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Seismic Inversion

This document discusses seismic inversion as a tool for enhanced seismic interpretation and reservoir characterization. Seismic inversion is defined as the technique of creating an acoustic impedance model of the earth using seismic data as input. There are two main types of seismic inversion - post-stack and pre-stack inversion. Post-stack inversion includes bandlimited, model-based, sparse-spike, and colored inversion. Pre-stack inversion includes elastic, independent, simultaneous, and lambda-mu-rho inversion. Examples show how colored inversion and sparse-spike inversion can help complete horizon interpretation and identify lithology by attenuating seismic wavelet sidelobes. Seismic inversion provides constraints not available from direct seismic amplitude analysis alone.

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1K views14 pages

Seismic Inversion

This document discusses seismic inversion as a tool for enhanced seismic interpretation and reservoir characterization. Seismic inversion is defined as the technique of creating an acoustic impedance model of the earth using seismic data as input. There are two main types of seismic inversion - post-stack and pre-stack inversion. Post-stack inversion includes bandlimited, model-based, sparse-spike, and colored inversion. Pre-stack inversion includes elastic, independent, simultaneous, and lambda-mu-rho inversion. Examples show how colored inversion and sparse-spike inversion can help complete horizon interpretation and identify lithology by attenuating seismic wavelet sidelobes. Seismic inversion provides constraints not available from direct seismic amplitude analysis alone.

Uploaded by

TG
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Introduction to Seismic Inversion
  • Problems and Examples
  • Constraints in Seismic Interpretation
  • Understanding Seismic Inversion
  • Inversion Techniques and Flow
  • Definition and Types of Seismic Inversion
  • Practical Examples of Seismic Inversion
  • References
  • Conclusion

Seismic

Inversion
The Best Tool for Enhanced Interpretation and Reservoir
Characterization

by

Kunal Rathod
[Link] in Petroleum Engineering (School of Petroleum Technology, PDPU)
[Link] in Exploration Geophysics (Dibrugarh University)
1

Problem: 1

Interpret the
seismic section
TWTT
(in s)

H1 top
H2 top
H3 top

Fig. 1 This seismic section is from Mehsana-Ahmedabad block of Cambay Basin, India. The area was deposited
under deltaic environment. Horizon H1 and H2 has sandstone interbedded with shale but that signature is
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difficult to identify in seismic data.

Example: 2
TWTT
(in s)

Fig. 2 This seismic section is from southeast Asia and represents a sequence of sands and shales. The Yellow
horizon interpretation has not been completed. It is made difficult by the close proximity of events and the
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structure. (example from Pendrel J., Seismic Inversion The Best Tool for Reservoir Characterization)

Constrains in interpretation
with seismic amplitude
Seismic

doublet
No direct relation to the physical
property of the rocks
No lithological identification
Moreover, they are bandlimited (10
to 50Hz)

What is Seismic Inversion?


Seismic Inversion is the reverse of Forward
Modeling
Before understanding seismic inversion it is first
important to understand the Forward and Reverse
method.

Forward Approach
In simple terms its

Physical
Model

Data

Fig 3. Forward Approach [3]

Fig. 1 Forward Model


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Reverse Approach
Its exactly opposite to forward
model

Data

Model

Fig. 4 Inverse Approach [3]


7

Inversion Flow

PSTM
&
horizo
n

VSP
data

Inversion
Algorithm
Initial Impedance
Model

Sonic,
density
logs &
Formatio
n Tops

INPUT for PostStack Seismic


Inversion

Well Correlation
&
Calibration

Final Inverted
Impedance
Volume

Definition: Seismic Inversion


It

can be defined as the technique for


creating a model of the earth in the form of
acoustic impedance using the seismic data as
input is called seismic inversion. [2]

Seismic Inversion Types

Based on the nature of type of Seismic Data (i.e. if post-stack or pre-stack gather)
seismic inversion can be performed in 2 ways:

1.

Post-Stack Seismic Inversion

2.

Bandlimited Seismic Inversion


Model Based Seismic Inversion
Sparse-Spike Seismic Inversion
Colored Seismic Inversion

Pre-Stack Seismic Inversion

Elastic Inversion
Independent Inversion
Simultaneous Inversion
Lamda-Mu-rho Inversion

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Example 1

Fig. 5 Colored based inversion output of the seismic section shown in Fig. 1. The high
impedance shale are quite clearly observed in the section and are interbedded with midimpedance shaly sandstones.
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Example 2
TWTT
(in s)

Yellow Horizon
can now be
completed

Fig. 6 Sparse spike inversion of the data in Figure 2. It is a much simpler section due to the
attenuation of wavelet sidelobes. The completion of the Yellow horizon is now easy. The
low impedance region above the Yellow, in the middle of the figure has been interpreted to
be a valley fill.(example from Pendrel J., Seismic Inversion The Best Tool for Reservoir
12
Characterization)

References
1.
2.
3.

Pendrel J., Seismic Inversion The Best Tool for Reservoir Characterization, Jason
Geosystems Canada, Volume 26, Jan 2001, pp-03
Russell B.H., Introduction to Seismic Inversion Methods, Course Notes Series, No. 2 S. N.
Domenico, Series Editor, 1988, pp-1-2
CGG, Passion for Geoscience, Hampson-Russell: A CGG company, STRATA, link:
[Link]/e-learning/seismic/[Link]

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Thank You
Any queries or questions ?

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