Quantitative imaging of the Permo‐Mesozoic complex and its basement by frequency domain waveform tomography of wide‐aperture seismic data from the Polish Basin

In this study we present the workflow and results of 2D frequency domain waveform tomography applied to the global‐offset seismic data acquired in central Poland along a 50‐km long profile during the GRUNDY 2003 experiment. The waveform tomography method allows full exploitation of the wide‐aperture content of these data and produces in a semi‐automatic way both the detailed P‐wave velocity model and the structural image (i.e., perturbations in respect to the starting model). Thirteen frequencies ranging from 4 to 16 Hz were inverted sequentially, gradually introducing higher wavenumbers and more details into the velocity models. Although the data were characterised by relatively large shot spacings (1.5 km), we obtained clear images both of the Mesozoic and Permian sedimentary cover. Velocity patterns indicated facies changes within the Jurassic and Zechstein strata. A high velocity layer (ca. 5500 m/s) was found near the base of Triassic (Scythian), which made the imaging of a deeper layer difficult. Nevertheless, we were able to delineate the base of the Permian (i.e., base of the Rotliegend), which was not possible to derive from conventional common‐depth‐point processing, as well as some deeper events, attributed to the Carboniferous. The sub‐Permian events formed a syn‐form which favoured our previous interpretation of a depression filled with Upper Carboniferous molasse. The validity of the waveform tomography‐derived model was confirmed by well‐log data. Forward ray‐tracing modelling and synthetic seismograms calculations provided another justification for the key structures present in the waveform tomography model.     

滨里海盆地东缘中区块盐下构造识别方法

滨里海盆地东缘中区块在下二叠统孔谷阶沉积了巨厚的盐岩层,由于盐层速度与围岩的速度存在很大差异,造成了下伏地层在时间剖面上存在上拉现象,形成了一些假构造圈闭或者使构造幅度发生变化,成为勘探陷阱.本文针对中区块盐下构造识别的难题,分析含盐盆地速度特征和盐下构造的影响因素,提出了正演模拟、基于地震叠加速度谱的变速成图和叠前深度偏移的识别方法.综合识别结果,并相互对比验证,最终消除盐丘造成的构造假象,有效识别了盐下构造,主要目的层的平均深度误差只有1%左右.上述方法对于解决含盐盆地地区以及速度横向变化剧烈区的构造问题具有借鉴意义.     

A STRATIGRAPHIC CASE HISTORY USING THREE-DIMENSIONAL SEISMIC DATA IN THE GULF OF THAILAND *

A three-dimensional marine seismic survey was conducted in the Gulf of Thailand to aid in the development of a gas field indicated by three wildcat wells. The results and interpretation reported previously demonstrated improved fault resolution and better structural definition. Five successful appraisal wells have now been drilled, and these show that most of the sands have limited extent. Widespread character changes in the seismic data also support stratigraphic variations in many of the sands. Several new methods of 3D stratigraphic interpretation have been developed while investigating the depositional history of this area. Anomalous seismic amplitudes, tied to sands penetrated by wells and mapped from Seiscrop^TM horizontal sections in time and depth, have indicated the distribution of bars and channels. Horizon Seiscrop sections, each sliced through a single bed, have been used to delineate these depositional features directly. G-LOG^TM sections, displaying seismic logs derived by rigorous wave equation inversion, confirm the existence of these features. Sands greater than 10 m thick have proved mappable.     

Successful sidetracking of a well onshore Germany by integration of 3D vertical seismic profiling technology – a case study

The exploration for and exploitation of deep Lower Rotliegend gasfields onshore in North Germany often suffers from poor surface seismic imaging. This is owing to the depth of the reservoirs and a thick and complex Zechstein salt overburden. RWE Dea conducted a 3D vertical seismic profile (VSP) survey in a low‐performing production well after the borehole was plugged near total depth. Our main objective was to improve the seismic image of the reservoir zone in the vicinity of the well to determine a new landing point for a planned sidetrack. Because acquisition was in a densely populated and also partially environmentally protected area, there were surface restrictions concerning source deployment. Additionally, due to the complex geological setting, we conducted two 2D VSP field tests and thorough pre‐survey modelling to achieve the best results in terms of seismic imaging, environmental impact and reasonable cost. Deformation bands in the drill core suggest that the initial well was drilled close to a major fault, which was regarded as the main reason for the disappointing production rate. Therefore, we put special emphasis on fault detection in our processing and interpretation. Our interpretation approach used an enhanced structural mapping workflow that helped to design a sidetrack. When the sidetrack was drilled two years later, it ended up being one of the most productive wells in the field.     

