Lecture 7

Synthetic Trace

Time (ms)
Depth
Time

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Outline

Objectives of the seismic - well tie

What is a good well-seismic tie?

Comparing well with seismic data

Preparing well data

Preparing seismic data

How to tie synthetics to seismic data.

Pitfalls

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Objectives of Well-Seismic Ties

Well-seismic ties allow well

data, measured in units of
depth, to be compared to Synthetic Trace
seismic data, measured in units
of time

This allows us to relate horizon

tops identified in a well with
specific reflections on the
seismic section

We use sonic and density well

logs to generate a synthetic
seismic trace

The synthetic trace is compared

to the real seismic data
collected near the well location L 7 Well-Seismic 3
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Purposes for Well-Seismic Ties & Quality

Business Accuracy Seismic Example

Stage Required Quality Application
Required
Within a few Poor/fair Mapping and
Regional cycles tying a
Mapping regional
flooding
surface across
Within ~ cycle Good a basin
Exploration Comparing a
lead to nearby
Wavelet Very good wells
character
Seismic
match
Exploitatio attribute
n analysis
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Inversion
Measurements In Time and In Depth

Seismic - Time Units Log - Depth Units

Surface SHOT RECR

Kelly Bushing
Elevation
Elevation

Vertical depth
Base of
Weathering
Two-way time

Depth
red
asu
Me
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Comparison of Seismic and Well Data
Seismic Data Well Data
Samples area and volume Samples point along well bore

Low frequency 5 - 60 Hz High frequency, 10,000 - 20,000

Hz
Vertical resolution 15 - 100 m
Vertical resolution 2 cm - 2 m
Horizontal resolution 150 -
1000 m Horizontal resolution 0.5 cm - 6
m
Measures seismic amplitude,
phase, continuity, horizontal & Measures vertical velocity,
vertical velocities density, resistivity, radioactivity,
SP, rock and fluid properties
Time measurement from cores
Depth measurement
100 m

100 m

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Seismic-Well Tie Flow-Chart

Seismic Data Real Seismic

Data Processing
Trace

Estimate
Pulse

External Well -
Well -
Pulse Seismic Tie
Seismic Tie

Well Data Seismic Synthetic Seismic

Data Processing Modeling Trace

Check Shots/
Time Depth
Information

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Check Shot Data

Check shots measure the vertical

one-way time from surface to
Seismic Shot
various depths (geophone
positions) within the well

Time

Depth
Used to determine start time of
top of well-log curves

Used to calibrate the

relationship between well Borehole
Geophone
depths and times calculated
from a sonic log

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Pulses Types

Two options for defining the pulse:

A. Use software that estimates the pulse
based on a window of the real
seismic data at the well
(recommended) Known Pulse Shapes
Minimum Zero Quadrature
RC
B. Use a standard pulse shape Phase Phase Phase
specifying polarity, peak frequency,
and phase:
Minimum phase Positive
Reflection
Zero phase Coefficient

Quadrature

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 The Modeling Process

Reflection
Lithology Velocity Density Impedance Wavelet Synthetic
Coefficients

Shale

x
Sand

Shale = *
Sand

Shale

We block the velocity (sonic) and density logs and compute an impedance log
We calculate the reflection coefficients at the step-changes in impedance
We convolve our pulse with the RC series to get individual wavelets
Each RC generates a wavelet whose amplitude is proportional to the RC
We sum the individual wavelets to get the synthetic seismic trace

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Impact of Blocking

For typical seismic data,

blocking on the order of Sonic Sonic
3 m (10 ft) is the Log RC Synthetic Log RC Synthetic

recommended minimum - + - +

Using coarser blocking

Time (sec)
helps identify the major
stratigraphic
contributors to the
peaks and troughs

Thin beds have almost no impact

due to destructive interference

Coarse Blocking Fine Blocking

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Our Example
Well A

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Tying Synthetic to Seismic Data
Position of
Position synthetic trace on seismic line.
Synthetic Trace
Project synthetic along structural or
stratigraphic strike if well is off line

Time (ms)

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Tying Synthetic to Seismic Data

Position synthetic trace on seismic line.

Synthetic
Project synthetic along structural or
Trace
stratigraphic strike if well is off line

Reference datum of synthetic to seismic

data (usually ground level or seismic
datum)

Time (ms)
Without check shots estimate start time
of first bed

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Tying Synthetic to Seismic Data

Position synthetic trace on seismic line.

Synthetic
Project synthetic along structural or
Trace
stratigraphic strike if well is off line

Reference datum of synthetic to seismic

data (usually ground level or seismic
datum)

Time (ms)
Without check shots estimate start time
of first bed

Shift synthetic in time to get the best

character tie
Use stratigraphic info on detailed plot
to help
determine the best fit.

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Tying Synthetic to Seismic Data

Synthetic
Trace

If justified, shift synthetic laterally several

traces to get the best character tie

Character tie is more important than time

tie

Time (ms)
We can use a cross-correlation
coefficient as a measure of the quality
of the character tie

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Tying Synthetic to Seismic Data

Accept the tie that yields best

character tie with least time
shift in the zone of interest
(reservoir)

The top of the reservoir

should be mapped on this
peak (red)

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Assumptions for Synthetic Well Ties

Seismic Data Synthetic Seismograms

Noise free Blocked logs representative of
the earth sampled by the
No multiples
seismic data
Relative amplitudes are
Normal incidence reflection
preserved
coefficients
Zero-offset section
Multiples ignored
No transmission losses or
absorption
Isotropic medium (vertical and
horizontal velocities are equal)

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Common Pitfalls
Error in well or seismic line location
Log data quality
washout zones, drilling-fluid invasion effects
Seismic data quality
noise, multiples, amplitude gain, migration, etc
Incorrect pulse
Polarity, frequency, and phase
Try a different pulse; use extracted pulse
Incorrect 1-D model
Blocked logs, checkshots need further editing
Incorrect start time or improper datuming
Amplitude-Versus-Offset effects
Bed tuning
3-D effects not fully captured by seismic or well data

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