Reciprocal method two-way wave equation targeted data selection for improved imaging of complex geologic structures

• US 9,279,896 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conocophillips Company (ConocoPhillips)
• Original Assignee: Conocophillips Company (ConocoPhillips)
• Inventors: Cao, Jun, Brewer, Joel D., Mosher, Charles C., Eick, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Murphy, Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US13/482,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20130077440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/003 Seismic data acquisition in general, e.g. survey design G01V1/3808, G01V1/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/28 Processing seismic data, e.g. for interpretation or for event detection G01V1/48 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/345 Visualisation of seismic data or attributes, e.g. in 3D cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 20/00 Geomodelling in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/67 Wave propagation modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/673 Finite-element; Finite-difference
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/675 Wave equation; Green's functions
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/679 Reverse-time modeling or coalescence modelling, i.e. starting from receivers

Abstract

The invention relates to seismic imaging where complex geologies are likely to create data that is confusing or ambiguous for a conventional matrix of acquisition source points and receiver locations. With some understanding of the geological substructure, the acquisition source points and receiver locations that optimize the imaging may be found by using a reciprocal two-way wave equation propagation method coupled with a quality geologic model. With this, the acquisition source points and receiver locations that optimize the imaging may be selected and used to better resolve the substructure and avoid the inclusion of data that obscures understanding of the substructure.

Claims

1. A process for imaging seismic data for a prospect that exists within or near structures that obscure or complicate seismic imaging, where the process comprises:

a) constructing a first geologic model including information about the size, shape and depth of the obscuring or complicating structure along with a prospect location for further understanding;

b) identifying a set of seismic source locations within the seismic data along with seismic acquisition geometry for associated seismic receiver locations to be evaluated with the geologic model;

c) selecting a target on a geologic body for evaluation wherein the target may comprise a portion or an entirety of the prospect location;

d) selecting parameters appropriate for a two-way wave equation propagation of energy;

e) computing two-way wave equation for the wave propagation from the target point sources to the acquisition source and receiver locations;

f) from e) computing, using reciprocity, the energy arriving at the target from a selected acquisition source location and the associated attributes of the arriving energy at the target from the selected acquisition source location;

g) from e) computing, using reciprocity, the wavefield from the target to the receivers associated with the selected acquisition source by the acquisition geometry;

h) from g) computing the energy and the associated attributes received by the receivers associated with the selected source by the acquisition geometry;

i) repeating steps f) through h) for other sources in the selected acquisition geometry;

j) from the energy and attributes recorded in step f) creating attribute displays that provide visual perspective of one or more attributes of the energy propagated to the target from one or more acquisition sources;

k) from the energy and attributes computed in step h) creating attribute displays that provide visual perspective of one or more attributes of the energy associated with one or more acquisition sources propagated from the target to the receivers;

l) analyzing the attribute displays in step j) and step k) to determine the acquisition source/receiver pair information that will provide better imaging of the target; and

m) creating one or more geological images of the substructure using the acquisition source/receiver pair data identified in step l).

2. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a different set of acquisition source locations in step b) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

3. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting different receivers in step b) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

4. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting different source locations and different receivers in step b) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein

a) a second geological model is introduced into the process at step a) wherein the second geological model is an alternative interpretation of the geology around the target;

and

b) steps d) through m) are repeated and the images are compared to the images created by the process utilizing the first geological model.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein a second target is selected at a separate geologic body and the process is repeated for the second target.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the selected two-way wave equation parameters are altered and steps d), through m) are repeated.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein step j) further includes creating a map of the single source energy received at the target for each acquisition source.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein step j) further includes creating a map of the incident angles at the target of the energy for each acquisition source.

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein step j) more particularly includes creating a rose diagram indicating the energy received from a plurality of sources at the target where the rose diagram axes are created by the acquisition source to target azimuth and offset and the plotted attribute is the total energy received.

11. The process according to claim 1, wherein step k) further includes creating a map of the single acquisition source energy received by the receivers.

12. The process according to claim 1, wherein step k) further includes creating a map of the summed source energy received by the receivers and mapped as an attribute for the receivers.

13. The process according to claim 1, wherein step k) further includes creating a map of the summed energy received by the receivers for each acquisition source and mapped as an attribute for the acquisition sources.

14. The process according to claim 1, wherein step k) more particularly includes a rose diagram using the all acquisition source and receiver locations to establish the source receiver azimuth and offset plotting axis with the attribute plotted being the total energy received at the acquisition surface by the source and receiver coordinate pair.

15. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a single frequency in step d) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

16. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a set of discrete frequencies in step d) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

17. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a frequency range in step d) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

18. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a set of acquisition source locations on one surface above the target and a second set of acquisition source locations on a second surface above the target in step b) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

19. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a set of acquisition source locations located on one surface above the target and a set of receiver locations located on a second different surface above the target in step b) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

20. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting receivers located on one above the target and a second set of receiver locations located on a second surface above the target in step b) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

21. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting acquisition source locations and receivers located on one surface above the target and a second set located on a second surface above the target in step b) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

22. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting multiple sets of acquisition source locations located on multiple surfaces above the target in step b) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

23. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting multiple sets of receivers located on multiple surfaces above the target in step b) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.

24. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting multiple sets of acquisition source locations and receivers located on multiple surfaces above the target in step b) and repeating steps e) through m) and comparing the resulting attribute displays and/or resulting geological images.