Borehole Seismic Concept
Listen to the seismic event in quiet place!
I hear !
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What is Borehole Seismic
Survey? Downgoing Multiple
Direct Arrival
Reflected Upgoing Primary
Reflected Upgoing Multiple
Vertical Seismic Profiling : VSP
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Conventional Borehole Seismic Services
Zero offset VSP Offset VSP Walkaway
Checkshot Walkabove VSP
Receivers
Drill
bit
Horizontal Salt Proximity Drill Bit Seismic
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Zero Offset VSP - Applications
Source
Surface Seismic
Corridor Stack
Geophones
Depth (m)
Time (s)
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Checkshot Survey
Surface Seismic
Acoustic Impedance
Synthetic Seismogram
Borehole Seismic is a must to generate synthetic seismogram
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Offset VSP
Source Geophones
Surface Seismic
VSP image
Depth (m)
Time (s)
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Walkaway
VSP
Measurements
Geophone fixed in
the borehole
Multiple source
locations
Record reflection
around the
borehole
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Walkaway - Applications
Surface seismic
Geophones
correlation
Fault & dip
identifications
Anisotropy &
AVO analysis
Shear wave
analysis
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Seismic Events
1500m 1000m
2
5 9
10 1
3
11
6 8
v = 2000m/s 3 2
d = 2.2 g/cm3 1000m 5
10
4 7
8
v = 2500m/s 6
1 11
d = 2.2 g/cm3 1500m
9
v = 3000m/s 7
d = 2.2 g/cm3
Upgoing Downgoing
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Zero Offset VSP Processing
• Raw data to stack data
• Separation of upgoing and downgoing wave
• Deconvolution
• Corridor stack
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Processing Sequence
Field Data Load Median
Tape and Edit Stack Client
SRD, BPF, TAR Tape
Data Preparation Normalisation
Wavefield
Separation
Upgoing Predictive Downgoing
Wavefield Deconvolution Wavefield
Wave Shape
Deconvolution
Corridor
Stack
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before Stacking
• LQC
• Shot selection
• Hydrophone transit time picking
then,
• Stacking
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Hydrophones
1 Geophone
Level
Time
{
50 Ms
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Geophones
Time
{
100 Ms
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Mean Stack
Stack
First Break
3
Shots
2
Noise 1
Signal
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Median Stack
The median value
in each sample is selected.
The method only uses an
odd number of shots.
Median Stack
Mean Stack
Raw Shots
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Median Stack Result
Time
Depth
Vertical Geophone (Z)
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After Stacking before Wave Separation
• Spectral analysis
• Trace normalization
–to simulate downgoing waves of the same
amplitude arrive for all receivers
• Geometrical spreading correction
–to recover amplitude of later arrival
• Band pass filter
–to remove noise outside of signal range
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Normalization Result
Time
Depth
Vertical Geophone (Z)
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TAR / BPF Result
Time
Depth Power Spectrum
Vertical Geophone (Z)
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Processing Sequence
Field Data Load Median
Tape and Edit Stack Client
SRD, BPF, TAR Tape
Normalisation
Wavefield
Separation
Upgoing Predictive Downgoing
Wavefield Deconvolution Wavefield
Wave Shape
Deconvolution
Data Processing Corridor
Stack
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Wavefield Separation
Various methods exist
•Velocity Filter (mean or median filter)
•F-K Domain
•Tau-P Domain
•Hilbert Transform
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Velocity Filtering
A VSP is made up of two distinct wave types
One Way Time The downgoing waves
Downgoing Upgoing • The direct compressional signal
• A whole suite of events generated by
multiple reflections
Depth
• It can be quite long and
reverberatory in character
• Masks the other type, the upgoing
waves
The upgoing waves - the primary interest
• The complete downgoing waves being reflected at each acoustic reflector
• A whole suite of events generated by multiple reflections
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Velocity Filtering
•VSP traces are correctly normalized and had the TAR recovery
function applied
•The next task is to separate the two type of waves
•This is called velocity filtering because we are separating two
signals with different apparent velocities across the data array.
