Anisotropic Imaging in Complex Media: Step Change in Quality and Interpretability of the Results

Abstract

The soaring cost of drilling in deep-water environments leads to a strong demand for high-quality interpretable images and associated models, both products of seismic imaging, in many basins around the world. Anisotropic models more closely represent the real earth's properties. Using them in migration increases our ability to create accurate images. Overall, this allows for more reliable inversion, interpretation, and drilling decisions. In addition, anisotropic imaging allows us to realize fully the potential of new data types (e.g., wide-azimuth and long-offsets towed-streamer data) and to incorporate systematically our understanding of the geology, the available rock physics and geomechanics information, and borehole data into the model building process.We discuss an anisotropic model building workflow that is easily adaptable to any geologic environment, data type, objectives, or available non-seismic information. We report successful imaging strategies made possible by this workflow and demonstrate the improved results with examples from North America and West Africa.