Quantitative Seismic Interpretation


Duration: 5 days

Business context

In addition to structural and stratigraphic interpretation, Quantitative Interpretation of seismic data can add considerable value in the subsurface evaluation process. For exploration prospects, various seismic attributes can be used to differentiate between alternative porefill scenario's and improve the decision making. In field development settings, where more well calibration is normally available, tools like seismic inversion can extrapolate and predict key reservoir properties outside well control and thus improve the reliability of a reservoir model. The QI workflow necessitates consistent integration of the available geological, geophysical, petrophysical data, yielding also team integration and data QC as an important spin-off.

Knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of the various QI techniques and workflows is essential for successful application. Knowing what data is required and how it must be pre-conditioned is important as well.

Who should attend

Geologists, geophysicists and petroleum engineers involved in the processing and interpretation of 2D and 3D seismic data.

Course content

  • Seismic fundamentals for QI
  • Rock and fluid physics
  • Data preparation/conditioning
  • Log QC, seismic-to-well calibration and wavelet extraction
  • Statistics for QI
  • Forward modeling
  • AvO
  • Acoustic, elastic and lithology inversion
  • Seismically constrained reservoir modeling
  • Acquisition and processing requirements for QI
  • QI of time-lapse (4D) data (optional)
  • Pressure Prediction from seismic data (optional)

Learning, methods and tools

At the end of the course participants will have a solid foundation in Quantitative Interpretation concepts, workflows and data requirements. They will be able to model the seismic response of alternative geological scenario's, judge the feasibility of a QI project for a dataset in question and be able to avoid the most common pitfalls. And they can better liaise and collaborate with staff in neighbouring Geoscience (sub)disciplines. Whereas the course does not cover training in the hands-on use of common industry software tools for QI or inversion, it will provide the necessary foundation required for subsequent use of such tools in a professional manner.

The course uses a mixture of lectures, practical exercises and case histories. Use of participants laptops for exercises and WIFI internet access in the classroom is recommended. Participants can bring own cases for discussion.

The course should be customized to meet the specific background and needs of the participants: focus can be more on fundamentals or more on the advanced application. Topics can be tuned to the geological setting in which participants operate, and focus on those QI techniques that are most likely to be successful there. The course can be extended with extra time for coaching participants on the application of QI techniques in their own work environment.

Alternative lecturers are Dr. Jaap Mondt and Drs. Ronald Hoogenboom.