•The velocity filter technique is applied in three main stages
•Enhancing downgoing waves
•Calculate residual wavefield (Total - Down)
•Enhancing upgoing waves
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Estimation of Downgoing Energy
Estimate Downgoing Energy
•Subtract transit time to vertically
align all downgoing energy
•Apply median filter to enhance
One Way Time in-phase downgoing energy and
suppress all out of phase energy
Depth
•Shift each trace back to its
original one-way time
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Estimation of Downgoing Energy
Time
Depth
Downgoing Wavefield
Median Stack Traces
Aligned to First
Break
Aligned Enhanced
Downgoing
Wavefield
Vertical
Geophone (Z)
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Subtraction of Downgoing Energy
One Way Time One Way Time
Downgoing Upgoing
Depth
Depth
By subtracting the downgoing energy from the total wavefield, a residual wavefield is left, which contains background
noise and the desired upgoing wavefield
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Enhance Upgoing Energy
Add first break
Two-Way Time transit time to
vertically align all
upgoing energy at
it’s two-way time
One Way Time
Upgoing
Residual Wavefield after Subtraction of
Downgoing Wavefield Depth
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Enhance Upgoing Energy
Apply median filter
to enhance in-phase
upgoing energy and
suppress all out of
phase energy
Two Way Time
Depth
Enhanced Upgoing Wavefield
Add TT - Median Stack
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Velocity Filter
Wavefield separation requires a sufficient Relationship between wavelet frequency, seismic propagation
sampling of the seismic wave with depth velocity, and spatial wavelength.
One Way Time
Particle Velocity
A -1
in Subsurface
+1
Depth
If not sampled at a sufficiently small a
a
depth interval the risk of spatially aliased Maximum Frequency
contained in Wavelet
data exist. It is similar to frequency
Minimum Wavelength
b
aliasing of digital data b
Two samples per wavenumber are c c
required when sampling in depth. This
criterion is met when the depth interval d
satisfies the following relationship d
B
Z ≤ Vmin / 2fmax
The minimum wavelength occurs when the maximum frequency component of
Z = maximum depth interval between a wavelet travels through a depth interval where the propagation velocity
geophone positions allowed for the survey value has its minimum value.
This minimum wavelength , defines the spatial sampling interval as
Vmin = maximum velocity seen in the well Z <= / 2.
fmax = maximum frequency expected The data shown here are properly sampled in space since there are four
sample points within the minimum wavelength.
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Deconvolution
The function of deconvolution is to precisely improve the resolution capabilities of the upgoing wavetrain. There are two
types used in VSP processing :-
• Predictive deconvolution to remove near surface multiples
• Waveshape deconvolution to optimise the resolution characteristics of the source signature
Deconvolution filters are computed on the downgoing wavetrain and applied to both the downgoing and upgoing waves
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Deconvolution
Well
Long Mixed Short Separated
Signal Reflections Signal Reflections
2
2
1 1
Reflector 1
2 2
Reflector 2
Original Deconvolved
Signals Signals
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Deconvolution
Weiner Filter
S(t) F(t) D(t)
* Filter to be = Actual
Input
Signal designed Output Signal
A filter is constructed so that the d(t)
difference between solution and Desired Output
desired solution is minimised. Signal Frequency is kept the
same. The wavelet
shape is adjusted by
changing the phase.
