Depth Conversion Methods

& Petrel Workflows

Course Information

Alan Atkinson
March 2016

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd
 Course Description

• ‘Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel

Workflows’ is a 5 day classroom course
comprising 50% exercises, 50% lecture
– It is based on a highly successful depth
conversion course which was delivered 32
times between 2009-2015

• All techniques are worked through in Petrel

exercises, fully documented in a 200 page
Petrel workflows manual
– The Petrel specific course was delivered a
further eleven times between 2011-2014

• It is an ‘interpreters’ course, including

hands-on practice and theory
– Depth conversion is treated as part of the
interpretation process, beginning with
synthetics, leading up to volumetrics/well
planning
– Recognising and dealing with geological and
geophysical pitfalls is emphasised

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 2
 Course Description

• Well and seismic velocity data analysis is

comprehensively covered
TVD
– Skills are first learned independent of
software platform
– Techniques are then put into practice
using Excel and Petrel
– Novel Petrel workflows have been
devised for this course TWT
TVD

• Choosing an approach to depth

conversion and implementing the
techniques are taught: attendees leave
with
– Experience of implementing depth TWT
conversion and with skills ready to
apply on current projects
– with improved Petrel skills
– A course manual and a detailed Petrel
workflows reference manual
– Spreadsheets to aid velocity analysis

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 3
Course agenda (longer Petrel exercises highlighted)

Monday 1. Introduction
2. Geological factors influencing velocity
3. Sources of velocity data and their problems
4. Synthetic seismograms and time-depth relationships
Tuesday 5. Analysing velocity data
6. Velocity model building methods
Wednesday
Petrel ‘Make velocity model’ constant and mapped velocity
Thursday 7. The process of depth conversion
8. Tying to wells
9. Depth Domain Seismic
10. Quality Control: more tips and techniques
Petrel ‘Linear velocity model’ outputs
Friday 11. Dealing with Geophysical Pitfalls
Petrel ‘Linear velocity model’ parameters
12. Dealing with Geological Pitfalls
13. Quantifying uncertainty
14. Summary
Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 4
 Course Objectives (extracted from course manual)

• To give you the generic knowledge

and skills to perform a defendable
depth conversion with simple
software tools
– Excel and a mapping package

• To show you how Petrel can be used

for efficient depth conversion and
velocity analysis
– With the aim to put you in control of
the software, not the other way
around!

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 5
 Learning Outcomes

Attendees will be taught how to:

• review velocity data to determine best approach to depth conversion
• construct geologically reasonable velocity models and depth convert using seismic
and/or well velocity data
• create depth maps using geologically reasonable well tie techniques
• use sophisticated QC techniques to evaluate the impact of velocity models and well
tying
• recognise when vertical stretch depth conversion is inappropriate
• modify velocity function techniques when geological factors lead them to produce
incorrect results
• tie maps derived from interpretation of depth-domain seismic data
• implement these techniques in Petrel
• …and understand how Petrel uses velocity data and builds velocity models

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 6
Who should attend & brief Instructor Biography

Who should attend?

• Geologists, Geophysicists, and Technical Support staff engaged in producing
depth maps from seismic interpretations

Experience required?
• The Course can be undertaken by those who have no Petrel experience, but it
is better if students have at least been on an introductory Petrel course and/or
have had hands-on project experience

• The lectures are suitable for attendees with a wide range of experience, but
some exposure to interpretation is required to gain full value from the Course

• Those with limited interpretation experience, no depth conversion experience

and no Petrel experience will find the course demanding

The Instructor
• Delivery of the training course will be undertaken by Alan Atkinson, a
geophysicist with 28 years of international experience in the oil and gas
industry, including eight years teaching experience, and who is a member of
the SEG, EAGE, SPE, and PESGB

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 7
For more information on the

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows

training course, please contact:

Alan Atkinson

Via LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alan-atkinson

Web: www.aageophysical.co.uk

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 8
Petrel Workflows Manual

Workflow manual contents & exercises

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd
 Introduction

• A comprehensive manual documenting Petrel workflows

to implement the techniques described on the course is
provided

• Almost all of these workflows are worked through as

exercises in the class

• The workflow manual contents are shown below with

sections covered by exercises highlighted

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 10
 1 Introduction
Exercises
1. Introduction 5. Synthetics and calibration
1. Log editing
2. Petrel basics 2. Edit checkshots (not recommended)
1. Petrel 2014 User Experience 3. Calibrate sonic log
2. Windows & Panes 4. Create synthetic seismogram Ex4.2
3. Input data structure 5. Extract wavelet
4. Depth direction 6. Tie synthetic seismogram Ex4.5

