GLOBE Claritas™

Seismic Imaging in GLOBE Claritas

VELSECT : Automatic Velocities

• High Density Velocity Analysis

– Picks made at every CDP, approx every 60ms
– Optionally constrained by top and base horizons
• Automatic Analysis
– Picked on high fidelity semblance spectra
– Spectra optimised in pre-processing
– Runs efficiently in parallel
• Editing and Smoothing
– Geological constraints used for edits
– Statistically robust (300,000+ VT pairs)

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VELSECT : Stacking Results
Manual Velocities : 2km spacing VELSECT Velocities

• Very similar results – but improved (eg under channels)

• 3000km of data picked over a weekend, automatically
• Fast, accurate, repeatable and reliable

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VELSECT : Interval Velocity Results
Manual Velocities, Dix Inverted VELSECT Velocities, Dix Inverted

• VELSECT results show more detail, better resolution

• High velocity limestones resolved to two bands
• Tied into wells and show good match with sonic-derived functions
• Resolve coals from carbonates through velocity profile
• Identify possible overpressure zones
• Excellent for curved-angle calculations : AVA and Imaging
• VELSECT : Automatically create VELocity SECTions

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Solution : Imaging Under Channel, original

Original post stack migration

The channel creates a low
velocity zone with steeply
dipping sides that defocuses
seismic energy.
Imaging is severely
disrupted under the
channels.
Channels are all across the
prospect area.

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Solution : Imaging Under Channel, PreSTM

Pre-stack Time Migration

using VELSECT velocities
Solution is improved, but not
complete.
Ray path bending is not fully
accounted for by the
preSTM alone, and
additional imaging is needed

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Solution : Imaging Under Channel, PreSDM

Pre-stack Depth Migration

Complete solution.
Modelled channel and near
surface velocities successfully
correct for the ray-path
bending at the sea-floor, as
well as the bright limestone
event (approx 1500ms)
Channel shape is unchanged
in all cases – but the velocity
variation is correctly
modelled.

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Solution : Imaging Under Channel, Velocity Model

• VELSECT technique employed after preSTM

• VRMS values converted to interval velocities
– test lateral smoothing and use to depth convert
– use smoothing which produces simplest depth image
– secondary smoothing in depth
• Run PreSDM as second imaging phase
• Interpretation free preSDM modelling methodology

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 TRV-434 : structure
3.2km Cable Length

27.2km Total Length

West Shooting Direction
East
Approximate Depth in metres

Overthrust
Tikorangi Limestone

Schematic of TRV-434 taken from previous depth imaging study

Note the location and depth of the overthrust relative to the cable length

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 TRV-434 : Original Time Processing

Imaging using a conventional late-

1980’s sequence, with DMO and
post-stack time migration.

Sub-thrust imaging is poor; shot-receiver ray paths are complex and the simple
DMO-Stack-Migration approach cannot resolve the structure. Sub-thrust imaging
is confused, with broken, crossing events (circle)

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 TRV-434 : Modern Time Processing

Imaging using a modern

sequence that addresses spatial
aliasing and employs two passes
of pre-stack time migration

Overall image is much cleaner, and imaging has improved considerably. A layered
structure starts to appear, but is still smeared (circle). Pre-stack time migration still
assumes the shot-receiver ray-path is symmetrical about the trace midpoint,
however.

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VELSECT : Raw Velocity Results

RAW VELSECT velocities

• trends can be seen
• data is still noisy
• cannot be used for stacking

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VELSECT : Edited Velocities

Edited VELSECT velocities

• around 60% edited out
• still 100,000+ picks
• interval velocity editing
• iterative approach

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VELSECT : Smoothed Velocities

Final VELSECT velocities

• spatial frequency filter
• extract low pass component
• 1-2km radius filter
• 10% spatial nyquist limit

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 VELSECT : Interval Velocities

VELSECT Interval velocities (left) and preSTM data (right). The velocity field
shows structure that matches the seismic image, and geological expectations

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 TRV-434 : ADMIRE Depth Imaging

GNS Science’s Automatic Depth

Modelling Iteration via RMS velocity
Estimation (ADMIRE) approach
creates a grid-based depth model
that is ray-traced to produce an
image

Imaging is considerably improved with asymmetric ray-paths being managed

correctly. Layer structure beneath the overthrust is now imaged sufficiently to
resolve faulting, enabling detailed interpretation and analysis.

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 TRV-434 : Layer Based Imaging Vs ADMIRE
Layer based pre-stack depth migration approaches use a layered earth model
ASSUMES : layered earth represents the velocity structure accurately
REQUIRES : detailed structural interpretation of each layer with each iteration
- Time consuming, expensive and can result in model-driven solutions
ADMIRE pre-stack depth migration uses a grid based model, created from the data
ALLOWS : velocities to be independent of structure, and extremely complex
REQUIRES : no structural model or interpretation, just careful quality control
- Computer intensive, automatic and data driven
1480m/s

3750m/s

6000m/s

Layer-Based Model ADMIRE Model

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 TRV-434 : Layer Based Imaging Vs ADMIRE

Conventional Layer-Based Imaging ADMIRE Grid-Based Imaging

Even after a large (13+) number of layer-based model updates the conventional
depth imaging approach lacks the clarity and resolution of the ADMIRE image (with 5
model updates)
Where seismic velocities are independent of sub-surface structure the ADMIRE
approach produces a more accurate image, with less iterations, and no interpretation

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