QBB-2043(Sep-2016) Seismic Interpretation

LC-8

Seismic Velocity
Learning objectives:

To know
1) Definition of different seismic velocities
2) Why Vrms ~ Vstack
3) Dix's equation
4) How to generate the VAVE for
depth conversion
 Seismic Velocities

Important for :
Conversion from traveltime to depth(Time depth
conversion)
Check of results by modeling
NMO correction--->Stacking
Imaging of the data (migration)
Classification and Filtering of Signal and Noise
Predictions of the Lithology
Aid for geological Interpretation
Seismic Velocities

1. T-D relationship
Chart
Table
2. Time
TWT-Two Way
OWT-One Way
3. Depth
Meters
Feet

1. Section in depth domain, more interpretable.

2. Structure map in depth domain, more interpretable, and
volume calculation available.
3. In depth domain, geological model available.
 Seismic velocity
Depend on
Matrix and structure of the snadstone
Lithology
Porosity
Porefilling interstitial fluid
Temperature
Degree of compaction
.......
General trend of velocity Vs. Depth

Major reson:

Compaction
Factors affecting velocity estimates

Depth of the reflectors

Move-out of the reflection
Spread length
S/N ratio
Static corrections
Dip of the reflector
Number of traces
Measurements of velocities

Laboratory measurements using probes.

Borehole measurements.
Refraction seismics.
Analysis of reflection hyperbolas.
Vertical seismic profiling/Checkshot survey.

Computational seismic velocity

Vstack~Vrms
 Characteristics of seismic velocity

Reference time/point Datum Speed= Km/Hr

Penang
speed meter
2 H d1
Average
d2

d3 2.5 H

Ipoh distance / time

d4
Velocity= m/s
UTP with a given direction
Type of seismic velocity
Type of Seismic Velocities

1. Interval Velocity
2. Average Velocity
3. Stacking Velocity
4. RMS(Root Mean Square) Velocity
5. Instantaneous Velocity
1. Interval Velocity

It is average velocity within a certain bed or layer , usually

obtained from sonic log survey or checkshot survey.
2. Average Velocity
1. It is usually obtained from well velocity surveys.
2. Used to convert seismic times to depth(structural map(TWT) to depth domain)
3. Vave=Travel Distance/Travel Time (It Ignored the different velocity layers)

Vave=Total distance/Total travel time Depth=(TWT*Vave)/2

t1 Travel
Velocity Depth
Z1 Time
t2
Z2 t1 Vave-1 Z1
t3 t2 Vave-2 Z2
Z3
t3 Vave-3 Z3
t4
Z4
t4 Vave-4 Z4
3. Stacking Velocity
Also called as " NMO velocity"
It is a velocity that gives best stack of the seismic signals, usually drive
from the following equation:

offset

offset
Vstack-1

Vstack-2
Vstack-3
Vstack-4
Stacking Velocity(Multiple layers)

Stacking velocity ~ RMS velocity

offset
Vrms

offset
 Characteristics of seismic velocity

Reference time/point Datum

T0 Stacking
V1
T1 V1-stacking velocity
V2 from
T2
TWT(s)

V2-stacking
V3
Best Stacking
CMP data
T3 V3-stacking
V4
T4 V4-stacking Vstack~Vrms
V5

T5 V5-stacking
 Characteristics of seismic velocity
T0
V1
T1 V1-stacking
V2
T2
TWT(s)

V2-stacking
V3
T3 V3-stacking
V4
T4 V4-stacking
V5

T5 V5-stacking
Characteristics of seismic velocity
Stacking Velocity as function of time
Vstack-1
Vstack ~ VRMS
Vstack-2
Vstack-3
Vstack-4

Vstack is the only one

velocity approximately
equal to real velocity.

Under most cases, we

have to assume
VRMS = Vstack
 Vstack ~ VRMS ---->Vave

Vstack-1 Dix's Equation

Vstack-2
Vstack-3
Vstack-4

504
504
6104 839
5839

6038

6261

1682
6865
4. RMS Velocity
If subsurface made of horizontal layers with interval velocities v1,v2,v3,...and one
way time t1, t2, t3,..., VRMS gives by the following formula:

Note:
1- RMS velocity is usually higher than average velocity by approximately 5%.
2- RMS velocity map gives a first indication of velocity variations.
3- The root-mean-square (RMS) velocity is a weighted average.
4- RMS velocity is not a measured velocity.
5. Instantaneous Velocity

1. It is average velocity at a certain point(small interval) within a layer or

a geological formation.
2. Point velocity

3. Vinst=V0+KZ
average velocity, The formula for the V-aveis as follows.
Average Velocity = ∆ S/∆ T

Here, ∆ S is the distance covered and ∆ T is the time period of travel.

