Borehole Seismic Survey

1 Borehole Seismic Introduction

2 Borehole Seismic Tool and Acquisition
3 VSP Processing
4 Sonic Calibration and Synthetic Seismogram
5 VSP Examples

Kieu Nguyen Binh

HCMC-2010
 #1

Borehole Seismic
Introduction
What is Borehole Seismic Survey?
A VSP or Vertical Seismic Profile is the process of recording
seismic data in a wellbore environment.

Vertical Well Zero Offset VSP Survey:

 Seismic source near the rig (hang by crane)
 The geophones are vertical in the earth (borehole)
 At single geophone depth > Source fire > Geophone record signal
 Record for many geophone depth (VSP level)

The seismic ray paths (both direct and reflected rays) are vertical.
The direct ray (Downgoing) measures the time-depth information
The reflected ray (upgoing) gives a seismic image along the well
trajectory.
 Why run VSP? Well Logs
Surface Seismic Data
VSP

Reservoir
Time

Depth

Depth
Time

Question: Where is my reservoir top on my seismic section?

 VSP provides Time-Depth curve
 Seismic Signal in the Borehole

Airgun Source

Time

Single level Receiver

 Seismic Events

The total signal recorded by the geophone after each

firing of the gun is clearly very complex, containing a
large number of downgoing and upgoing (reflected)
signals.

5 9

2
10 1

Depth

9
11

11
6

10
v = 2000m/s 3 2
d = 2.2 g/cm3 1000m 1000m

8
4 7

5
8

7
v = 2500m/s
1
d = 2.2 g/cm3 1500m 1500m

v = 3000m/s
3
d = 2.2 g/cm
Time
Upgoing Downgoing
 One-Way Time vs. Two Way Time
Surface Seismic VSP TWT = OWT + TT
Time
Reflection (TWT)
TWT
Airgun Source

TT TT

TT TT

OWT OWT

Depth
 Downgoing vs Upgoing Wavefield Reflection coefficients

INCIDENT REFLECTED REFLECTION COEFFICIENT:

interface Z1 = rho1 x vel1

R= Z2-Z1
Z2 = rho2 x vel2
TRANSMITTED rho
Z2+Z1
(Vertical incidence)
Bulk density
vel Velocity
Z=rho x vel Acoust Impedance

REFLECTED AMPLITUDE = R * INCIDENT AMPLITUDE

Usual range within earth < 0.1
Examples
Water to Air : R= -1 Water to Limestone : 0.6 Shale to Limestone : < 0.1
Downgoing vs Upgoing Wavefield Relative Amplitude
Every level is a stack 3, 5 or more shots. More complicated example with
Stacking to increase the signal to noise ratio compressional and shear energy
 Borehole Seismic Survey Types

Ps
Pp

CHECKSHOT ZERO OFFSET WALKABOVE OFFSET WALKAWAY

or VI-VSP

CROSS WELL SALT

3D VSP
PROX
Checkshot Survey
Measurements:
 Geophone position in the borehole coarsely
- Small number of levels (50 to 100m level spacing)
 Measure travel time
- Waveform is not used

Applications:
 Time-Depth curve
 Formation velocity
 Sonic calibration -> Synthetic Seismogram (Geogram)
 Depth-to-Time conversion -> Well Tie
 Zero Offset VSP
Measurements:
 Geophone position in the borehole closely
- Large number of levels (15 to 20m spacing)
 Measure both travel times and waveforms

Applications:
in addition to applications of checkshot survey
 1D Seismic Response - Corridor Stack
- Calibration of surface seismic interpretation
 Look ahead (Over pressure prediction)
 Multiple pattern identification
 Q (attenuation) Estimation
 Phase analysis of surface seismic……..etc
Checkshot survey verses VSP survey
~ 100 m level spacing ~ 20 m level spacing
and key depth points

A checkshot survey is only interested

in the first break time.

VSP processing looks are the entire

waveform.
Checkshot
INTV = Delta Depth
verses VSP Delta Time

for Interval Velocity

VSP can give a higher

resolution interval velocity
curve, however, it is limited
by the transit time pick
accuracy.
Other VSP survey types
For a Deviated Well VSP (also known as a Vertical
Incidence VSP or VI-VSP), the ray path is also
vertical, so accurate OWT and TWT values can be
derived. It also gives a seismic image below the well
trajectory.