S(t) F(t)= D(t)
*
d(t)
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Predictive Deconvolution
Surface
R0 = 1.0
500ft
Sea Floor
R1 = 0.3
1 +R12
Geophone Spike
Location 200ms -R1 Series
1st Order 2nd Order
Primary
Multiple Multiple
Convolution
xn with
Source Pulse
fm R1 1 Backus Filter
Filtered Output
yn = ∑ fm xn- m with
m Primary Only
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Predictive Deconvolution
Reflectors
of Unknown
Reflection
Coefficient
Primary 1st Order 2nd Order
Multiples Multiples
xn xn+p
xn
fm f1 1
fm
Prediction
p Distance
yn = ∑ fm xn- m Multiples Attenuated
m
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Predictive Deconvolution
Downgoing
Wavefield
with Multiples
Time
Downgoing
Depth
Wavefield
Autocorrelation
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Predictive Deconvolution
Downgoing
Wavefield
without Multiples
Time
Downgoing
Depth
Wavefield
Autocorrelation
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Predictive Deconvolution
Residual Upgoing Wavefield Add first break transit
time to vertically align all
upgoing energy at it’s
two-way time
Apply median filter to
enhance in-phase upgoing
energy and suppress all
out of phase energy Enhanced Upgoing Wavefield
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Wave Shape Deconvolution
Zero-Phase
Downgoing
Wavefield
Input xn Desired Output yn
Filter fm
Time Domain yn = ∑ fm xn- m (Convolution)
m
Aligned Downgoing Wavefield Frequency Domain Y() = F() X() (Multiplication)
Y()
F() =
X()
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Wave Shape Deconvolution
Residual Upgoing Wavefield Add first break transit
time to vertically align all
upgoing energy at it’s
two-way time
Apply median filter to
enhance in-phase upgoing
energy and suppress all
out of phase energy Enhanced Upgoing Wavefield
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Corridor Stack
Corridor Stack
Enhanced Upgoing Wavefield
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Borehole/Surface Seismic
Surface Seismic
Borehole Seismic
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Processing Sequence
Field Data Load Median Stack
Tape and Edit Bandpass Filter
Client
Tape
Normalisation
Amplitude Recovery
Wavefield
Separation
Upgoing Predictive Downgoing
Wavefield Deconvolution Wavefield
Wave Shape
Deconvolution
Corridor
Stack
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Predictive VSP results
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Summary of ZVSP Processing Steps
(1)
• Shots selection to reject noisy poor quality shots and editing of
individual shots. A consistency check is made of the surface
hydrophone signal as the quality of further stacking depends on
the proper synchronisation of individual shots.
• Mean or median stacking of individual shots. A check is
made of the coherence between a reference level and all others.
Phase shifts and acoustic impedance are monitored at all levels.
• Bandpass filtering is applied to remove noise and remove
aliased frequencies.
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Summary of ZVSP Processing Steps
(2)
• Amplitude recovery by a time-variant function to compensate
for spherical spreading. A proper gain function is essential for
the successful application of predictive deconvolution and
velocity filtering.
• Downgoing signal alignment, which is achieved by
subtracting the first arrival time from each trace. This is a
convenient way of checking the consistency of downgoing
breaks and the alignment of downgoing waves which are
crucial for subsequent velocity filtering.
• Velocity filtering to separate the upgoing and downgoing
components of the total wavefield. The filters used are less
sensitive to uneven vertical sampling and more tolerant to
changes in signal shape than standard f-k filters.
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Summary of ZVSP Processing Steps
(3)
• Autocorrelation of the downgoing wave after velocity
filtering in order to select the proper deconvolution parameters.
• Predictive deconvolution to remove multiples. Detailed
knowledge of the complete wavefield, which contains all the
multiples, allows the design of long and powerful operators. As
the downgoing wavefield is much stronger than the upgoing
one, better operators can be designed from the downgoing
waves. Long operators can be safely calculated because the
autocorrelation contains all the information about all the
reverberations. The design of the deconvolution operators and
its subsequent application are computed and applied to each
level separately. Autocorrelation to check effectiveness.
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Summary of ZVSP Processing Steps
(4)
• Waveshaping deconvolution for removal of source signature
effects and to improve the resolution. The deconvolved trace
can be transformed into either minimum or zero phase,
preserving the spectral characteristics of the predictive
deconvolution output.
• If required, automatic gain control and time variant filtering
can be applied to match the surface seismic
• Corridor stacking or transposed VSP : summing all the
upgoing waves recorded in window following the first break. A
window length of 100-200ms ensures that only the primaries
are displayed since only primary events reach the time-depth
curve.
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