上,采用了上述方法进行数值计算,计算结果表明,这种方法能够确定转换界面的位置和形态．这一方法的实现将有利于利用天然地震资料研究地球深部结构。     

The effects of near-surface conditions on anisotropy parameter estimations from 4C seismic data

We present a study of anisotropic parameter estimation in the near‐surface layers for P‐wave and converted‐wave (C‐wave) data. Near‐surface data is affected by apparent anisotropy due to a vertical velocity compaction gradient. We have carried out a modelling study, which showed that a velocity gradient introduces apparent anisotropy into an isotropic medium. Thus, parameter estimation will give anomalous values that affect the imaging of the target area. The parameter estimation technique is also influenced by phase reversals with diminishing amplitude, leading to erroneous parameters. In a modelling study using a near‐surface model, we have observed phase reversals in near‐surface PP reflections. The values of the P‐wave anisotropy parameter η estimated from these events are about an order of magnitude larger than the model values. Next, we use C‐wave data to estimate the effect of anisotropy (χ) and compute η from these values. These calculated η‐values are closer to the model values, and NMO correction with both η‐values shows a better correction for the calculated value. Hence, we believe that calculating η from χ gives a better representation of the anisotropy than picked η from the P‐wave. Finally, we extract the anisotropy parameters η and χ from real data from the Alba Field in the North Sea. Comparing the results with reference values from a model built according to well‐log, VSP and surface data, we find that the parameters show differences of up to an order of magnitude. The η‐values calculated from the C‐wave anisotropy parameter χ fit the reference values much better and show values of the same order of magnitude.