SV-P: A potential viable alternative to mode-converted P-SV seismic data for reservoir characterization

Abstract

P-SV seismic acquisition requires 3C geophones and thus has greater cost compared with conventional P-P data. However, some companies justify this added cost because P-SV data provide an independent set of S-wave measurements, which can increase the reliability of subsurface property estimation. This study investigates SV-P data generated by a vertical vibrator and recorded by vertical geophones as a cost-effective alternative to traditional P-SV data. To evaluate the efficacy of the SV-P mode relative to the P-P and P-SV modes, multicomponent seismic data from Wellington Field, Kansas, were interpreted. P-P amplitude variation with offset (AVO) gathers and stacked SV-P seismic data were jointly inverted to estimate elastic properties, which were compared with the estimates obtained from joint inversion of P-P AVO gathers, stacked P-SV seismic data, and inversion of P-P AVO gathers data. All inversions provide identical P-impedance characteristics. However, a significant improvement in S-impedance estimates is observed when P-P and converted wave data (either SV-P or P-SV) are inverted jointly, compared with P-P inversion results alone. In the Arbuckle interval, which is being considered for [Formula: see text] injection, use of converted-wave data clearly demarcates the Middle Arbuckle baffle zone and the Lower Arbuckle injection zone, with the latter having low P- and S-impedances. These observations, although consistent with other well-based geologic evidence, are absent on P-P-only inversion results. No major difference in the inversion results is seen when SV-P data are used instead of P-SV data. Moreover, we determine for the first time by comparing the SV-P image obtained from vertical-vibrator data and the SV-P image obtained from horizontal-vibrator data that both data image subsurface geology equivalently, except for the important distinction that the former contains more valuable higher frequencies than the latter. Because legacy P-wave data can be reprocessed to extract the SV-P mode, using SV-P data can provide a unique way to perform multicomponent seismic analysis.