An offset VSP will have non-vertical ray paths. Non-

vertical ray paths are affected by refraction and
anisotropy. These effects increase with ray-path
angle, and are difficult to correct for. Offset VSP can
give a seismic image away from the well path.

If accurate time-depth data is required, the survey should

have vertical ray paths (VI-VSP or ZO-VSP).

The applications of Offset VSP and Walkaway VSP are

for seismic imaging. Additional applications for W-
VSP are anisotropy and AVO measurement. If these
surveys are done, then a VI-VSP or ZO-VSP are also
normally done in conjunction.
 Vertical Incident VSP
or Walkabove VSP
Sources As for Checkshot
WALKABOVE Depth Model survey
Depth (m)

Surface
Seismic

Independent Pp
& Ps Seismic
answer beneath
Geophones

the well

Multiple Pattern
Identification
Time (s) VSP
Image
Fault and Dip
Identification

…
Offset Source VSP
Surface seismic correlation Ps
 2D seismic image Pp

 Lateral extension of reflectors

OFFSET
Fault and dip identification
Shear wave velocities & imaging
Walkaway VSP
Measurements:
 Geophone fixed in the borehole
 Multiple source locations
 Record reflection around the borehole

Application:
 Surface seismic correlation
 Fault and dip identification
 P & S velocities and imaging
 Anisotropy and AVO analysis
 Surface survey design
Walkaway VSP

Common receiver gather

Common shot gather

One level with walkaway can give an image, but need at least 5 levels to do
up-down wavefield separation.
Typically use 8 or more simultaneous levels
 3D VSP
3-D VSP

3D VSP
Very High 3D
Well 1 Well 2 Sub-Surface Imaging
Resolution
Well 1 Well 2
Obscured areas
Surface
seismic 3D
PSDM All Walkaway
applications
3D-VSP Depth in a 3D sense
Migration

…
 3D VSP

80m

Profile Footprint at Target Plan View

Ekofisk 3D VSP Geometry circa 1994

50 “lines” and ~ 10,000 shots

 3D-VSP example (2005) Riglocation
Rig location

 13,400 shots
 Western Geco source boat
 Shooting every 10 secs at 5 knots
 3.2 km spiral
 3D-VSP and 7 Walkaway VSP lines in 48 hours
 Processing using Q-Borseis software
 P-wave processing delivered in 6 weeks
 Borehole Seismic Techniques
Wireline

 Data acquired during a wireline

logging operation.
– After drilling is completed
– During a bit trip
– Can be acquired inside drill
pipe
 Borehole Seismic Techniques
Drill Bit Seismic

 Service introduced in
the early 1990’s
 Uses the drill bit as
the energy source.
 Acquires checkshot
quality time-depth
information in real
time.
 Borehole Seismic Techniques
LWD Seismic
 Service introduced in
2000-2001
 Logging tool is in a drill-
collar to enable real-time
data acquisition.
 Transit-time data sent
up real-time with LWD
telemetry. The waveform
data is downloaded from
memory.
LWD Seismic Principle
Surface System

Surface source Source

Downhole receivers
Synchronized clocks MWD
Waveforms recorded in downhole memory sea floor

Downhole processing
Real-time check-shot via MWD telemetry
Memory data processing after tool pullout
SeismicMWD
Tool
VSP Advantage
 Record both downgoing waves and upgoing wavefield
- Surface seismic survey records only upgoing waves
 VSP records reflected waves in the downhole
 Processing can separate down and upgoing wavefield
 Frequency analysis with borehole depth
 Q estimation from downgoing wavefield
 Accurate Time-Depth relationship and Velocity data
 Primary reflected waves pass the surface weathered layer only once
- Less attenuated
- Higher frequency content than surface seismic data
- Better vertical resolution
 Multiples are identified
Why run VSP more?
Here are more questions that VSP could give answers:
 Is there faults near my borehole?
 How far my reservoir laterally extend?
 I want to make synthetic seismograms (sonic calibration)
 I want to make a velocity model at the well location
 I need information to better process my surface seismic data
 Is there over pressured zone below TD?