TG-4264

Seismic Inversion for

Reservoir
Characterization
Factor that change the amplitudes of seismic
trace can be grouped into the earth effects, acquisition-
related effects, and noise (Dey-Sarkar et al, 1986) + processing
induced artifacts (Satinder Chopra, 2005).

Earth effects include spherical divergence, absorption,

transmission losses, inter-bed multiples, converted phases, tuning,
anisotropy, and structure.

Acquisition-related effects include source and receiver coupling

variations, lateral changes in weathered layer properties, source
and receiver arrays, and receiver sensitivity. Noise can be
ambient or source-generated, coherent or random.

Processing attempts to compensate for or remove the above

effects and can, in the process, change relative trace amplitudes.
Factors affecting amplitudes are shown in red for the sources,
and green for those in the earth. Numbers refer to Table below.
Factors affecting amplitudes are shown in blue for the
receivers, and violet for the recording systems. Numbers refer
to Table below.
Simplified Preserved Amplitude Processing for AVO Analysis

Figure 1. Processing flow chart used by Allen and

Peddy (1993). This processing flow will not always
produce attractive CMP gathers, but data veracity
should be maintained. If a seismic data set requires
more extensive processing in order to image the
target horizon, then AVO analysis for prospect risk
evaluation may be unreliable. Coherency
enhancement and the creation of super-gathers are
optional and should be applied only when data
quality is poor. (Allen & Peddy, 1993)

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AVO
 Preserved Amplitude Processing for AVO Analysis

AVO Processing should preserve or restore relative trace

amplitude within CMP gathers.

Reflections must be correctly positioned in the subsurface.

Data quality should be sufficient to ensure that reflection
amplitudes contain information about reflection coefficients.

The production of AVO interpretation aids is also a part of AVO

processing. An AVO interpretation is only as good as the
seismic processing behind it.

Aspects of processing important to AVO analysis are preserving

relative trace amplitude, correctly positioning reflectors,
improving data quality, and producing interpretation aids such
as specialized AVO display.

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“The ultimate goal in preserved
amplitude seismic processing is
to yield amplitudes that are a
measure of reflectivity in the
subsurface”.

s(t) = w(t) * r(t) + n(t)

Seismic Seismic Seismic Seismic
amplitude Wavelet reflectivity noises

15
Reflectivity Acoustic
Impedance
“The ultimate goal in preserved
amplitude seismic processing is
to yield amplitudes that are a
measure of reflectivity in the
subsurface”.

s(t) = w(t) * r(t) + n(t)

Seismic Seismic Seismic Seismic
amplitude Wavelet reflectivity noises

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  VP   VS
R(  )  a b c
VP  VS
Aki-Richard’s Approximation

R(  )  A  B sin 2   C tan 2  sin 2 

Wiggin’s Approximation

 1  2  
B  A  D  2( 1  D )   ( 1   )2
AVO/ AVA Amplitude  1 
versus Offset/ Angle Shuey’s Equation
 +
Receiver and
Recording
System’s
Source and
effects
Earth’s
effects
Pre-Stack

Post-Stack

Simplified Preserved
Amplitude
Processing
S(t) = w(t) * r(t) + n(t)

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 x(t )  X ( )
Transform Fourier pair
The Band-Limited Effect
Original Seismic

Seismic Inversion Method

P-Impedance

From boundary properties into layer properties

 Forward Modeling

Inverse Modeling

38
Seismic Based Reservoir Characterization
What’s the differences between exploration
and reservoir geophysics ?
In exploration, we often require extrapolating well
data from far outside the area of interest, crossing
faults, sequence boundaries, and occasionally worse
discontinuities. The availability of “analogs” is an
important component of exploration, and the level of
confidence on the resulting interpretation is limited.

Reservoir geophysics assume that well control is

available within the area of the geophysical
survey, that well designed geophysical survey can
be conducted at a level of detail that will be
useful, and that some understanding of the rock
physics is available for interpretation.
Pennington, 2001
Key words in Reservoir Geophysics:
• Well control
• Rock Physics control
• Well designed and properly processed seismic data

Why?
• Quantify Seismic Interpretation
• Understand the links between geology and seismic
• Quantify Uncertainty
To discover and understand relations between
• Seismic Attributes and
• Rock and Fluid Properties

Seismic Rock and Fluid

Quantitative Properties
Attributes

Velocity, Impedance, Rock type, Mineralogy,

Reflectivity, AVO, Porosity, Pore Fluids,
Attenuation, Complex Saturation, Stress, Pore,
Attributes, Etc. Pressure, Temperature.
 Natural Flow of Thought

Preserved
Amplitude Data
AVO Analysis

AVO Inversion:
Seismic Complex
Attributes and Elastic (and Extended Elastic)
their derivatives Impedance Inversion;
Simultaneous Angle
Dependant Inversion; etc

Reservoir
Characterization
 AVO Analysis:
Rock Physics Basic; AVO Primer:
AVO Classification; AVO Attributes;
AVO uncertainties
 AVO Inversion:
LMR, Elastic (and Extended Elastic)
Impedance Inversion; Simultaneous
Angle Dependant Inversion; Density
Inversion; etc
Reservoir Characterization:
How to integrate the available information (wells and
seismic) to deliver integrated subsurface model for field
development using Amplitude versus Offset (AVO)
Modeling, Seismic Inversion including Simultaneous
Angle Dependant Inversion and Geo-statistical/
Stochastic approaches.
 PRE-STACK SEISMIC INVERSION and
NEW METHODS in SEISMIC INVERSION

• LMR Direct Inversion

• Elastic Impedance
• Extended Elastic Impedance
• Simultaneous Inversion
• Stochastic Inversion/ Bayesian Inversion
• Sparse-spike & Basis Pursuit Seismic
Inversion

49
“ Finding PLAY that PAY “
Seismic Data
Data Quality
Accurate Wavelet

Amplitude Velocity
Preserved Analysis

PS(T/D)M Partial Angle

Stacks
Understanding the limitations AVO/ Inversion
Methods
Well Logs
Reliability, Well
Editing, Calibration, Modeling calibrated

Petrophysical analysis, Rock Physics

Fluid substitution analysis

Understanding the expectations

Contemplate Please …
 also Contemplate that …

SEISINV-Course 2021
“Wish Us Luck …”
End of Slide