Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Hongwei Liu

Yi Luo

Mustafa Naser Al-Ali

Vincent Etienne

Lei Cao

Yan Wu

Yue Ma

Constantinos Tsingas

Tong Wang Fei

Song Han

Fuhao Qin

Yue Du

Xu Ji

Houzhu Zhang

Yang Zhao

Yujin Liu

Ferhan Y Ahmed

Philippe Nivlet

BingBing Sun

Mustafa Al-Ali

Mustafa N Ali

Luo Yi

A method is described that includes obtaining a multicomponent seismic data set for a subterranean region of interest and determining, using a computer processor, a PP stacked time-domain seismic image and a PS stacked time-domain seismic image from the multicomponent seismic data set. The method further includes transforming a recording-time axis of at least one of the PP stacked time-domain seismic image and the PS stacked time-domain seismic image to produce a pair of coarsely-registered PP and PS seismic images and filtering at least one of the pair to produce a pair of spectrally-matched PP and PS seismic images. Further, the method includes dynamically warping at least one of the pair of spectrally-matched PP and PS seismic images to produce a pair of fully-registered PP and PS seismic images.

Automatic image registration of multicomponent seismic data

Methods and systems for forming a three-dimensional ('3D') seismic image of a subterranean region of interest is disclosed. The method includes obtaining a seismic dataset a seismic trace for each of a plurality of pairs of one source and one receiver location and obtaining a 3D travel-time cube for each source location and each receiver location. The method further includes dividing the seismic dataset into a plurality of seismic subsets composed of set of source locations, set of receiver locations a seismic trace for each pair of source and receiver location and the 3D travel-time cube for each source for each receiver location. The method still further includes transmitting, to a random-access memory block of a computer processing unit the seismic subset, and forming a seismic partial image based on the seismic subset, and determining the 3D seismic image based on a combination of the seismic partial images.

Method and systems for computational efficiency 3D prestack Kirchhoff depth migration

A method may include obtaining seismic data regarding a geological region of interest. The method may further include obtaining a property model regarding the geological region of interest. The method may further include determining an adjoint migration operator based on the property model. The method may further include updating the property model using the seismic data and a conjugate gradient solver in a least-squares reverse time migration to produce a first updated property model. The conjugate gradient solver is based on the adjoint migration operator. The method may further include updating the first updated property model using a threshold shrinkage function to produce a second updated property model. The threshold shrinkage function comprises a sign function and a maximum function that are applied to the first updated property model. The method may further include generating a seismic image of the geological region of interest using the second updated property model.

Method and system for super resolution least-squares reverse time migration

A method for generating a seismic image representing a subsurface includes receiving seismic data for the subsurface formation, including receiver wavelet data and source wavelet data. Source wavefield data are generated based on a forward modeling of the source wavelet data. Receiver wavefield data are generated that compensate for distortions in the seismic data by: applying a dispersion-only model to the receiver wavelet data to generate a first reconstructed back-propagated receiver wavefield portion, applying a dissipation-only model to the receiver wavelet data to generate a second reconstructed back-propagated receiver wavefield portion, and combining the first back-propagated receiver wavefield portion and the second back-propagated receiver wavefield portion into the receiver wavefield data. The method includes applying an imaging condition to the receiver wavefield data and the source wavefield data and generating, based on applying the imaging condition, visco-acoustic reverse time migration (VARTM) result data.

Seismic imaging by visco-acoustic reverse time migration

Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer-readable medium to perform operations including: generating, using a source wavelet and a current velocity model, modeled seismic data of the subterranean formation; applying a pre-condition to a seismic data residual calculated using the modeled seismic data and acquired seismic data from the subterranean formation; generating a velocity update using the source wavelet and the pre-conditioned seismic data residual; updating, using the velocity update, the current velocity model to generate an updated velocity model; determining that the current velocity model satisfies a predetermined condition; and responsively determining that the updated velocity model is the velocity model of the subterranean formation.

High resolution full waveform inversion

A method of generating a four dimensional seismic signal based on multiple sets of seismic data representing a subterranean formation. The method can include generating a tomographic velocity model based on a first set of raw seismic data and determining at least one Green's function based on the tomographic velocity model. The method can include generating a first image of a target region based on the first set of raw seismic data and the at least one Green's function. The method can include generating a second image of the target region based on a second set of raw seismic data and the at least one Green's function. The first and the second images can be compared, and a four-dimensional seismic signal can be determined based on the comparison.

Unified continuous seismic reservoir monitoring

Techniques are described for generating seismic images based on pressure-shear (PS) wave information. Sensor data is generated by through seismic probing of an underground environment. The sensor data can include pressure (P) wave data. The sensor data is analyzed to determine PS wave data present in the sensor data. A CFP gathers spectrum is generated using the P wave velocity. An optimal curve through the CFP gathers spectrum is determined, and PS image(s) of the underground environment are generated by scanning along the optimal curve. The PS image(s) can be provided for presentation through interface(s). The generated PS wave images are correlated with P wave images, and can be plotted on the same coordinate system as P wave images.

