Day2 Strata

STRATA
Seismic Lithology & AVO
Workshop
Singapore
28 November – 2 December 2011
Tutor: Jon Downton
STRATA Course Outline
Introduction to Post-stack Inversion

Exercise 1 - Erskine : Single-well Project set up and Loading
Log Correlation and Wavelets
Exercise 2 - Erskine : Log Correlation and wavelets
Model Building
Exercise 3 - Erskine : Model Building
Model Based Inversion Technique and Analysis
Exercise 4 - Erskine : Inversion Analysis and Application
Review Model Based Inversion Steps
Exercise 5 - Blackfoot : Multi-well Project set up and Correlation
Scaling, Constraints, Error Plots and Model Enhancements
Exercise 6 - Blackfoot : Workflow Inversion, Displays and Slicing
Alternative Post Stack Inversion Techniques
Exercise 7 - Blackfoot : Alternative Inversion Methods
November, 2011 2
Definition
Inversion is the process

of extracting from the
seismic data, the
underlying geology which
gave rise to that seismic.
Seismic amplitude shows

us the boundaries between
rock layers.
Inversion derives
impedance from seismic
data, which is an interval
property useful for
geological interpretation
3
Overview
Early inversions were limited to post-stack data, and did not properly
take into account wavelet interference.
Later developments incorporated the extracted wavelet, and, combined

with pre-stack AVO analysis, produced numerical results consistent with
well log measurements.
Current inversion technology has shifted attention to the quality of the

input seismic data, and the model building.
A recent development is to use inversion results to directly predict

lithologic parameters such as porosity and water saturation (Emerge).
November, 2011 4
Inversion methods
Model
Based
Recursive
Post-stack
Sparse
spike
Stochastic
Inversion Colored
methods in 4D
STRATA
Joint PP/PS
Elastic in PROMC
Impedance
Azimuthal
Pre-stack
LMR
Simultaneous
November, 2011 5
Impedance and Reflectivity
Impedance Reflectivity
Acoustic Impedance (Zp) =

density * velocity
The difference in acoustic
impedance between rock
layers determines the
reflection coefficient.
Z i 1  Z i
Ri 
Z i 1  Z i
Acoustic Impedance
units can be any
combination of P-wave
and Density units.
November, 2011 6
Reflectivity to Seismic Data
Impedance Reflectivity
The source wavelet is

convolved with the earth
reflectivity to produce the
seismic trace
November, 2011 7
Forward sequence : Seismic from Geology
Geology Impedance Reflectivity Seismic
Wavelet
8
November, 2011
Inversion : Geology from Seismic
Geology Impedance Reflectivity Seismic
Wavelet
Wavelet
Removed
9
November, 2011
Impedance Displays
Post-stack seismic inversion transforms an input

seismic volume into a volume of acoustic impedance.
The well log shown is

P-impedance
The wiggle traces on
the right are P-
impedance and the
color coding is also
P-impedance
November, 2011 10
General Forward Model for Inversion
Reflectivity Seismic
S  W * R  Noise
Seismic = Wavelet convolved
with Reflectivity plus noise.
Notes
• There are no multiples modeled.

• Transmission loss and geometric
spreading are ignored.
• Frequency-dependent absorption is
ignored.
• The wavelet may be time varying.
November, 2011 11
The effect of convolving

the wavelet with the
reflectivity is to remove
much of the high-
frequency detail:
November, 2011 12
Wavelet Spectrum
Convolution in the time domain is

multiplication in the frequency
domain.
As we can see from these plots, the Reflectivity Spectrum

effect of the wavelet is to remove
both high and low frequencies from
the trace spectrum.
Theoretically, inversion attempts to

recover these lost regions. Trace Spectrum
November, 2011 13
Non-Uniqueness in Inversion
All inversion algorithms suffer from

“non-uniqueness”. Seismic Constraints
Data
There is more than one possible
geological model consistent with the
seismic data. The only way to decide
Optimum Geological
between the possibilities is to use other
information, not present in the seismic Section Model
data.
This other information is usually

provided in two ways: Combine
• the initial guess model and
• constraints on how far the final result Invert
may deviate from the initial guess
The final result depends on the “other Final

information” as well as the seismic data. Inversion
November, 2011 14
Non-Uniqueness in Inversion
The final result depends on both

Seismic the input seismic and model.
Initial Model
Inversion
November, 2011 15
Model Based Inversion Flow
Gather necessary inputs: Load wells

Import seismic
Exercise 1
Import or pick seismic horizons
Correlate well depths to Extract wavelets

Seismic times: Correlate each well
Build low frequency Use well logs and horizons to replace the
model: low frequencies not recorded by the seismic.
Inversion Analysis: Select Inversion Type and Parameters

Scale model and seismic.
QC Inversion results at well locations
Perform Inversion: Using values determined in the Analysis
Interpret Result: QC areal variations

Create data slices
November, 2011 16
Exercise 1: Erskine 3D
The first set of exercises will apply inversion to a carbonate reef dataset
from central Alberta.
Start the HRS9 Geoview program by clicking

