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- Volume 48, Issue 6, 2000
Geophysical Prospecting - Volume 48, Issue 6, 2000
Volume 48, Issue 6, 2000
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Structural–formational interpretation tools for seismic stratigraphy
Authors I.A. Mushin, V.V. Makarov, E.A. Kozlov and A. LowrieIn the framework of a structural‐and‐formational interpretation (SFI) approach to seismic data processing and geological interpretation, specific software/technology tools were created to facilitate sequence stratigraphy analysis and reservoir characterization. The most important tools are two types of time–frequency representation of seismic data: the first is spectrum‐time analysis (STAN), which presents a seismic trace as a series of very narrow frequency band traces, while the second tool converts an initial seismic section into a set of sections ranked with preselected frequency bands, narrower than those of the initial section, but wider than those related to STAN traces. Jointly, these two representations reflect both general trends and local temporal and spatial variations of seismic data frequency content. The use of these tools, developed in Russia in the 1980s, facilitates detection of sedimentation cycles and their depositional environments, identification of hierarchies within faulting patterns, and delineation of geological anomalies on seismic sections. This, in turn, provides reliable starting points for palaeotectonic restoration and basin modelling. In many regions, these tools have helped to clarify obscure formation structures under study and to estimate the hydrocarbon potential of these formations.
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Distortions of EM transients in coincident loops at short time‐delays
Authors F. Kamenetsky and ChR. OelsnerTransient electromagnetic measurements with short time‐delays of transients are used for solving different problems within the upper part of a geoelectric section. However, it is necessary to take into consideration distortions connected with self‐transients within the transmitter–receiver system. From the practical point of view, it is important to estimate the minimum time‐delay after which these distortions may be neglected. We present such an estimation which uses a simple approximation method for a single‐loop (or coincident‐loop) configuration. For common values of the loop size (10 m × 10 m to 40 m × 40 m) and of the resistivity of a homogeneous half‐space (1–100 Ωm), the minimum time‐delay beyond which we can use a standard interpretation is in the range of 2–10 µs. This is equivalent to a minimum depth of investigation in the range of 1–30 m.
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What is DMO coverage?
By Ralf Ferber‘Coverage’ or ‘fold’ is defined as the multiplicity of common‐midpoint (CMP) data. For CMP stacking the coverage is consistent with the number of traces sharing a common reflection point on flat subsurface reflectors. This relationship is not true for dipping reflectors. The deficiencies of CMP stacking with respect to imaging dipping events have long been overcome by the introduction of the dip‐moveout (DMO) correction. However, the concept of coverage has not yet satisfactorily been updated to a ‘DMO coverage’ consistent with DMO stacking. A definition of constant‐velocity DMO coverage will be proposed here. A subsurface reflector will be illuminated from a given source and receiver location if the time difference between the reflector zero‐offset traveltime and the NMO‐ and DMO‐corrected traveltime of the reflection event is less than half a dominant wavelength. Due to the fact that a subsurface reflector location is determined by its zero‐offset traveltime, its strike and its dip, the DMO coverage also depends on these three parameters. For every surface location, the proposed DMO coverage consists of a 3D fold distribution over reflector strike, dip and zero‐offset traveltime.
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Seismic data compression by an adaptive local cosine/sine transform and its effects on migration
Authors Yongzhong Wang and Ru‐Shan WuThe local cosine/sine basis is a localized version of the cosine/sine basis with a window function which can have arbitrary smoothness. It has orthogonality and good time and frequency localization properties. The adaptive local cosine/sine basis is a best‐basis obtained from an overabundant library of cosine/sine packets based on a cost‐functional. We propose a 2D semi‐adaptive (time‐adaptive or space‐adaptive) local cosine transform (referred to as a 2D semi‐ALCT) and apply it to the SEG–EAEG salt model synthetic data set for compression. From the numerical results, we see that most of the important features of the data set can be well preserved even in the high compression ratio (CR=40:1) case. Using reconstructed data from the highly compressed ALCT coefficients (CR=40:1) for migration, we can still obtain a high‐quality image including subsalt structures. Furthermore, we find that the window partition, generated by the 2D semi‐ALCT, is well adapted to the characteristics of the seismic data set, and the compression capability of the 2D semi‐ALCT is greater than that of the 2D uniform local cosine transform (2D ULCT). We find also that a (32, 32) or (32, 64) minimum (time, space) window size can generate the best compression results for the SEG–EAEG salt data set.