Average velocity cannot tell you how the velocity of an object changed at particular instants of time.

Instantaneous Velocity
In mathematical terms, it can be defined in the following way.

Instantaneous Velocity = Lim∆ T → 0 ∆ S/∆ T = dS/dT

It is the velocity of the object, calculated in the shortest instant of time possible (calculated
as the time interval ∆ T tends to zero).

dS/dT is the derivative of displacement vector 'S', with respect to 'T'.

The instantaneous velocity at a particular moment is calculated by substituting the

corresponding time variable's value, in the first time derivative of the displacement equation.
Instantaneous Velocity
In mathematical terms, it can be defined in the following way.

Instantaneous Velocity = Lim∆ T → 0 ∆ S/∆ T = dS/dT

In terms of the graph, instantaneous velocity at a moment, is the slope of the tangent line drawn at a point on
the curve, corresponding to that particular instant.
Instantaneous velocity, v, is simply the average velocity at a specific instant in time or over an infinitesimally
small time interval.
 Methods of velocity-analysis

1. x2-t2 - analysis
2. Methods using NMO correction:
CVP - constant velocity panels
CVS - constant velocity stacks
velocity spectral analysis (semblance analysis)
x -t - analysis
2 2

x2
t 2 = t02 + 2
vstack
 1. NMO correction--->Stacking
Reflection hyperbola horizontal alignment Seismic trace

NMO Stacking
correction
Velocity Analysis:
Original CMP gather
Constant-velocity NMO
Velocity panels
Velocity panels:real data example
 Derivation of
Dix's equation/formular
 Dix's Formular/Equation
Conversion from Vrms to Vvint (interval velocities)
Key Concept of Dix' equation
Interval velocity derived from RMS velocity

Vrms is approximated by the stacking velocity that is obtained by

NMO correction of a CMP measurement.
(Assume maximum offset is small compared with reflector depth)
Dix's equation/formula
 Dix's formula

Dix formula:
derives the interval velocity from root-mean-square
(NMO/stacking) velocities.
 504
504
6104 839
5839

6038

6261

1682

6865
TWT
504
504
6104 839
5839

6038

6261

1682

6865
 Velocity(ft/s) Depth (ft)
5000 5500 6000 6500 7000 7500 8000 -1000 0 Depth
1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000

0.0 0.0

0.5 0.5
TWT (sec)

TWT (sec)
1.0 1.0

1.5 1.5

Vint
2.0 Vrms 2.0

Vave
2.5 2.5
 Time-Depth chart

A time-depth chart is a plot of seismic times against depths.

it is a graph on grid paper with a curving line on it.
another form, it is tabulation, a list of times with a depth given
for each time.

If you have a list of formation

tops made from a geologist's
picks on a well log, you can use
either form of time-depth chart to
read the times at which there
should be reflections on sections.
 Dix's formula:from VRMS to VINTERVAL

Conversion from time to depth via Dix's formula

Theoretically: valid for plane horizontal layers

(Theoretically: no migration necessary)

Practically: still works well for dipping reflectors and mild

lateral velocity variations,
but then:AFTER (time) migration
 Checkshot Survey

A type of borehole seismic survey designed to measure the seismic traveltime

from the surface to a known depth.
Well MD Vertical
from OWT
DD (ft) (ms)
Flounder 3212 418
Two main objectives:
Flounder 3725 469
1. T-D conversion by T-D relationship
2. Calibrate well logs( sonic log in Flounder 4290 522

particular) Flounder 4980 589

Flounder 5450 636

Checkshot Flounder 5822 674

Irregular spacing of Geophone Flounder 6340 725
First arrival of p-wave only
Flounder 6800 770

Flounder 7362 817

VSP(Vertical Seismic Survey)
Regular spacing of geophone Flounder 7610 839
Record/process seismic traces Flounder 7720 851

Flounder 8162 886

Flounder 8285 895

Flounder 8550 915

 Summary of Velocity

Rock properties Seismically derived properties

Stacking
or RMS Average
Model Interval
Thickness TWT velocity velocity
velocity

Layer 1 Vint (1) Z 1)

Interface (1) T(1) Vrms(1) Vave(1)

Layer 2 Vint (2) Z(2)

Interface (2) T(2) Vrms(2) Vave(2)

Layer 3 Vint (3) Z(3)

Interface (3) T(3) Vrms(3) Vave(3)

Vrms vs. Vave

Tave=Trms
But Trms with longer travel path,
Vrms > Vave
Summay of Stacking Velocity

This is the seismically derived velocities, that is, the stacking

velocities and the average velocities derived from seismic.