The influence of sea water velocity variation on seismic traveltimes, ray paths, and amplitude

The main factors affecting seismic exploration is the propagation velocity of seismic waves in the medium. In the past, during marine seismic data processing, the propagation velocity of sea water was generally taken as a constant 1500 m/s. However, for deep water exploration, the sound velocity varies with the season, time, location, water depth, ocean currents, and etc.. It also results in a layered velocity distribution, so there is a difference of seismic traveltime, ray paths, and amplitude, which affect the migration imaging results if sea water propagation velocity is still taken as constant for the propagation wavefield. In this paper, we will start from an empirical equation of seismic wave velocity in seawater with changes of temperature, salinity, and depth, consider the variation of their values, build a seawater velocity model, and quantitatively analyze the impact of seawater velocity variation on seismic traveltime, ray paths, and amplitude in the seawater velocity model.     

SEISMIC MIGRATION IN ELLIPTICALLY ANISOTROPIC MEDIA1

The study of wave propagation in media with elliptical velocity anisotropy shows that seismic energy is focused according to the horizontal component of the velocity field while the vertical component controls the time-to-depth relation. This implies that the vertical component cannot be determined from surface seismic velocity analysis but must be obtained using borehole or regional geological information. Both components of the velocity field are required to produce a correctly focused depth image. A paraxial wave equation is developed for elliptical anisotropic wave propagation which can be used for modelling or migration. This equation is then transformed by a change of variable to a second paraxial equation which only depends on one effective velocity field. A complete anisotropic depth migration using this transformed equation involves an imaging step followed by a depth stretching operation. This allows an approximate separation or splitting of the focusing and depth conversion steps of depth migration allowing a different velocity model to be used for each step. This split anisotropic depth migration produces a more accurate result than that obtained by a time migration using the horizontal velocity field followed by an image-ray depth conversion using the vertical velocity field. The results are also more accurate than isotropic depth migration and yield accurate imaging in depth as long as the lateral variations in the anisotropy are slow.     

Migration velocity analysis and waveform inversion

Least‐squares inversion of seismic reflection waveform data can reconstruct remarkably detailed models of subsurface structure and take into account essentially any physics of seismic wave propagation that can be modelled. However, the waveform inversion objective has many spurious local minima, hence convergence of descent methods (mandatory because of problem size) to useful Earth models requires accurate initial estimates of long‐scale velocity structure. Migration velocity analysis, on the other hand, is capable of correcting substantially erroneous initial estimates of velocity at long scales. Migration velocity analysis is based on prestack depth migration, which is in turn based on linearized acoustic modelling (Born or single‐scattering approximation). Two major variants of prestack depth migration, using binning of surface data and Claerbout's survey‐sinking concept respectively, are in widespread use. Each type of prestack migration produces an image volume depending on redundant parameters and supplies a condition on the image volume, which expresses consistency between data and velocity model and is hence a basis for velocity analysis. The survey‐sinking (depth‐oriented) approach to prestack migration is less subject to kinematic artefacts than is the binning‐based (surface‐oriented) approach. Because kinematic artefacts strongly violate the consistency or semblance conditions, this observation suggests that velocity analysis based on depth‐oriented prestack migration may be more appropriate in kinematically complex areas. Appropriate choice of objective (differential semblance) turns either form of migration velocity analysis into an optimization problem, for which Newton‐like methods exhibit little tendency to stagnate at nonglobal minima. The extended modelling concept links migration velocity analysis to the apparently unrelated waveform inversion approach to estimation of Earth structure: from this point of view, migration velocity analysis is a solution method for the linearized waveform inversion problem. Extended modelling also provides a basis for a nonlinear generalization of migration velocity analysis. Preliminary numerical evidence suggests a new approach to nonlinear waveform inversion, which may combine the global convergence of velocity analysis with the physical fidelity of model‐based data fitting.     

Velocity imaging by tau–p transformation of refracted seismic traveltimes

We present a new method for producing a ‘brute’ velocity image rapidly and automatically from traveltimes picked from densely sampled refraction data. The procedure involves imaging by data transformation from the time–offset domain into the tau–p (intercept–slope) domain, and does not include conventional modelling steps. Differences in apparent velocity and tau along reciprocal paths in the up- and downdip directions allow the estimation of the true velocity and geometrical position of the ray turning points. The tau–velocity–turningpoint (τ–ν–x) map distributes phases automatically on the basis of geometry and velocity to give a two-dimensional representation of subsurface structure. This map may be converted simply to depth and two-way-time images. Such images have potential for direct geological interpretation, for use as a starting model for seismic inversion, for superimposition on to conventional reflection images, or for input into prestack depth migration and other processing routines.     

