Mitchum et al.

, 1977b

AAPG©1977 reprinted with permission of the AAPG

whose permission is required for further use.

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Basic Exploration Workflow
Identify
Opportunities
Capture
Prime Areas
Acquire
Seismic Data
Drill
Process
Wildcats
Seismic Data
Interpret
Seismic Data Failure Success
Assess
Prospects Confirmation
Well

Economic Uneconomic
Success
Analysis
To D/P
Drop
Prospect
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‘04
The Seismic Method

Energy An Explosion!
Source .4 s Listening Devices
.8 s .1
.2
0
.3
.4
.5
.6
.7
.8
0 sss

Some Energy is Reflected

Most Energy is Transmitted

Some Energy is Reflected

Most Energy is Transmitted

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Raw Seismic Data

Device Device
#1 #2 For the explosion we just considered ...
Time

0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4 Listening device #1 records a reflection
0.5 starting at 0.4 seconds
0.6
0.7
0.8 Listening device #2 records a reflection
starting at 0.8 seconds

To Image the Subsurface, We Use Many Shots (explosions)

and Many Receivers (listening devices)
Arranged in Lines either on Land or Offshore
Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method
‘04
Seismic Acquisition

• A 3D survey is designed based on:

– Imaging Objectives: image area, target depth, dips, velocity,
size/thickness of bodies to be imaged, etc.
– Survey Parameters: survey area, fold, offsets, sampling,
shooting direction, etc.
– Balance between Data Quality & $$$$$

Land Operations Marine Operations

Vibrators Generate a Disturbance Air Guns Generate a Disturbance
Geophones Detect Motion Hydrophones Detect Pressure
Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method
‘04
Raw Data - Marine

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Seismic Processing

Data Processing
Stream

Field Record
(marine)
Subsurface ‘Image’
Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method
‘04
Shot Gather
For Shot 1
Source Receivers
Direct Arrival Offset (Distance)
S1
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5

1
Direct Arrival

2 Way Travel Time

2
Reflections
3

For each shot, reflections are

recorded in 5 receivers Reflection

There are 5 ‘bounce’ points

along interface 3

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Common Midpoint Gather
For Point A
Sources Receivers
CMP Gather
S5 S4 S3 S2 S1 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5

We sort the shot-receiver pairs so

that data from the same ‘bounce’
point (e.g., at ‘A’) is captured

CMP = common mid point Offset Distance

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
CMP Gather

CMP Gather

The travel times differ since

the path for a near offset trace
is less than the path for a far
offset trace

With the correct velocity, we

can correct for the difference
in travel time for each trace.

The curvature of this hyperbola is a

function of the average velocity
down to the depth of the reflection
Offset Distance

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
With Correct Velocity, Gather is Flat

CMP Gather

Velocity
Curves
Too Slow Down

Velocity Flat
Correct

Velocity Curves
Up
Too Fast
Offset Distance

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
A Stacked Trace
CMP Gather Moveout Corrected Stacked
Midpoint Gather Trace We stack several
offset traces
(# traces = fold)

The geologic
‘signal’ will be
additive

The random
‘noise’ will tend
to cancel

Stacking greatly
improves S/N
Offset Distance
10 Fold (signal-to-noise)

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Positioning Problems
Energy
Source
 

0.4 s -

Bounce
Point

The reflection is
The seismic ray hits an inclined displayed beneath the
surface at 90º and reflects back source-receiver midpoint

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Time for an Exercise

1 2 3 4 5 6

     

90º

Where would the reflection lie?

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Time for an Exercise

1 2 3 4 5 6

     

Compass

Where would the reflection lie?

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Time for an Exercise

1 2 3 4 5 6

     

Where would the reflection lie?

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Exercise Answer

1 2 3 4 5 6

     

The reflection is downdip and its

dip is less than the interface

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Migration – Correcting for Location
Unmigrated energy on single trace... S R

Sweep Ellipse

S R

...spread to all possible locations of origin

Sweep Ellipse

S R

Sweep Ellipse

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Migration – Power of Correlation

Two reflections on unmigrated data After spreading to all possible locations

Reflections are not positioned Constructive interference occurs

in the subsurface correctly where the reflections are properly
since they have dip positioned
Destructive interference dominates
where the reflections are NOT
properly positioned

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Seismic Migration

Unmigrated Image

Positioning
Problems ‘Blur’
the Image

Migrated Image

Migration Reduces
Positioning
Problems, which
Improves the
Image

Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method

‘04
Seismic Interpretation
Mitchum et al., 1977

AAPG©1977 reprinted with permission of the AAPG

whose permission is required for further use.

Determine the local geology from the subsurface images

• Map faults and other structural features
• Map unconformities and other major stratal surfaces
• Interpret depositional environments
• Infer lithofacies from reflection patterns & velocities
• Predict ages of stratal units
• Examine elements of the HC systems
Courtesy of ExxonMobil F W Schroeder L 5 – Seismic Method
‘04