They are fairly reliable in the shallow part of the section, unreliable in
the deeper parts.

These velocities can change erratically from one velocity layer to the
next.

The true velocities are not that variable, but the uncertainty of picking
stacking velocities makes them vary widely.

It is better to average them from several nearby points, preferably

including some from more than one seismic line.

Then use that velocity function to match whatever formation depth

information is available, from a well or any other source.

Make a time-depth chart from this velocity information.

We may/should consider the time-depth relationships as

approximate.
Appendix: Dix's Equation
QBB2043-Sep.-2016

Overview of Seismic Velocity

Interval Velocity

Δz(i)
VInt(i) =
Δt(i)

one way travel path

Interval velocity=
one way travel time

two way travel path

=
two way travel time

A simple 2-layer Earth model.

The source is located at the surface, the receiver on the horizontal interface
This is the case of check shot survey.
Interval Velocity AI=Acoustic Impedance
RC=Reflection Coefficient

VInt( 2 )ρ(2 ) − VInt( 1 )ρ(1 )

R( 1,2 ) =
VInt( 2 )ρ(2 ) + VInt( 1 )ρ(1 )

velocity = distance/(travel time).

Δz
VInt( 1 ) =
(Travel Time)

VInt( 1 ) ⋅ t0
Δz( 1 ) =
2

Zero-offset geometry.
The thick blue ray illustrates the incident wave.
The reflection coefficient determines the strength of the reflected and transmitted wave fields.
Example: Constant-Velocity Depth Conversion
If we take the case of an interval velocity of 3,000 m/s and
a roundtrip travel time(twt) of 2.0 seconds then

Depth = Δz
3,000 m/ sec ⋅ 2 sec
= = 3,000 m.
2

Vint=3000 m/s
TWT=2 s Interval velocity
Constant velocity
Homogeneous
layer
Multiple layers
A zero-offset experiment in a more realistic, depth-dependent velocity model

2 Δz( 1 ) 2 Δz( 2 ) 2 Δz( 3 )

t0( 3 ) = + +
VInt( 1 ) VInt( 2 ) VInt( 3 )

VInt( 3 )  2 Δz( 1 ) 2 Δz( 2 ) 

Δz( 3 ) =  t 0( 3 ) − − 
2  VInt( 1 ) VInt( 2 ) 
A multiple-trace zero-offset acquisition

Idealized traces in a zero-offset

seismic section with multiple
source-receiver pairs.
Time

Depth-converted zero-offset seismic section

Depth

Unfortunately, this is not the normal routine seismic survey

Zero and far-offset ray path

Offset gather seismic

Result of
Routine, normal seismic survey

Because of normal moveout(offset),

we get extra travel path, and extra
travel time(NMO correction).
By these extra path and time, then
we are able to get information about
velocity.
nonzero-offset surface geometry
NMO(Normal Move-Out) equation

( 2 B) 2 = ( 2 A) 2 + x Offset
2
,

2
( 2 B)2 ( 2 A)2 xOffset
= + 2
VInt2 VInt2 VInt

2
2 2
xOffset
t xOffset =t +
0
VInt2

2
2
xOffset
t xOffset = t + 0
VInt2

2
xOffset
VInt =
NB: This equation is accurate only under t x2Offset − t02
constant velocity and assumed straight rays
Observed zero and non-zero offset travel times.
Example: Observed water-bottom two-way travel times

2
xOffset
VInt( 1 ) = 2
t x2Offset − t0

2650 2
=
2.072 2 − 2.0082
= 5,185 ft./ sec .

knowledge of the zero-offset round-trip travel time, t0, and a non-zero

offset round-trip travel time, tx, along with the offset itself, xOffset. Then,
we can estimate of the interval velocity.
Dipping Reflector Interval Velocity

2
Both zero- and finite-offset rays VInt xOffset
reflect at the same subsurface = 2
cos (θ ) t xOffset − t02
locations