HRS9 Geoview icon on your desktop:
When you launch Geoview,

the first window that you
see contains a list of any
projects previously opened
in Geoview. Your list will be
blank if this is the first time
you are running Geoview.
November, 2011 17
For this exercise, we will start a new
project. Before doing that, it will be
helpful to set all the data paths to point
to the location where we have stored
the workshop data. To do that, click the
Settings tab:
To change all of the directories to the same location, click on

the option Set all default directories and then click the button
to the right:
Then, in the File

Selection Dialog,
select the folder which
contains the workshop
data:
November, 2011 18
After setting all three paths, the Geoview window will now show
the selected directories (note that yours may be different):
When you
have finished
setting all the
paths, click
Apply to store
these paths:
November, 2011 19
Now click the Projects tab and choose the option to create a
New Project:
November, 2011 20
A dialog appears,
where we set the
project name. We
will call it Erskine, as
shown. Enter the
project name and
click OK on that
menu:
November, 2011 21
Now a dialog appears, asking you the name of the database to use for
this project:
The database is used to store all the

wells used in this project. By default,
Geoview creates a new database, with
the same name as the project and
located in the same directory. For
example, this project is called
Erskine.prj, so the default database will
be called Erskine.wdb. This is desirable
since we were starting a new project,
intending to read in well logs from
external files. Occasionally, we may
want to use an existing database, which
has wells already stored. Then we
would click on the option Specify
database. For this exercise, click OK to
accept the default database name.
November, 2011 22
The Geoview Window now looks like
this:
November, 2011 23
Loading the well log data
One part of the Geoview window (called

the Project Manager) shows all the
project data so far. The tabs along the
left side select the type of project data.
Right now, the Well tab is selected. It is
empty, since we have not yet loaded
any data
To load a well, click the button Import

Well, and select Logs, Check Shots,
Tops, …:
November, 2011 24
You need to select the file Erskine2_well.las. Highlight the file name in the list
of available files on the left and then click the Select button:
Note that Geoview assumes

this file has an LAS format Now click OK to load this file in
because of the name LAS format.
extension.
November, 2011 25
The Geoview window now looks like this:
By default, the
program has
opened and
displayed all of
the available
log curves and
tops in the log
file.
November, 2011 26
One part of the window (called the
Project Manager) shows all the project
data so far. The tabs along the left side
select the type of project data. Right
now, the Well tab is selected and we can
see the well (Erskine2) which has been
loaded into the project. Click the “+”
sign near the well name to see a list of
curves in that well:
To see more details about the

wells, click the Data Explorer
tab to the right:
November, 2011 27
The window now changes as shown:
Click the arrow next to the well name

to get more information about the
curves in that well:
November, 2011 28
Note that the well log we saw in the
display is listed, as well as the
Depth-time_P-wave log, which was
created from the sonic log and will
be used for depth-to-time
conversion.
Note also that we can edit items in

this table. For example, if the P-
wave units were wrong, we could
change them here. Also, we can
click the arrow next to any of the
curve names to see the numerical
values in that curve:
November, 2011 29
Click on the arrow that is
pointing to the left to go
back to the previous
menu since we will not
be editing the P-wave
values in this tutorial.
To the right of the workspace, we can

see a base map, showing the location of
the one well:
November, 2011 30
Below the base map are a series of
tabs. Clicking the Single Well Display
tab,
shows the curves for the selected well:
November, 2011 31
Finally, to see the most complete view
of the log curves within a well, double-
click the icon for that well within the
Project Data window:
This creates a new

tab within the main
Geoview window,
called the Wells tab,
which displays the
well curves:
November, 2011 32
You can adjust the well plotting parameters by
clicking the “eyeball” icon, to bring up a dialog for
that purpose:
You can also apply various log

processing options, like Log Editing, by
going to the Processes list:
For this workshop, we will assume that

the logs have been properly edited.
November, 2011 33
Loading the Seismic Data
We have now loaded the well which will be

used in the post stack inversion process. The
next step is to load the seismic volume.
On the far left side of the Geoview window

and click the Seismic tab:
The window to the right of this tab

shows all seismic data loaded so far.
This is empty. Go to the bottom of the
window and click the Import Seismic
button:
On the pull-down menu, select From

SEG-Y File:
November, 2011 34
On the dialog that appears,
select the file
Erskine2_3D.sgy and click
Next:
Set the Geometry Type to

3D and click Next:
November, 2011 35
On the third page, we are telling the
program what information it can use
from the trace headers. In fact, in
this data set, there are Inline and
Xline numbers, and X and Y
coordinates. That is why we answer
Yes to both questions :
Click Next to see the SEG-Y

Format page:
November, 2011 36
By default, this page assumes that the seismic data is a SEG-Y file with all
header values filled in as per the standard SEG-Y convention. For example,
it expects to find the Inline and Xline numbers at the byte locations shown
above. If you are not sure that is true, click Header Editor to see what is in
the trace headers.
In our case, we believe the format information is

correct, so click Next to move to the next page.
Now the following warning message appears
because the program is about to scan the entire
SEG-Y file.
Click Yes to begin the scanning process.
November, 2011 37
When the scanning has
finished, the Geometry Grid
page appears. We can use
this to confirm that the
geometry has been set up
properly.
Click OK to finish the

