Acoustic impedance log obtained from seismograms

• US 4,488,270 A
• Filed: 09/15/1981
• Issued: 12/11/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exxonmobil Oil Corporation (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Ruehle, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moskowitz, Nelson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US06/302,289
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 367/46, 367/73, 367/75, 367/74, 367/38, 364/421
• US Class Current: 367/73
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/282 Application of seismic models, synthetic seismograms
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/306 for determining physical properties of the subsurface, e.g. impedance, porosity or attenuation profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/614 Synthetically generated data

Abstract

In seismic exploration, an improved synthetic acoustic log is produced from seismograms by combining band limited reflectivity and velocity functions, both of which are obtained from the seismograms. The reflectivity function is obtained by deconvolving the field seismograms, transforming the reflectivity function so obtained into the frequency domain, and filtering the frequency domain representation to suppress frequencies below the seismic band. The velocity functions is obtained by applying a velocity spectra technique to the field seismograms to produce an acoustic log, transforming the acoustic log into the frequency domain, filtering to suppress all frequencies in the seismic pass band and converting back into the time domain.

Claims

1. In seismic exploration wherein field seismograms represent the reflection of seismic energy received as a function of time at spaced locations along a line of exploration, the method of producing an improved synthetic acoustic log from said seismograms comprising:

deconvovling said field seismograms to form a reflectivity function;

transforming said reflectivity function into a frequency domain representation of reflection amplitudes as a function of reflection frequency;

filtering said frequency domain representation to suppress all freqencies below the seismic pass band whereby a band limited reflection function is formed;

generating from said field seismograms velocity spectra representing the signal power of said reflections as a function of acoustic velocity;

generating from said velocity spectra an acoustic velocity log representing the acoustic velocity of the earth as a function of time;

transforming said acoustic log into a frequency domain representation of amplitude as a function of frequency;

filtering said last named frequency domain representation to suppress all frequencies in the seismic pass band, whereby a band limited velocity function is obtained;

transforming said band limited reflectivity and velocity functions into the time domain; and

combining the time domain representations of said reflectivity and velocity functions to form a synthetic acoustic log.

2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising:

compositing said field seismograms to form a stacked seismic section representing the reflection of seismic energy as a function of said time and distance along said line of exploration; and

thereafter performing said steps of deconcolving, transforming and filtering to form said band limited reflectivity function from said stacked seismic section.

3. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising:

generating an average velocity log from said velocity spectra;

generating an interval velocity log from said average velocity log; and

thereafter performing said steps of transforming, and filtering to form said band limited velocity function from said interval velocity log.

4. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising:

integrating and exponentiating sand band limited reflectivity function prior to combining.