We present 3-D field data examples of applying land full wave-field inversion (FWI) for addressing complex near-surface challenges in the Delaware Basin, a subbasin of the Permian Basin. Conventional velocity model building (VMB) techniques, such as travel-time refraction tomography and statics correction, are shown to be inadequate for accurately characterizing near-surface velocities, resulting in suboptimal imaging results. Clear imaging uplift is observed when land FWI is used to define the velocity model, especially for areas be low complex near-surface overburdens, such as the fill zone on the West Texas side of the Delaware Basin, as well as the shallow salt and evaporites on the New Mexico side of the Delaware Basin. We also demonstrate that in addition to imaging improvement, FWI shallow velocity models offer high-resolution details unmatched by either travel-time refraction tomography or conventional seismic migration stacks. These high-resolution features can potentially be used for detecting shallow hazards, such as karsts and faults, which can pose risks in drilling.
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SEG/AAPG/SEPM First International Meeting for Applied Geoscience & Energy
September 26–October 1, 2021
Denver, Colorado, USA and online
Land full-wavefield inversion for addressing complex near-surface challenges in the Delaware Basin
Yaxun Tang;
Yaxun Tang
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
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David Gaines;
David Gaines
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
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John Hefti;
John Hefti
Formerly ExxonMobil Upstream Integrated Solutions Company
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Sean Every;
Sean Every
ExxonMobil Upstream Oil & Gas Company
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Erik Neumann;
Erik Neumann
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
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Randy Pharis
Randy Pharis
ExxonMobil Upstream Oil & Gas Company
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Paper presented at the SEG/AAPG/SEPM First International Meeting for Applied Geoscience & Energy, Denver, Colorado, USA and online, September 2021.
Paper Number:
SEG-2021-3594001
Published:
October 30 2021
Citation
Tang, Yaxun, Gaines, David, Hefti, John, Every, Sean, Neumann, Erik, and Randy Pharis. "Land full-wavefield inversion for addressing complex near-surface challenges in the Delaware Basin." Paper presented at the SEG/AAPG/SEPM First International Meeting for Applied Geoscience & Energy, Denver, Colorado, USA and online, September 2021. doi: https://doi.org/10.1190/segam2021-3594001.1
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