SEGY loading.
November, 2011 38
Now the Well-Map Table appears, specifying where the well is
located within the survey. Because we have read the geometry
correctly from the trace headers, this location is correct. Click
OK on this menu.
November, 2011 39
Now the seismic data appears within the Geoview window:
November, 2011 40
Currently Inline 1 is visible. Let’s look
at a different inline. Type the number
10 as shown, and press the Enter key:
Inline 10 now appears:
November, 2011 41
To see the display positioned at the well
location, go to the Well icon and click
the down arrow as shown:
The drop-down menu shows a

list of wells in the project.
There is only one. Select that
well and the display will jump
to the inline which intersects
that well location.
November, 2011 42
Importing Horizons
The last data component

required for building the
initial inversion model is a
set of horizon picks. You
can use Geoview to pick the
data directly. Alternatively,
you can import horizons
which have been previously
picked in other software.
To start that process, click

on the Horizon tab > Import
> From File:
November, 2011 43
From the File Selection Window, select
the file named
Erkine2_five_horizons.txt
Note that, at the lower left corner of the

dialog, we are specifying this to be a Free
Format file. Click Next:
November, 2011 44
Because this is a file previously created by Geoview, the next page
has already been filled in correctly. We can confirm that by clicking
the View Files button:
Click OK to read the file:
November, 2011 45
The imported
horizons will be
displayed on the
seismic window:
(End of Exercise 1)
November, 2011 46
Correlation and Wavelets
November, 2011 47
Correlation
The initial guess

model for each trace
consists of an
impedance log,
usually derived by
multiplying a real
sonic log by a real
density log.
The impedance log
model must be
measured in 2-way
travel time but the
original logs are
measured in depth.
A critical step is
correlation of well-
depth to seismic-time:
November, 2011 48
Correlation
The depth-to-time
conversion is made
using a depth-time table
which maps each depth
to the two-way travel
time from the datum
(surface) to that depth
and back: For example at a depth
of 1300m, the TWT is
approximately 900ms.
November, 2011 49
Correlation
The depth-time table is usually calculated from the sonic log velocities
using this equation:
i
dj
ti  2* 
where: ti = time down to layer i
dj = thickness of layer j
j 1 Vj Vj = velocity of layer j
The time to an event depends on all the

velocities above that layer, including
the first velocity to the surface, V1.
Because logs are not usually recorded
near the surface, that velocity is
unknown and is usually approximated
by extrapolating the first measured
velocity back to the surface:
November, 2011 50
Correlation
The depth-time table calculated from the sonic log is rarely sufficient to
produce a model impedance which ties the seismic data properly because:
• The seismic datum and log datum may be different.
• The average first layer velocity is not known.
• Errors in the sonic log velocities produce cumulative errors in the

calculated travel-times.
• The events on the seismic data may be mispositioned due to

migration errors.
• The seismic data may be subject to time stretch caused by

frequency-dependent absorption and short-period multiples.
November, 2011 51
Deviated Wells
If the well is deviated, it must be corrected to vertical and the correction

made from KB to datum:
DM = Measured depth from KB

DV = Vertical depth from KB
DS = Vertical depth from datum
T = Two-way time from datum
November, 2011 52
Check Shots
The depth-time
table calculated
from the sonic log
must be modified
to reflect the
desired check shot
times:
Original
Depth/Time
Curve
Desired
Depth/Time
Curve
November, 2011 53
Correlation
Correlation is achieved by
matching events on a well
synthetic with the same events
on a seismic trace at the well
location
November, 2011 54
Correlation
The
interpolati
on of
points on
the drift
curve
uses one
of three
options:
Linear. Honors the Spline. Honors Polynomial. Fits a

points exactly with the points exactly smooth curve using
straight line with smooth least-squares
segments between curves between optimization
November, 2011 55
Changing the depth-time table
Changing the depth-time table implies a

possible change in the original sonic log
velocities. There are three options in STRATA:
(1) Change all the velocities in the log in such

a way that the new log will integrate to exactly
the desired times.
Note: This involves a ramped velocity above

the first measured depth to handle the bulk
time shift and to minimize the effect of
spurious reflections on the synthetic.
This is called “Apply All Changes” in STRATA.
November, 2011 56
(2) Change the velocities for layers between

the first and last check shot depth only.
This means that no ramp is added above the

first measured depth.
The resulting log will integrate to the desired

times except for a bulk time shift.
This is called “Apply Relative Changes” in

STRATA.
November, 2011 57
(3) Do not change the velocities in the sonic

log.
The resulting log will not integrate to the

desired times, but GEOVIEW and STRATA
will use the new depth-time table.
This option has the effect of maintaining the

original reflection coefficients for synthetic
calculations.
This is called “Change Depth-Time Table

