Joint Inversion And Cross-Validation Of Bore-Hole And Surface Seismic Data For Reducing The Uncertainty Of Anisotropic Models

Abstract

Adding extra data and information in the process of anisotropic Earth model building (EMB) is very important to reduce the uncertainty of the results. Borehole seismic data, either zero-offset, walkaway or 3D vertical seismic profile (VSP) are very valuable but rarely available in large exploration areas. In recent years, with the wider spread of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), 3D VSP surveys are becoming more common to help interpretation related to advanced development programs and production well placement. In some cases, they are even preferred as a foundation for 4D work and that sets even higher requirements for the accuracy of the Earth models. In this work, we discuss and show how 3D VSP data can be used in two different stages of modern surface seismic anisotropic EMB workflows: model validation and model updating with joint tomography. We demonstrate the value of incorporating 3D VSP information using a real data example from the Green Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico.