A new approach to complex structures exploration improves resolution and reduces risk

Complex geology areas are subject of increasing exploration efforts due to their high<br>prospectivity. While advances in seismic technologies have revolutionized interpretation of<br>challenging plays, complex regimes stimulate new ideas that truly reduce the problem at hand to a<br>depth-imaging problem.<br>The objective of this paper is to introduce innovative thoughts for enhancing depth imaging and<br>reduce risk in challenging frontiers. New strategies are revealed for treating structural complexity<br>through alternative geophysical tools deployed commercially at low additional costs. The<br>alternative geophysical tools use different properties to develop/constrain/refine the model of the<br>near-subsurface velocity tensor needed to properly image seismic data so that inaccuracy in the<br>upper section does not propagate down to deeper targets giving rise to unrealistic earth.<br>A novel ultra density array of tensor electromagnetic data is integrated with advanced nonlinear<br>seismic tomography to build a high resolution, geologically accurate upper model characterized by<br>a high level of spatial resolution. The integrated model provides the degree of accuracy needed by<br>depth migration to properly image under highly variable covers and severe topography/bathymetry.<br>The resolution of the final depth migration shows the potential of the proposed strategy to increase<br>the value of seismic data and de-risk complex plays exploration programs.