Only” in STRATA.
November, 2011 58
Log Correlation Summary
Log correlation is the process of applying a manual correction to the

well depth-time curve to optimize the correlation between initial model
and seismic data.
Log correlation should be applied after the check shot correction, and is
ideally a small change.
Log correlation changes the depth-time curve in exactly the same way
as a check shot correction.
Log correlation consists of selecting events on the synthetic trace and

the corresponding events on the real trace.
Since the synthetic is used, the choice of wavelet may be important.
November, 2011 59
Wavelets
Wavelet Spectrum
The Convolutional Model is used as
the basis for all inversion:
trace = wavelet * reflectivity + noise
In the frequency domain, convolution

becomes multiplication: Reflectivity Spectrum
Inversion can be thought of as division

by the wavelet:
Reflectivity = Trace / Wavelet

Trace Spectrum
The narrow band wavelet restricts the
available range of information in the
frequency domain.
November, 2011 60
Wavelets
Time Response
The wavelet is defined completely by its
amplitude spectrum and its phase
spectrum:
Over a limited frequency range, the

Amplitude Spectrum
phase spectrum may often be
approximated by a straight line.
The intercept of the line is the constant

phase rotation which best characterizes
this wavelet. Phase Spectrum
The slope of the line measures the time-

shift of the wavelet.
November, 2011 61
Wavelets
These wavelets all have the same amplitude 0o

spectrum, but different (constant) phase
spectra:
45o
90o
180o
-90o
November, 2011 62
Wavelets
A special wavelet phase issue is the Polarity Convention.

The default convention is that an increase in acoustic impedance is
represented as a peak on zero-phase seismic data:
The alternate convention is that an increase in acoustic impedance is

represented as a trough on zero-phase seismic data:
The polarity convention is set using the

Synthetic Polarity Convention menu:
November, 2011 63
Wavelets
Wavelets in the earth vary both laterally (spatially) and temporally for a
variety of reasons:
• Near surface effects (space variant)
• Frequency-dependent absorption (space and time variant)
• Inter-bed multiples (space and time variant)
• NMO stretch
• Processing artifacts
STRATA assumes that the wavelet is constant with time and space:
• Time invariant: This means that the inversion is optimized for a

limited time window.
• Space invariant: This assumes that the data has been processed
optimally to remove spatial variations in the wavelet.
November, 2011 64
Wavelets
There are two basic procedures for wavelet extraction in HRS-9:
1) Use the seismic alone to

extract the amplitude
spectrum of the wavelet.
Assume the wavelet is
zero phase.
2) Use the well(s) and

seismic to extract both the
amplitude and phase
spectra of the wavelet.
November, 2011 65
Wavelets
Why not always use

the wells? Extract
Log correlation
errors (stretches)
can cause very big
phase problems.
Solution: do log
correlation before
wavelet extraction
using wells.
Extract
November, 2011 66
Wavelets
Statistical Wavelet Extraction

(without using wells):
This procedure uses only the autocorrelation from the seismic data. The
phase is assumed known.
Main parameters:
• Trace range (usually set this large to increase statistics)
• Time window (should be at least twice the wavelet length)
• Wavelet length
November, 2011 67
Wavelets
Example of Statistical Wavelet extraction: Note that the wavelet is zero-

phase because the user has set that as a parameter.
November, 2011 68
Wavelets
Wavelet extraction using well logs:
This procedure uses the well logs to

estimate both the amplitude spectrum
and the phase spectrum of the wavelet.
It depends critically on the quality of the
tie between logs and seismic.
Main parameters:
• Select wells to use (use only
logs with a good match to the
seismic)
• Time window
• Wavelet length
• Extraction Type
November, 2011 69
Wavelets
Full Wavelet Option:

This extracts both the amplitude and phase spectrum exactly by solving for
the time-domain operator which shapes the well log reflectivity to the
seismic composite trace. This will only work if the tie is extremely good.
November, 2011 70
Wavelets
Constant Phase Option:

This option calculates the amplitude spectrum of the wavelet using the
autocorrelation of the seismic traces, exactly as in the statistical procedure.
The phase spectrum is approximated as a single constant value, using the
well logs. This procedure is more robust than the Full Wavelet calculation,
especially when the tie between logs and seismic is poor. This is the default
choice.
November, 2011 71
Wavelets
Steps for calculating the phase:
(1) Calculate the wavelet using the statistical wavelet extraction

procedure (don’t use the wells initially).
(2) Apply a series of constant phase rotations to the extracted
wavelet.
(3) For each phase rotation, calculate the synthetic trace and
correlate it with the seismic trace.
(4) Select the phase rotation which produces the maximum
correlation.
November, 2011 72
Wavelets
If the well tie is good, the methods

produce similar results:
Constant Phase Full Wavelet
November, 2011 73
Wavelets
A General Problem with wavelet extraction:
• To extract a wavelet using logs, an optimum correlation must be

done first.
• To perform correlation properly, the wavelet must already be
known.
Practical wavelet extraction procedure:
• Use statistical wavelet extraction to determine a preliminary

wavelet.
• Stretch/squeeze the logs to tie the seismic data.
• Extract a new wavelet using the well logs.
• Possibly repeat the previous two steps.
November, 2011 74
Wavelets
A useful wavelet diagnostic is the Cross Correlation window.
Maximum correlation after the

current well is shifted.
Suggested shift of the well.