3. Velocity log analysis 6. Formation interval velocity analysis

1. Calculate Vi from sonic log
Ex3.1 1. Introduction and interval velocity definitions
2. Optimise well section Ex3.4
2. Formation interval velocity in Petrel
3. Median filter a log Ex5.2
3. Formation interval velocity in Excel Ex4.1
4. Create a zone log Ex5.5
4. Formation interval velocity xplot Ex5.3
5. Multi-well log overlay display Ex5.4
Ex5.7 5. Formation interval velocity map
6. Create a zone log filter
7. Seismic velocity analysis
4. Checkshot analysis
1. Import & process stacking velocity point data
1. Loading checkshots
2. Formation interval velocity from seismic points
2. QC checkshot interval velocity points
3. Formation seismic interval velocity xplot
1. Create a Zmid attribute Ex5.9
2. Add zone log to checkshot velocity point data 4. Formation seismic interval velocity map
3. QC checkshot interval velocity log 5. Import & process stacking velocity cubes
Ex3.2
4. Setting TDR priority 6. QC seismic velocity cubes
5. Merging checkshots 7. Formation interval velocity from seismic cubes

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 11
 1 Introduction
Exercises
8. Depth Conversion & QC using Petrel mapping tools 10. Linear velocity depth conversion using Petrel
1. Tie time surface to wells & QC Ex8.1 Velocity Model Process
2. Linear Vi depth conversion Ex6.3 1. Introduction
2. Velocity Model methods Ex22
3. Blocky VINT depth conversion
Ex6.9 3. Linear velocity model outputs & QC
1. Calculate VINT using mid-point depth model
4. Linear velocity model parameters Ex23
2. Compute Vo from Vint data Ex8.3
5. Deep water bottom
4. Seismic VINT calculation QC
5. Seismic VINT smoothing using linear model Ex8.5
6. Seismic VINT calibration Ex6.13 11. Assorted workflow tips
1. Force vertical position
2. Create artificial surface
9. Depth conversion & QC using Petrel Velocity Model 3. Preserve gaps during Make/Edit Surface
Process 4. Create a point set for selected wells
1. Introduction 5. Create a velocity cube from a velocity model
2. Constant interval velocity model Ex6.6 6. Export surface along a line
7. Adding seismic to a well section
3. Time vs depth QC using profiles
8. Seismic depth to real depth
4. Tie depth surfaces to wells & QC Ex8.6
5. Mapped interval velocity model
6. Depth vs depth QC using difference grids Ex6.7 12. Data file formats
7. Depth vs depth QC using profiles
8. Domain conversion – time convert OWC/GWC Ex10.2
9. Defining your own velocity model Ex21

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 12
 Petrel Workflows Manual

Sample slides extracted from the manual

illustrating Workflow guidance and
exercise results

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd
 EXAMPLE EXERCISE RESULT: Optimise log correlation panel
Result of Workflows 3.4, 4.3

Filtered and unfiltered velocity logs …with checkshot velocities overlain

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 14
 EXAMPLE WORKFLOW: Single zone velocity log overlay
Extract from Workflow 3.6
1 3
• This displays the selected zone
for all wells with the zone
colour (1)

• Deselect ‘z’ in Global well logs

(2) in order to revert to
colouring by well (3)

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 15
 EXAMPLE WORKFLOW: Formation interval velocity map
Extract from Workflow 6.5

• To annotate well velocity, turn on the

point dataset and average velocity
attribute (1)

• In the data point settings, toggle on

‘Show’ (2) and select ‘Bold’

Change number of
decimal places in
settings of the
Geophysical
Template, Average 2
Velocity

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 16
 EXAMPLE WORKFLOW: Time vs depth QC using profiles
Extract from Workflow 9.3

• It is possible to toggle between time TVD

and depth domains (1) to review how

the depth conversion has warped the
time surface

• Alternatively both sets of surfaces can

be displayed on the intersection plane,
as shown on the following page
TWT

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 17
 EXAMPLE WORKFLOW: Linear velocity model parameters
Extract from Workflow 10.4

• ‘Optimise for estimation of k’

establishes the best fit gradient for all
wells, honouring the gradient of
individual wells
Velocity (ft/s) 0 Velocity (ft/s) 25,000

Optimised for estimation of k 0

i.e. Best fit gradient to individual wells,

but optimised for all wells

Not optimised for estimation of k

i.e. Best fit gradient to all data points

Petrel help:

Depth (ft)

Depth (ft)
10,000

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 18
 EXAMPLE WORKFLOW: Linear velocity model outputs & QC
Extract from Workflow 10.3
• ‘Velocity logs’ gives synthetic logs derived from the velocity model
• QC the velocity model by overlying output logs on the input data
• The TDR data (rather than raw Vi logs) should be displayed to make the comparison
valid, as it is the TDR data that has been used to calculate k

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 19
 EXAMPLE WORKFLOW: Linear velocity model outputs & QC
Extract from Workflow 10.3

• Velocity-depth functions
derived from the TDR for
each zone are output in
‘QC data’ on the models
tab
• These can be displayed
in a function window and
overlain on the input
data to QC the k & Vo
calculation (WF3.5,6)

Depth Conversion Methods & Petrel Workflows © 2016 Alan Atkinson, AA Geophysical Ltd 20