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A History of Seismic Inversion

June 25 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am CDT

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Our Speakers:

Brian Russell,
Vice President
GeoSoftware

Abstract:

Pre-1970s (Early seismic exploration)

  • Seismic data used mainly as a structural mapping tool
  • Interpreters mapped features like:
    • Faults
    • Anticlines
  • These structures indicated potential oil and gas traps

1970s — Post-stack inversion

  • Seismic amplitudes transformed into acoustic impedance (P-impedance)
  • P-impedance = density × P-wave velocity
  • Enabled qualitative interpretation of subsurface properties:
    • Porosity
    • Lithology

1980s — Pre-stack analysis & AVO

  • Use of pre-stack seismic data
  • Introduction of AVO (Amplitude Variations with Offset)
  • Allowed analysis of fluid content in the subsurface

Later — Full pre-stack inversion

  • Estimation of:
    • P-impedance (density × P-wave velocity)
    • S-impedance (density × S-wave velocity)
    • Density
  • Derived directly from pre-stack seismic data

Most recent — Machine learning era

  • Machine learning transforms seismic attributes into quantitative subsurface properties
  • Examples:
    • Water saturation
    • Shale content
    • Porosity
    • Geological facies

Talk overview

Includes case studies from around the world

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Speaker Bios:

Brian Russell holds a B.Sc. from the University of Saskatchewan (1972), a M.Sc. from Durham University, U.K. (1978), and a Ph.D. from the University of Calgary (2004), all in geophysics. Brian joined Chevron as a geophysicist in 1975, and subsequently worked for Teknica Resources and Veritas Seismic before co-founding HampsonRussell Software with Dan Hampson in 1987.  HampsonRussell is now a subsidiary of GeoSoftware in Calgary, where Brian is Vice President.  He is a Past-President of both the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) and Canadian SEG (CSEG) and has received Honorary Membership from both societies, as well as the Cecil Green Enterprise Award from SEG and the CSEG Medal.  Brian is noted for his worldwide lectures in Seismic Inversion and Machine Learning and has published numerous technical articles in The Leading Edge, Geophysics, and Interpretation.  Brian is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Earth, Energy and Environment at the University of Calgary and is affiliated with the CREWES Consortium. He is also registered as a Professional Geophysicist (P.Geoph.) in the Province of Alberta, Canada.