This is only (exactly) correct if
no stretching is required.
The symmetry of these side

lobes shows that there is no
residual phase error.
November, 2011 75
Wavelets
If there is more than one well, a good diagnostic is

Multi-well Analysis:
November, 2011 76
Wavelets
The Correlation Plot shows a graph of correlation

for each well. This can be used to flag bad wells,
which can be removed from a later wavelet
extraction.
November, 2011 77

Import seismic
Exercise 2


Create data slices
November, 2011 78
Exercise 2: Erskine 3D – Log Correlation
Now we are ready to do log

correlation on the Erskine
well.
To start that process, click the

Processes tab, which displays a list of
all available processes within Geoview:
November, 2011 79
Click on the “+” sign near the
Log Processing item and
double-click Log Correlation:
The first menu which pops up

allows you to select the well to
be correlated. There is only one
well, which is already selected.
Click OK on the menu.
November, 2011 80
The next menu determines how
the composite trace will be
extracted.
The composite trace is the

average seismic trace around the
borehole. This will be compared
with the synthetic trace from the
well log.
In this case, we are extracting

from the seismic file Erskine2_3D,
averaging nearest neighbours
which are +/- 1 inline or cross-line
from the borehole (i.e. 9 traces).
Click OK to accept the default.
November, 2011 81
The Log Correlation window now appears:
November, 2011 82
We can create more space for the
working window by temporarily
removing the Project Manager from
view. Click on the “x” as shown. Note
that we will bring this back later when
needed.
The Correlation Window shows:
The sonic log from the well.
The synthetic calculated using the current

wavelet (in blue).
The composite or “average” trace from

the seismic (in red).
November, 2011 83
In addition, we see the Cross Correlation
plot, which shows the correlation between
the synthetic trace and the composite
trace.
Our objective in this process is to

maximize the correlation coefficient at zero
lag time by modifying the depth-time
transformation on the log, while, at the
same time, extracting a suitable wavelet.
The first step is to notice, that, because we

have not yet extracted a wavelet, a default
wavelet has been used to create the
synthetic. This needs to be improved first.
November, 2011 84
To extract a wavelet, click on the Wavelet
tab in the lower left of the window.
There are two processes for extracting a

wavelet:
Statistical uses the seismic alone to

extract a zero-phase wavelet.
The other option uses the Well to extract

the wavelet phase.
Because we have not yet correlated the

well, we use the Statistical option. Select
that option, as shown:
November, 2011 85
The menu on the right appears, allowing you to set the time and trace
range to use for the wavelet extraction.
Modify the Time

Window as shown
and click OK
November, 2011 86
The extracted wavelet
appears, showing its time
response and frequency
spectrum.
This wavelet is zero-phase

because we have not yet
used the well to extract
the actual phase
spectrum. We will do that
later.
Click on the “x” to dismiss

the wavelet window.
November, 2011 87
After closing
the wavelet,
return to the
Wells tab
November, 2011 88
The Log Correlation window has been re-drawn, using the newly extracted
wavelet. We can see that the synthetic traces now match well in character
with the seismic traces, but there is an overall shift; confirmed by the
correlation plot, which shows a maximum peak at around 30 ms lag.
November, 2011 89
Finally, looking at the bottom of the window, we see that the program
suggests a 30ms time shift. Click Apply Shift to accept that
suggestion:
The window now

shows a much
improved correlation:
November, 2011 90
Typically, a single bulk time shift will
not optimize the correlation. To do
that, we need to “stretch and
squeeze” the log, effectively applying
a manual check-shot correction.
Use the mouse to correlate the events

as shown to the right. Alternately,
select a peak or trough on the blue
synthetic followed by the
corresponding event on the red
synthetic. Each time, click the left
mouse button to select the event.
If you make a mistake, use the Clear

Picks button to correct it.
November, 2011 91
Notice that, while you are picking, two new
tracks appear to the left. The smooth blue
curve is the Drift Curve, which is the correction
that will be applied to the Depth-Time curve if
you use the selected picks.
Just to the right of that, we see the effective

change to the sonic log, which would be
consistent with the applied stretches. This
display can be very helpful in detecting
unreasonable stretches.
November, 2011 92
Actually, the default behavior is NOT to
change the sonic log, but only the
depth-time curve.
We can confirm this and see many

other parameters by clicking the
Correlation Parameters tab at the
bottom right.
November, 2011 93
Finally, apply the stretch by clicking the
Stretch button at the bottom of the
menu.
The synthetic aligns very well

with the seismic data and the
correlation window confirms
that we have a very good
symmetric cross-correlation
with a peak value of about
85%.
November, 2011 94
The symmetric correlation shape means that the
extracted zero-phase wavelet is probably very accurate.
We can confirm that by extracting a new wavelet, using
the well. Once again, click on Wavelet and this time
select Extract Wavelet using Wells.
On the menu, set the Time Window

and Selected Wells as shown and
click OK:
November, 2011 95
which appears is very
close to zero-phase.
In fact, looking at the

bottom of the
display, we can read
that the phase is 9
degrees.
Click the “x” at the

upper right corner to
dismiss the wavelet
display.
November, 2011 96
Now that we have correlated the
well and extracted the wavelet, we
finalize the process by clicking the
OK button:
This creates a new P-wave log

corresponding to the new depth-time
curve. Click OK to accept that new
name.
November, 2011 97
Bring back the Project
Manager by clicking as
shown.
November, 2011 98
We have extracted two wavelets, one using the
seismic data alone and one using the well. After
each extraction, we deleted the wavelet display.
Now let’s see how to get the wavelets back and
compare them.
A very useful feature is the Scenes tab. Click it

as shown.
This tab contains thumbnail images of all displays

we have created in the project. There are a series
of side tabs controlling the type of display. For
example, right now we are seeing the contents of
the Wells tab.
November, 2011 99
Select the Wavelets side-tab and the Scenes
change as shown.
There are small images of the two wavelets

we previously extracted.
The little boxes to the left of each image are

unchecked, meaning that these images are
not currently visible
November, 2011 100

Check both of them ON and the two wavelets re-appear in
their own Wavelets tab. The displays can now be compared
easily.
November, 2011 101

There is another useful way to display
information about the wavelets. Click on the
Data Explorer tab at the top. The Data Explorer
allows us to see detailed information about
many aspects of the project data.
Click on the down arrow and from the pull

down menu, select Wavelet Data Explorer.
November, 2011 102

We now see a list of the
three available
wavelets: the original
default, plus the two we
have extracted.
One of the them, which is currently visible, has an asterisk beside the
name. This indicates that this wavelet is the Current Wavelet, which, by
default, will be used for all subsequent processes which use a wavelet,
like inversion.
The Current Wavelet can be changed by selecting another and clicking

this button.
November, 2011
(End of Exercise 2) 103
The Model
November, 2011 104

Seismic Frequency Content
Seismic data usually does not contain the low frequencies

needed for to recover absolute impedances through
inversion. These can be provided by well logs which record
both lower and higher frequency data than seismic.
Example amplitude spectrum

of seismic volume
November, 2011 105

Seismic Frequency Content
Seismic data usually does not contain the lowest frequencies

Unfiltered 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-70
November, 2011 106

Well Log Frequency Content
But well logs do contain the lowest frequencies
‘The
Model’
November, 2011 107

The Model
These three terms are used

interchangeably:
• Low frequency trend

• Starting impedance
• The Model
November, 2011 108

The Model
The model is usually

displayed as a color overlay
November, 2011 109

Model interpolation
When more than one well is entered into the model, the results are
interpolated (by default) using inverse-distance weighting:
November, 2011 110

Model interpolation
Assume that there are two input logs, L1 and L2. We wish to calculate the
output log, Lout.
This will be a linear combination of the two input logs:
Lout = w1*L1 + w2*L2
1 d 12
w1 
The weights vary inversely as the
distance from the target point to each of
the input logs: 1 d 12  1 d 2 2
In general:
Lout   wi * Li
-2
i
where: wi  d i
d
-2
j
j
November, 2011 111
Model interpolation
Using two or more horizons and logs, causes the impedances

between the two horizons to be stretched and squeezed;
using inverse distance interpolation between the wells.
November, 2011 112

Model interpolation
The model options can nearly all be changed
November, 2011 113

Model interpolation
November, 2011 114

Model interpolation
A less frequently used option is

Triangulation, which fits a series of
plane segments between adjacent
wells.
November, 2011 115

Model interpolation
The type of interpolation between

horizons can be changed
November, 2011 116

Model interpolation
A pinch-out is handled by forcing the two picked events to converge:
November, 2011 117

Model interpolation
If horizons cross, the handling depends on the

Priority Value assigned to each horizon.
In this case, H1 has a higher priority, so H2 is

truncated.
This is the opposite case.
November, 2011 118

Model interpolation
STRATA currently does not handle faults in model building.

However, the effect may be simulated by picking the same event
on both sides of the fault, and picking the fault plane as well:
November, 2011 119

Model horizons
General rules for adding picked events:
(1) Picked events must be present across the entire survey. Missing
picks will be interpolated by the program.
(2) Only pick events which you are sure of.
(3) Pick the large scale structure, not the fine details.
(4) Usually, the events picked during conventional interpretation are
precisely what STRATA needs.
November, 2011 120

Model : Unfiltered
It is also possible
to use the high-
frequency model
that results from
simply interpolating
the model traces,
without any
smoothing.
November, 2011 121

Model filtering
Comparison of inversion results from High Frequency and Smooth models.
High Frequency Model Smooth Model
Inversion Result Inversion Result
November, 2011 122

