SEG/EAGE Distinguished Instructor Short Course 2002

Leon Thomsen

BP Amoco Upstream Technology

Understanding Seismic Anisotropy in Exploration and Exploitation

Abstract

All rock masses are seismically anisotropic, but we generally ignore this in our seismic acquisition, processing, and interpretation. The anisotropy nonetheless does affect our data, in ways that limit the effectiveness with which we can use it, so long as we ignore it. In this short course, we will understand why this inconsistency between reality and practice has been so successful in the past, and why it will be less successful in the future, as we acquire better seismic data (especially including vector seismic data), and correspondingly higher expectations of it. We will further understand how we can modify our practice so as to more fully realize the potential inherent in our data, through algorithms, which recognize the fact of seismic anisotropy.

Synopsis:
Section 1: Physical Principles
Section 2: P-Waves (Subsurface Imaging)
Section 3: P-Waves (Subsurface Physical Characterization)
Section 4: S-Waves
Section 5: C-Waves