Wave velocity determination for seismic imaging

A process for seismic imaging of a subterranean geological formation includes generating a source wavefield from seismic data representing a subterranean formation. The process includes generating a receiver wavefield from the seismic data representing the subterranean formation. The process includes decomposing the source wavefield to extract a source depth component and decomposing the receiver wavefield to extract a receiver depth component. The process includes applying a transform to each of the source depth component and the receiver depth component. The process includes combining the source depth component and the receiver depth component to generate an imaging condition. The process includes extracting a low-frequency term from the imaging condition to generate a wave-path tracking data, generating a wave path from the wave-path tracking data, and rendering a seismic image of at least a portion of the subterranean geological formation from the generated wave path.

Identifying geologic features in a subterranean formation using seismic diffraction and refraction imaging

Systems and methods for seismic imaging of a subterranean geological formation include receiving parameter data representing one or more parameters of a seismic survey, the seismic data specifying an incident angle and an azimuth angle for each trace of the seismic survey; determining a relationship between the incident angle and the azimuth angle for each trace and a location in a spiral coordinate system, and generating a weighting function for applying a weight value to each trace seismic data based on the incident angle and the azimuth angle associated with each trace; and determining a residual moveout value of the seismic data for each location in the spiral coordinate system by applying the weighting function to each; and generating a seismic image representing the residual moveout value of the seismic data for each location in the spiral coordinate system.

Identifying geologic features in a subterranean formation using angle domain gathers sampled in a spiral coordinate space

A method for computing amplitude independent gradient for seismic velocity inversion in a frequency domain includes receiving seismic data associated with a region. The region comprises one or more earth subsurface layers represented by a plurality of points, and each point is associated with a seismic velocity. Seismic velocities at the plurality of points are determined by iteratively updating the seismic velocities based on a plurality of gradient values, where each gradient value corresponds to a point and is determined by evaluating a gradient of an objective function at a location of the point. A seismic image of the one or more earth subsurface layers is displayed based on the determined seismic velocities.

Computing amplitude independent gradient for seismic velocity inversion in a frequency domain

Common transmission points can be used to monitor a seismic reservoir. First and second common transmission points (CTPs) are received. For each of the first CTP gather and the second CTP gather, the traces before the CTP can be aggregated, and the traces crossing the CTP can be aggregates. The aggregated before CTP traces from the first CTP gather can be compared with the aggregated before CTP traces from the second CTP gather to determine a first time difference. The aggregated cross CTP traces from the first CTP gather can be compared with the aggregated cross CTP traces from the second CTP gather to determine a second time difference. A third time difference can be determined based at least partially on the first time difference and the second time difference.

Seismic reservoir monitoring using common transmission points

In a general implementation, systems, apparatus, and methods for AVO of imaging condition in ERTM include the described system provides for an efficient and accurate vector wavefield decomposition with a corresponding modified dot-product imaging condition of ERTM by employing a modified AVO algorithm. In some implementations, the phases of source wavelet and multicomponent records are modified using a 1/&#x3c9;2 filter and the amplitudes of the extrapolated wavefields are scaled using &#x3b1;2 and &#x3b2;2, where &#x3c9;, &#x3b1; and &#x3b2; are the angular frequency, local P- and S-wave velocities, respectively. The results yield correct phases, amplitudes, and physical units for separated P- and S-mode wavefields. Divergence and curl operators may then be applied to the phase-corrected and amplitude-scaled elastic wavefields to extract vector P- and S-wavefields. With the separated vector wavefields, a modified dot-product imaging condition can be employed to produce PP and PS reflectivity images.

AVO imaging condition in elastic reverse time migration

A three-dimensional (3D) seismic data set is divided into a plurality of 3D source wavefield subsets, each 3D source wavefield subset is stored in an array element of an array. For each array element, the associated 3D source wavefield is decomposed into a smaller data unit; data boundaries of the smaller data units are randomly shifted; a folding operation and a sample operator is applied to the smaller data units to keep the smaller data units from overlapping; the folded smaller data units are smoothed to generate smoothed data; a quantization operation is performed on the smoothed data to produce quantized data; and the quantized data is compression encoded to generate compressed data. The compressed data associated with each array element is decompressed to generate a 3D seismic output image.

Compressing seismic wavefields in three-dimensional reverse time migration

A method of generating target-oriented acquisition-imprint-free prestack angle gathers using common focus point (CFP) operators includes receiving a plurality of seismic traces associated with a target point in a reservoir. A first angle domain common image gather (ADCIG) is generated based on the received plurality of seismic traces. A plurality of synthetic traces associated with the target point is generated. A second ADCIG is generated based on the synthetic traces. An enhanced ADCIG is generated using the first ADCIG and the second ADCIG.

Generating target-oriented acquisition-imprint-free prestack angle gathers using common focus point operators

A method of reducing surface-scattered noise includes receiving seismic data associated with a marine region, where the marine region includes an ocean bottom, a first zone including water above the ocean bottom, and a second zone including earth subsurface layers below the ocean bottom, and the received seismic data includes signals reflected from the earth subsurface layers and surface-scattered noise reflected from the ocean bottom and an ocean surface; determining a water velocity for the first zone; determining bathymetric values of the ocean bottom; based on the determined water velocity and the bathymetric values, determining a velocity model for the marine region; based on the determined velocity model and wavelet functions of seismic source signals, calculating the surface-scattered noise by solving a wave equation; and determining the signals reflected from the earth subsurface layers by subtracting the calculated surface-scattered noise from the received seismic data.

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Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Hongwei Liu