Model Guided Design of Seismic Acquisition Parameters For the Marib Al Jawf Basin, Yemen

Seismic imagery of the Marib Al Jawf Basin of Yemen suffers owing to its structural complexity and the presence of evaporates. A 2-D seismic modeling study of one regional seismic profile of this area was used to evaluate the relationship between the maximum offset and intensity of illumination, maximum ray depth, and smear. Results suggest that seismic image quality is not a simple linear relationship between an increase in spread length and seismic image quality owing to the effects of varying dip and penetration depths of the main faults. There is greater value (read: less mistakes) in using model-designed acquisition geometry based upon focused targets and predicted geological heterogeneity rather than simply ubiquitously applying “what everyone else uses.” The image can be so degraded by improper acquisition design that even the application of DMO can be unable to improve the seismic image of deeper faults significantly.