Successful applications of P‐ and S‐wave seismic data

Abstract

For the past twenty‐five years, seismic shear wave data have been sparingly applied in the petroleum exploration, development and production industry. Early applications required direct sources of shear‐wave energy, and thus data acquisition was generally limited to land locations. Further, concerns about receiver coupling also limited recording of mode‐converted shear waves from conventional sources to land environments. In recent years, multicomponent seismic data acquisition has been successfully extended into the marine environment through 3C and 4C sea‐floor recording using conventional air‐gun sources. These data have been quite effectively recorded and processing capabilities are rapidly evolving. The actual interpretation, analysis and application of these data, however, has not experienced as rapid rate of progress as the evolution of acquisition and processing technology. Barriers to a more widespread application of multicomponent seismic methods may be due to both a lack of experience and understanding of just how to fully exploit these types of data by end users (interpreters) on asset teams and the apparent reluctance of technology developers to fully communicate working interpretive models of just how to use these data. This discussion addresses where we stand, as an industry, in the application of multicomponent data, experience of end users and how they can incorporate multicomponent data into their interpretations and the status of effective interpretive models required to fully exploit the potential of the information contained in multicomponent seismic data. To reduce the impact of both of these limitations, published results demonstrating the existence of many applicable interpretive models and how they have been successfully applied have been organized into a world‐wide web accessible data base. Presently, some 500 published application examples are accessible through browsers focused on either interpretive applications (objectives) or by historical and geographic projects. Further improvements in effective communication among technology implementers and developers will reduce apparent barriers to widespread application of multicomponent seismic technology.