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An apparent‐resistivity concept for low‐frequency electromagnetic sounding techniques
Authors J. Van Der Kruk, J.A.C. Meekes, P.M. Van Den Berg and J.T. FokkemaApparent resistivity is a useful concept for initial quickscan interpretation and quality checks in the field, because it represents the resistivity properties of the subsurface better than the raw data. For frequency‐domain soundings several apparent‐resistivity definitions exist. One definition uses an asymptote for the field of a magnetic dipole in a homogeneous half‐space and is useful only for low induction numbers. Another definition uses only the amplitude information of the total magnetic field, although this results in a non‐unique apparent resistivity. To overcome this non‐uniqueness, a complex derivation using two different source–receiver configurations and several magnetic field values for different frequencies or different offsets is derived in another definition. Using the latter theory, in practice, this means that a wide range of measurements have to be carried out, while commercial systems are not able to measure this wide range. In this paper, an apparent‐resistivity concept is applied beyond the low‐induction zone, for which the use of different source–receiver configurations is not needed. This apparent‐resistivity concept was formerly used to interpret the electromagnetic transients that are associated with the turn‐off of the transmitter current. The concept uses both amplitude and phase information and can be applied for a wide range of frequencies and offsets, resulting in a unique apparent resistivity for each individual (offset, frequency) combination. It is based on the projection of the electromagnetic field data on to the curve of the field of a magnetic dipole on a homogeneous half‐space and implemented using a non‐linear optimization scheme. This results in a fast and efficient estimation of apparent resistivity versus frequency or offset for electromagnetic sounding, and also gives a new perspective on electromagnetic profiling. Numerical results and two case studies are presented. In each case study the results are found to be comparable with those from other existing exploration systems, such as EM31 and EM34. They are obtained with a slight increase of effort in the field but contain more information, especially about the vertical resistivity distribution of the subsurface.
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Sensitivity study using a genetic algorithm: inversion of amplitude variations with slowness
Authors Ying Ji, Satish C. Singh and Brian E. HornbyA sensitivity study of elastic parameters in amplitude‐variation‐with‐slowness (AVS) for small‐ and large‐offset seismic data is presented. In order to handle the non‐linearity associated with waveform or amplitude beyond the critical slowness, an inversion algorithm based on Bayes' theory is used. A genetic algorithm was used to obtain the a posteriori probability density (PPD) function. The sensitivity analysis is performed on synthetic data containing P‐wave as well as converted S‐wave reflections. Four different two‐layer models, which represent the typical range of AVS responses associated with the gas‐sands normally encountered in exploration, were used to examine how well the elastic parameters can be inverted for different parametrizations by comparing the PPD functions. The sensitivity study results suggest that including wide‐angle data in the inversion can greatly enhance the quality of inversion. The converted S‐wave reflections can provide valuable extra information that can be used to extract elastic parameters. The results with noisy data demonstrate that the contrast of density and three velocity ratios can be estimated robustly with wide‐angle reflection data.
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Biot dispersion for P‐ and S‐wave velocities in partially and fully saturated sandstones
Authors M.S. King, J.R. Marsden and J.W. DennisUltrasonic compressional‐ and shear‐wave velocities have been measured on 34 samples of sandstones from hydrocarbon reservoirs. The sandstones are all of low clay content, high porosity, and cover a wide range of permeabilities. They were measured dry and brine‐saturated under hydrostatic effective stresses of 10, 20 and 40 MPa. For eight of the sandstones, ultrasonic velocity measurements were made at different partial water saturations in the range from dry to fully saturated. The Gassmann–Biot theory is found to account for most of the changes in velocities at high effective stress levels when the dry sandstones are fully saturated with brine, provided the lower velocities resulting when the dry sandstone initially adsorbs small amounts of moisture are used to determine the elastic properties of the ‘dry’ sandstone. At lower effective stress levels, local flow phenomena due to the presence of open microcracks are assumed to be responsible for measured velocities higher than those predicted by the theory. The partial saturation results are modelled fairly closely by the Gassmann–Biot theory, assuming heterogeneous saturation for P‐waves.