Model filtering
The results are

surprisingly similar, but
the second is probably
more reliable.
Result from High

Frequency Model
Result from
Smooth Model
November, 2011 123


Import seismic

Exercise 3


Create data slices
November, 2011 124
Exercise 3: Erskine 3D – Building the model
Now that we have correlated the well, we

are ready to build the low-frequency model.
In the Processes list, double-click

Build Strata Model:
November, 2011 125

On the menu which appears, use
the Select All buttons to use all the
available wells and horizons in the
model building.
There are many other Advanced

parameters which we have
defaulted, but we will look at those
later.
Now, click OK to build the model

with the default parameters:
November, 2011 126

Now the smooth initial
model appears.
By default, the wiggle

traces are showing the
original 3D seismic data,
while the color is
showing the acoustic
impedance (Zp).
November, 2011 127

Double-click on Set Model Parameters to bring up a multi-tabbed menu
showing you all the optional parameters associated with model
building:
November, 2011 128

For example, the
Smooth tab shows that
a low-pass filter has
been applied to create a
low-frequency model:
We can test the effect of

removing the smoother
and creating the full-
band model. To do that,
select the item shown
and click Apply (not OK,
since we want this to be
temporary).
November, 2011 129

Looking at the
Model display, we
see that the color
shows high-
frequency detail.
November, 2011 130

We can see this even more clearly
by display the model values as
wiggle traces as well as color.
To do that, right-click over color

display. On the pop-up menu,
select Trace Data Volume and
Model P-wave.
The display now shows

the high-frequency
interpolated logs.
November, 2011 131

The high-frequency model
is useful for some
purposes, but is not
recommended as an initial
model for inversion, so
click Cancel to return the
model to its original default
state.
This warning message appears.

Click Yes to accept it.
(End of Exercise 3)
November, 2011 132
Model Based Inversion
November, 2011 133

Model Based Inversion starts with the equation for the convolutional
model:
S  W * R  Noise
Assume that the seismic trace, S, and the wavelet, W, are known.
Assume that the Noise is random and uncorrelated with the signal.
Solve for the reflectivity, R, which satisfies this equation. This is

actually a non-linear problem, so the solution is done iteratively.
November, 2011 134

Step 1:
The initial background model for Model Based Inversion is formed by
blocking an impedance log from a well:
The user specifies the layer size

in milliseconds (by default, this
is the sample rate).
All the layers are originally set

to the same size (in time).
135
November, 2011
Step 2:
Using the blocked model, the reflectivity is calculated and convolved
with the known wavelet, to calculate a synthetic zero offset trace.
Zp Blocked Synthetic Seismic
This is compared with the

actual seismic trace.
By analyzing the errors or

“misfit” between synthetic
and real trace, each of the
layers is modified in
thickness and amplitude to
reduce the error.
This is repeated through a

series of iterations.
136
November, 2011
But, as we saw earlier, we only need
the frequencies from the well(s) that
are not present in the seismic, So to
ensure that the detail in the inversion
output is derived from the seismic, the
log impedance curve is filtered to
retain only the low frequencies.
The low-pass-filtered well impedance is
therefore the starting point for the
model-based algorithm.
Low-pass filtered P-impedance log
P-impedance log
November, 2011 137

The Model
Each bin/CDP effectively contains a low frequency well

impedance trace and a seismic trace
Smooth Model Seismic Combined Display
November, 2011 138

Iterative Solution
Impedance changes .. reflectivity * wavelet = synthetic seismic
Impedances are calculated Differences are used to

from final reflectivity update reflectivity
139
Zero Iterations
Real
Synthetic Seismic
seismic trace
Synthetic Difference
from model
Seismic
Zp Well
Real seismic
Zp Model trace at well
Difference
November, 2011 140

1 Iteration
Difference
November, 2011 141

2 Iterations
Notice the
decrease in
error with
each
iteration
November, 2011 142

3 Iterations
November, 2011 143

5 Iterations
November, 2011 144

10 Iterations : completed
Real
Seismic
Synthetic Difference
Seismic
Zp Well
Zp Model
Inversion
Result
Difference
November, 2011 145

Without a Model = Relative Zp
Well Zp
Without the low
frequency trend
from the well(s),
the impedances
are relative.
As with the input

seismic, the
resulting
impedances are
+ve and –ve.
November, 2011 146

With a Model = Absolute Zp
With the low

frequency
trend from the
well(s), the
impedances
are absolute.
Output seismic
impedances
can be
correlated log
impedances.
November, 2011 147

Without a Model = Relative Zp
Without the low

frequency trend
from the well(s), the
impedances are
relative.
Note the color key

impedance values.
The inserted well

impedances in
color are all higher
values than the
seismic impedance
traces data, so
cannot be related.
The inserted log is

Zp.
November, 2011 148
With a Model = Absolute Zp
With the low

frequency trend
from the well(s), the
impedances are
absolute.
Note the different

color key
impedance values.
The inserted well

impedances in
color now match
the values in the
seismic impedance
traces data.
The inserted log is

Zp.
November, 2011 149
Input Seismic Model Based Inversion
Model Based
Inversion produces
a broad-band, high
frequency result.
November, 2011 150

