Multi-Azimuthal Walkway VSP for Full Azimuth Seismic Calibration

Abstract

Comprehensive borehole seismic surveys hold the key to unlocking the knowledge contained within the long-offset full-azimuth surface seismic surveys that are fast becoming common in land exploration. This paper presents a case study of acquisition, processing and use of such survey for validation and calibration of processing parameters and inversion results of a recent point-source/point-receiver 3D surface seismic dataset acquired in the Cooper Basin.

The 3D surface seismic data have been initially processed without significant borehole seismic data input. However, as the processing revealed gaps in knowledge, the need for borehole calibration was realised. This led to acquisition of a complex borehole seismic survey in a gas-discovery well comprising Multi-Azimuthal Walkaway (MAZ WVSP), Walkaround and Zero Offset Vertical Seismic Profiles (ZVSP). The acquired dataset shed light into the peg-leg multiple mechanisms as well as the VTI and azimuthal anisotropy. Advanced processing techniques such as calibrated piece-wise VTI inversion and azimuthal travel time fitting were applied to the MAZ WVSP data to validate the processing steps of the 3D surface seismic data and calibrate the results of its AVOaz inversion.

Apart from showing some of the results of this study, this paper documents the various contact points between VSP and surface seismic datasets and how the results of processing complement each other. The final result comprised a calibrated seismic map of drilling targets.