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Getting the whole picture

Wide-azimuth multicomponent seismic

OMV, Vienna, Austria

Julian Holden

CGG, Brentford, England, U.K.

Neil Jones

consultant, London, U.K.

Yann Freudenreich

Shell Exploration

Eduard Maili and Tien-When Lo

Occidental Petroleum, Houston, USA

Corresponding author: Erika.Angerer{at}omv.com

Abstract

Acquiring four-component seismic data with wide-azimuth geometry provides an opportunity to build a very complete seismic picture for reservoir description. The recording of the full vector wavefield allows creation of both PS-wave data as well as P-wave images which contain different but complementary information. It also provides full-azimuth illumination of the subsurface. Azimuthal images improve definition of structural features, such as faults, that may only be illuminated within certain preferential shot-receiver azimuths. Differences in azimuthal images can also be very sensitive fault indicators in the case of small vertical displacements. Furthermore, and of crucial importance at the reservoir scale, wide-azimuth P-wave and PS-wave data lend themselves to the evaluation of azimuthal anisotropy. These attributes provide valuable spatial constraints in the characterization of heterogeneously distributed subseismic scale fractures.