Characterization of the shallow aquifers by high-resolution seismic data

We present the results obtained by processing high-resolution seismic data acquired along the spring line located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia plain (NE of Italy), in order to characterize an important multilayered aquifer. This system is made of an unconfined layer and, at increasing depths, of several confined aquifers of variable thickness and hydraulic permeability, mainly consisting of sand and gravel material. The main targets of this study are two shallow aquifers located at about 30 m and 200 m depth respectively. The seismic method is not frequently used for this type of study but in this case, it was considered a good tool due to the depth of the targets. The detailed velocity model we obtained reveals lateral velocity variations with a maximum value of 600 m/s. The higher velocities could be associated to layers that are confined aquifers; in fact, sand and gravel are characterized by higher seismic velocity compared to clay layers. Pre-stack depth migration using this velocity model gives a clear picture of the multilayered aquifer, highlighting lateral changes of seismic amplitude along the main reflectors. Finally, vertical variations of Poisson's ratio, computed by amplitude versus offset analysis, provide useful information about the petrophysical properties, such as the fluid content of the subsoil and lithologic changes.     

MIGRATION IN THE PRESENCE OF A RUGGED INTERFACE WITH HIGH VELOCITY CONTRAST*

In the western coal-mining area of Ruhrkohle AG, reflection seismic prospecting for the Carboniferous coal measures is severely impaired by structures with halokinetic features. These structures make the interface between Mesozoic and Paleozoic layers, i.e., the top of Zechstein in general, very rugged. Unfortunately the velocity contrast at this interface is very high in that area, the ratio of velocities being 1.5 to 2.0. Therefore, migration and stacking become a problem. Three types of migration are presented:

• 1 (f, x)-time-migration with vertical time-to-depth conversion as a second step.
• 2 Kirchhoff migration down to a level determined approximately by the highest points of the top of Paleozoics, i.e., 0.35 s, and Kirchhoff-downward continuation for all times exceeding 0.35 s. Intermediate static corrections for these latter times with subsequent (f, k)-time-migration and final vertical time-to-depth conversion.
• 3 Direct depth migration in the (f, x)-domain using three interval velocities.

In all cases an intermediate picking of the velocity interfaces is necessary. In case 2 this occurs at an earlier stage of the process than in case 1, and in case 3 at a still earlier stage. The results of the second and third migration procedures are superior to those of the first. Possibilities for misinterpretation of faults are reduced considerably when the second or third migration procedure is applied.     

Estimation of geological dip and reflector curvature from zero-offset seismic reflections in heterogeneous anisotropic media

Depth conversion of selected seismic reflections is a valuable procedure to position key reflectors in depth in a process of constructing or refining a depth-velocity model. The most widespread example of such procedure is the so-called map migration, in which normal-incidence, zero-offset (stacked) seismic data are employed. Since the late seventies and early eighties, under the assumption of an isotropic velocity model, map migration algorithms have been devised to convert traveltime and its first and second derivatives into reflector position, dip and curvatures in depth. In this work we revisit map migration to improve the existing algorithms in the following accounts: (a) We allow for fully anisotropic media; (b) In contrast to simple planar measurement surface, arbitrary topography is allowed, thus enlarging the algorithms applicability and (c) Derivations and results are much simplified upon the use of the methodology of surface-to-surface paraxial matrices.     

南海北部神狐海域天然气水合物分解的测井异常

南海北部神狐海域GMGS-1钻探揭示SH3井天然气水合物位于稳定带上部,厚度约为10 m.氯离子异常计算的水合物饱和度最高达26%,高水合物饱和度层出现高电阻率和低纵波速度.为分析该低纵波速度异常,本文基于简化的三相介质理论计算了饱和水纵波速度,在深度195 m附近,测量的纵波速度小于饱和水纵波速度.利用阿尔奇公式,基于原位温度、盐度、密度孔隙度和测量的电阻率,利用交会分析确定了该井的阿尔奇常数为a=1.1和m=2.3.基于该参数,利用阿尔奇方程计算的水合物饱和度占孔隙空间5%~20%,局部地层水合物饱和度达26.8%,在垂向上分布不均匀.由于钻探可能导致水合物发生分解而产生游离气,原位游离气和水合物分解产生的气体都能造成低纵波速度异常.由于地震资料采集在测井之前完成,利用不同速度制作合成地震记录并与地震资料进行对比,能够确定水合物稳定带上部的低速异常形成原因.     

