Reservoir materiality bounds from seismic inversion

Abstract

A method including: obtaining geophysical data for a subsurface region; generating, with a computer, at least two subsurface property models of the subsurface region for at least two subsurface properties by performing an inversion that minimizes a misfit between the geophysical data and forward simulated data subject to one or more constraints, the inversion including generating updates to the at least two subsurface property models for at least two different scenarios that both fit the geophysical data with a same likelihood but have different values for model materiality, with the model materiality being posed as an equality constraint in the inversion, wherein the model materiality is a functional of model parameters that characterize hydrocarbon potential of the subsurface region; analyzing a geophysical data misfit curve or geophysical data misfit likelihood curve, over a predetermined range of values of the model materiality to identify the at least two subsurface property models that correspond to a high-side and low-side, respectively, for each of the at least two subsurface properties, with the high-side and low-side quantifying uncertainties in the subsurface properties; and prospecting for hydrocarbons in the subsurface region with the at least two models that correspond to the high-side and the low-side for each of the at least two subsurface properties.