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Use of marine controlled‐source electromagnetic sounding for sub‐basalt exploration
Authors Lucy MacGregor and Martin SinhaThe problem of imaging sedimentary structure obscured by high‐velocity layers, such as carbonate, basalt or salt, using conventional seismic techniques is well known. When this problem is encountered in offshore areas, marine electromagnetic data can provide valuable, alternative and complementary constraints on the structure. We concentrate on the use of marine controlled‐source electromagnetic (CSEM) sounding in the frequency domain. The feasibility of mapping sub‐basalt sedimentary structure using this technique is explored by means of modelling studies which mimic a type of survey which could readily be employed in practice. As a starting point the problem is addressed in terms of 1D resistivity structure. We show that sub‐basalt sediments can be detected and their depth of burial quantified to within 200 m in the examples shown. The presence of small‐scale inhomogeneities in the basalt (which cause much of the scattering in seismic data) is shown to have no appreciable effect on the ability of the CSEM data to detect the sediments. The modelling is then extended to 2.5 dimensions. Again the presence of sub‐basalt sediments can be readily detected and their properties and geometry quantified, especially if the electromagnetic data are combined with constraints from complementary geophysical techniques.
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Volumes & issues
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Volume 72 (2023 - 2024)
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Volume 71 (2022 - 2023)
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Volume 70 (2021 - 2022)
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Volume 69 (2021)
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Volume 68 (2020)
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Volume 67 (2019)
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Volume 66 (2018)
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Volume 65 (2017)
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Volume 64 (2015 - 2016)
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Volume 63 (2015)
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Volume 62 (2014)
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Volume 61 (2013)
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Volume 60 (2012)
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Volume 59 (2011)
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Volume 58 (2010)
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Volume 57 (2009)
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Volume 56 (2008)
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Volume 55 (2007)
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Volume 54 (2006)
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Volume 53 (2005)
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Volume 52 (2004)
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Volume 51 (2003)
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Volume 50 (2002)
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Volume 49 (2001)
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Volume 48 (2000)
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Volume 47 (1999)
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Volume 46 (1998)
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Volume 45 (1997)
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Volume 44 (1996)
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Volume 43 (1995)
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Volume 42 (1994)
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Volume 41 (1993)
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Volume 40 (1992)
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Volume 39 (1991)
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Volume 38 (1990)
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Volume 37 (1989)
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Volume 36 (1988)
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Volume 35 (1987)
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Volume 34 (1986)
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Volume 33 (1985)
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Volume 32 (1984)
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Volume 31 (1983)
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Volume 30 (1982)
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Volume 29 (1981)
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Volume 28 (1980)
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Volume 27 (1979)
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Volume 26 (1978)
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Volume 25 (1977)
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Volume 24 (1976)
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Volume 23 (1975)
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Volume 22 (1974)
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Volume 21 (1973)
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Volume 20 (1972)
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Volume 19 (1971)
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Volume 18 (1970)
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Volume 17 (1969)
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Volume 16 (1968)
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Volume 15 (1967)
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Volume 14 (1966)
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Volume 13 (1965)
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Volume 12 (1964)
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Volume 11 (1963)
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Volume 10 (1962)
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Volume 9 (1961)
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Volume 8 (1960)
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Volume 7 (1959)
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Volume 6 (1958)
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Volume 5 (1957)
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Volume 4 (1956)
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Volume 3 (1955)
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Volume 2 (1954)
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Volume 1 (1953)