PRE-STACK DEPTH MIGRATION ON REGIONAL 2D SEISMIC SURVEYS.

A COST
AND TIME EFFECTIVE WAY OF OPTIMISING STRUCTURAL DETAIL
1

D. Southward , R. Oldfield & C.Benson

1

Spectrum

Introduction
The initial exploration of most frontier areas will almost certainly include the acquisition of a regional 2D
seismic survey, which is then processed through a conventional time processing sequence and, thereafter,
interpreted to identify prospects for further more detailed seismic studies.
With the significant decrease in computer run times and the proportional reduction in processing costs now
achievable with scalable, modern PC clusters, an increasing amount of seismic data is being processed
using more sophisticated techniques. Pre-Stack Depth Migration (PSDM), for example, which, due to
excessive computer run times was prohibitively expensive only a few years ago, is now increasingly utilised
to provide more accurate imaging of geological structures and hydrocarbon prospects.
PSDM requires an accurate interval velocity model to achieve optimum results. This can be difficult in
frontier areas with little or no well control. However, allowing for this limitation, it is possible to build a
regional interval velocity model in a time and cost effective manner which can be utilised in the PSDM
process to generate a more optimal subsurface image. The process requires utilisation of RMS velocities
from the seismic data. The derived velocity field is interpolated and smoothed using proprietary software.
This ensures that both the seismic data and velocity fields tie following the migration process. This regional
RMS velocity field is subsequently converted into a regional interval velocity field. Any available geological
information is incorporated at this stage to add some constraints to the model. The interval velocity model is
then sub-divided into discrete velocity layers which match as closely as possible the geological horizons.
The velocity model is refined and updated though a number of PSDM iterations using tomographic updates.

East Mediterranean Example

Spectrum have effectively utilised this technique on many proprietary and multi client surveys. Figure 1
shows an example from the Eastern Mediterranean, where the results give a dramatic improvement over the
more conventional time processed sequence.

Figure 1. A conventional time processed section versus a pre-stack depth migrated section from the Eastern
Mediterranean Sea.

The data from this survey consisted of 12,303 km of 2D seismic lines covering the offshore areas of Cyprus,
Lebanon and Syria. The survey was acquired during 2000 and was originally processed during 2000 and 2001
using a time migration route. The reprocessing work was completed by Spectrum between September 2006 and
August 2007. The area covered is dominated by the Levantine Basin in which a fairly uniform layer of sediment
overlies the Messinian salt, below which there is a deep sedimentary section extending through the Cretaceous
and Jurassic.
In constructing the initial interval velocity model for the PSDM the water bottom was picked on the time
migrated stacks and the resulting horizon was converted to depth using the water velocity (1500 m/s). The
velocities were converted from time/rms to depth/interval velocity functions using the Dix equation, and these
were cross-plotted using the water bottom as a datum (i.e. removing the water column from the velocity
functions).
An analysis of the velocity field on a survey wide basis allowed the velocities to be edited and preconditioned so as to reduce the effect of the high salt velocity. A best-fit depth/interval velocity curve was
derived from the resulting crossplot and this curve was tied to the water bottom horizon, thus creating a
simple gradient velocity model with which to run a first pass PSDM. A single curve was derived to ensure a
consistent velocity model for the whole survey.
After a first pass PSDM, the top of the Messinian salt was interpreted and a salt flood velocity model was
created using a salt velocity of 4000 m/s (derived from analysis of the data at various points across the
survey). A second pass PSDM was then run, the base salt was interpreted and horizon based tomography
was run to refine the velocity for the salt interval. The gradient velocity curve was then reinserted below the
salt to create the final velocity model.
This simple approach to the velocity model building proved to be very effective for the majority of the dataset
(i.e. the part lying within the Levantine Basin). However, it was slightly less effective North of the Larnaca
Thrust Zone and close to the South Lebanon coast. Here it would seem very little salt remained and a
slightly faster velocity gradient would perhaps have been more appropriate.

West Coast India Example

Figure 2 shows an example from the west coast of India, where the results also give a dramatic improvement
over the more conventional time processed sequence.

Figure 2. A conventional time processed section versus a pre-stack depth migrated section from offshore
west coast India.

The data from this survey consisted of 12083km of 2D marine seismic. The data was acquired and
processed in 2002 and reprocessed by Spectrum at their Woking Data Processing Centre from October
2007 to February 2008. The west coast of India is regarded as a rifted volcanic continental margin as
opposed to a simple passive margin and extends northwest to southeast from Kutch in the north to Cape
Comorin in the south. It is tectonically differentiated into a shelfal horst-graben complex of ridges and
depressions. Tilted fault block traps in the deepest grabens may have Mesozoic source and reservoir
potential. Unconformity traps, stratigraphic traps and onlaps onto local highs with associated drapes in the
Mesozoic and Tertiary sections are all potential targets observed on the seismic data.
In constructing the initial interval velocity model for the PSDM the water bottom was picked on the time
migrated stacks and the resulting horizon was converted to depth using a water velocity of 1500 m/s. The
PSTM velocities were converted from time/rms to depth/interval velocity functions using the DIX equation.
The water bottom horizon, and interval velocities were then exported and, in contrast to the East
Mediterranean survey detailed above where a single velocity function was derived for the whole area, the
velocities were transferred into Spectrums propriety Equator software. Equator is a velocity smoothing
program that takes 2D or 3D velocities and creates a 3D grid of smoothed velocities that can be output for
use in depth conversion and depth, or time, migration. Using Equator the velocities were smoothed optimally
(water bottom consistently) in a 3D sense. This ensured that the velocity models for all the lines tied in depth.
The smoothed velocities were then extracted for each line and re-imported into the velocity model building
software.
After a first pass PSDM the top basalt/top of basement was interpreted ensuring that it tied at all line
intersections. The velocity model was then rebuilt using a sub basalt/top of basement flood velocity of 4500
m/s. This formed the final interval velocity model for the PSDM.
Again, like for the East Mediterranean survey described above, the comparisons of the PSDM sections
stretched back to time against the original time processed sections (Figure 2) show that this simple approach
to building a regional velocity model in order to generate a more optimal subsurface image is effective over
the vast majority of the project area. For the one line where this was not appropriate an additional thin basalt
layer was found to be required to accurately image both the basalt and an underlying sedimentary basin

Summary
Using this regional velocity model building approach, similar improvements have been produced on surveys
from other areas, including offshore Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico. In some of these locations, prospects
have been identified in the 2D PSDM data, which were not seen on 3D data processed through a more
conventional time sequence.

References
Roberts, G. and Peace, D., 2007, Hydrocarbon plays and prospectivity of the Levantine Basin, offshore
Lebanon and Syria from modern seismic data, in GeoArabia, Vol.12, No.3, 2007. Gulf Petrolink, Bahrain.