Advanced three-dimensional seismic imaging of deep supercritical geothermal rocks in Southern Tuscany

The seismic K-Horizon is the key to gaining understanding on the deep supercritical geothermal rocks in Southern Tuscany. The K-Horizon is hosted in metamorphic rocks, which cause strong seismic wavefield scattering resulting in a poor signal-to-noise ratio. Our study aims to reveal high-resolution seismic images of the K-Horizon below a geothermal field in Southern Tuscany, using an advanced three-dimensional seismic depth imaging approach. The key seismic pre-processing steps in the time domain include muting a large amount of persistent noise based on the statistical analysis of the seismic amplitudes, and tomostatics technique to correct for static effects. We carried out seismic depth imaging using Kirchhoff Pre-Stack Depth Migration and Fresnel Volume Migration techniques. Each migration technique was tested with constant and heterogeneous three-dimensional velocity models. Due to the difficulties in determining emergent angles for this low signal-to-noise ratio data set, the migration results with the heterogeneous three-dimensional velocity model show less coherent reflections compared to the migration results using the constant velocity model. Both velocity models however lead to relatively the same structure and depth of the K-Horizon, indicating the similarity of the average velocities along the wave propagation paths in both velocity models. With both velocity models Fresnel Volume Migration yields the K-Horizon with better reflection coherency and higher signal-to-noise ratio than standard Kirchhoff Pre-Stack Depth Migration. Nevertheless, both migration techniques have been able to reveal the K-Horizon with relatively high resolution and provide a reliable basis for geothermal rock characterization as well as steering of the first geothermal well penetrating the K-Horizon.     

地震数据叠前偏移成像及其在浅层地震勘探中的应用研究

文中讨论了在浅层地震勘探中地质结构和构造的复杂性以及对浅层地震勘探成果要求精度较高的特殊性,指出了在浅层地震勘探中发展叠前深度偏移的重要性,并对相移法叠前深度偏移的基本原理和实现方法进行了详细论述,编制了相应的软件。通过使用该方法对 2种理论试验模型进行试算,获得的深度偏移剖面层位清晰,构造明显,较准确地体现了理论模型地质结构和构造的特征,效果良好。然后又使用实际浅层地震反射资料进行了叠前偏移计算,所得结果与已知地质结构和构造相吻合,也取得了较好的结果,证实了该方法及软件的可靠性和实用性,可用于实际浅层地震反射勘探资料的叠前深度偏移处理     

井间地震技术在松南油气开发中的初步应用研究

为了研究松南地区陆相砂泥岩薄互层储层岩石物性横向变化、微构造等对油气聚集的影响和探索利用高分辨率井间地震技术直接指示油气分布的可能性,开展了井间地震及地面小三维地震、VSP、测井等立体地震观测．使用了自行研制的井中炸药震源和常规地震记录仪器．采用层析成像方法、反射资料叠前偏移成像方法等对采集到的资料进行研究,得到了不同分辨率的地下构造和岩石物性信息,展示出不同方法技术在分辨薄储层能力上的差异．高分辨率的井间地震成果较好地实现了井间地层对比,查清了两井间储层横向变化和油气分布情况．层析速度与构造信息等的综合应用解释了两井油气产能差异的原因,建立了油气地质模型．所得成果显示出井间地震技术在油气开发中的潜力．     

TI介质局部角度域高斯束叠前深度偏移成像

各向异性射线理论基础上的局部角度域叠前深度偏移方法能够为深度域构造成像与基于角道集的层析反演提供有力支撑,但是对于复杂地质构造而言,高斯度叠前深度偏移在不失高效、灵活等特点的情况下,具有明显的精度优势.为此,本文研究局部角度域理论框架下的高斯束叠前深度偏移方法.为提高算法效率与实用性,文中讨论了一种从经典弹性参数表征的各向异性介质运动学和动力学射线方程演变而来的由相速度表征的简便形式,并提出了一种比较经济的各向异性高斯束近似合成方案.结合地震波局部角度域成像原理,讨论一种适合高斯束偏移的角度参数计算方法.国际上通用的理论模型合成数据试验表明：相比局部角度域Kirchhoff叠前深度偏移成像方法,本文方法具有更高的成像精度与抗噪能力,既适用于复杂构造成像,也可为TI介质深度域偏移速度分析与模型建立提供高效的偏移引擎.     

复杂构造地震波场分析(英文)

在我国的西部地区,地震波场十分复杂,信噪比低。本文采用波动方程正演模拟的方法研究复杂波场的形成原因。在模拟物性差异较大介质中的地震波场时,密度的影响不可忽略,因此,本文用含密度项的声波方程的交错网格有限差分法模拟地震波场并进行分析。设计了一个具有起伏地表、低速覆盖层和高速地层出露的复杂构造,从瞬时波场分布分析了形成复杂波场的原因。低速层对地震波场的影响明显,低速层中产生很强的槽波,低速层顶底形成的多次反射向地下传播又形成了复杂的反射波场。为了验证波场模拟结果的可靠性,对模拟波场用与正演模拟不同的算法进行叠前深度偏移,得到了与已知构造相同的偏移叠加剖面。