Issues in Model Based Inversion:
(1) Because the wavelet is known, its effects are removed from the
seismic during the calculation. For example, the seismic does not
have to be zero-phase, as long as the wavelet has the same phase
as the seismic.
(2) Errors in the estimated wavelet will cause errors in the inversion
result.
(3) The effective resolution of the seismic is enhanced (wider

bandwidth with inclusion of the low frequency model)
(4) The result can be dependent on the initial guess model. This can be
alleviated by filtering the model.
(5) There is a non-uniqueness problem, as with all inversion.
November, 2011 151


Import seismic


Exercise 4 QC Inversion results at well locations

Create data slices
November, 2011 152
Exercise 4: Erskine 3D – Inversion
Now that we have built the low-frequency

model, we are ready to do the inversion.
That is actually done in two steps – first,
we perform Inversion Analysis at the well
location; then, we invert the entire 3D
volume.
To start that process, go to the Processes

list and double-click Analysis and then
Post-stack Inversion Analysis:
November, 2011 153

On the menu which
appears, the only change
is to select the available
well. Then click OK:
November, 2011 154

The Inversion Analysis window now appears, showing the inversion
result at the first well location:
From left to right, the display

shows the inversion result (in
red) overlaying the original
impedance log from the well.
To the right of that, we see the
synthetic traces calculated
from this inversion result (in
red) followed by the original
seismic composite trace (in
black). Finally, we see the
error trace, which is the
difference between the two
previous results.
November, 2011 155

To the upper right of the display are a
series of buttons, which allow us to fine-
tune the inversion. For example, the
Wavelet button allows you to manipulate
the inversion wavelet.
A second button allows us to view and

change the initial model parameters:
A third button brings up a dialog

allowing us to change the inversion
parameters. Click this button as shown.
November, 2011 156

The menu which
appears allows us
to modify any of
the inversion
parameters and
see the result
immediately on the
Inversion Analysis
window. We will
examine these
processes more
thoroughly in the
next exercise. So,
for now, click the
Close button on
this menu.
November, 2011 157

The last step in the analysis is to invert
the entire 3D data volume. To do that,
click the Run button.
The menu which appears contains all the

parameters that were used in the previous
analysis. If we had changed any of them
previously, they would be carried through
on this menu. Normally, we only need to
confirm the output file name for the
inversion result and the range of data to
invert.
Click OK to run the inversion.

November, 2011 158
When the inversion finishes, the result is automatically displayed
in a split-screen window. The initial model is shown on the left
panel, while the inversion result is shown on the right panel.
November, 2011 159

There are many interesting ways of manipulating the inversion
display. We will examine a number of them in a later exercise.
For now, we will look at just two modifications. The first is to

view the inversion error.
To do that, right-click on the

inversion window (right panel) and
select Trace Data Volume and
inverted_derived_Synthetic_Error:
November, 2011 160

The display now shows the error or mis-fit between the original
seismic data and the synthetic created from the inversion. The
fact that there is very little energy in this display confirms that
the inversion has worked very well at modeling the seismic data.
November, 2011 161

Now turn the color display back on
by right-clicking and selecting Color
Data Volume and inverted:
Then, right-click again and select

Color Key and Modify Range.
November, 2011 162

The menu which appears
allows us to set the range of
impedance values for the
color display.
We can also ask the program

to calculate automatically an
optimum color range for this
data set.
To do that click Default Scan.
This causes the numbers to

change as shown. Click OK
to modify the display.
November, 2011 163

The display changes as
shown.
Note the anomalous

low-impedance region
at the base of the
inserted well.
November, 2011 164

We have now completed all exercises
on the Erskine 3D volume. Close
down the Geoview program by
clicking File -> Exit.
When this warning message appears,

click Yes. Note that it is not necessary
to save the project, as it is constantly
being saved automatically.
(End of Exercise 4)
November, 2011 165
Review of the steps for Model
Based Inversion
November, 2011 166


Import seismic



Create data slices
November, 2011 167
For an efficient inversion project…
QC your well logs before starting, as they are essential for

the model and for QC of the results. Logs should be edited,
normalised and with tops consistently named.
Horizons – must be smoothed and extend throughout the

area of the seismic.
Inversion will interpret all reflections in the seismic including

multiples and noise, as geologic changes.
Closely examine your target zone in the Inversion Analysis…

before running the full inversion.
November, 2011 168


Import seismic
Exercise 5 Import or pick seismic horizons



Create data slices
November, 2011 169
Exercise 5: Blackfoot – Starting the Project
In this exercise, we will begin inverting a new data set.
This data set is from the Blackfoot area of Western Canada, and consists of
13 wells which tie a 3D volume. These wells have already been loaded into a
GEOVIEW database. The first step is to start the HRS-9 Geoview program.
Start the Geoview program by clicking

the HRS-9 Geoview icon on your
desktop:
November, 2011 170

When the Geoview
program appears, it shows
the Start Page, which
contains a list of
previously opened
projects.
Click on New Project:
November, 2011 171

Type in the project name “blackfoot” and
click Ok:
November, 2011 172

By default, Geoview
expects to use a well log
database with the same
name as the project,
located in the same
directory. If that is not the
case, you can Specify the
database.
In this case, we have

created the database
previously, with the 13
wells already loaded. So,
click Specify database and
Open.
November, 2011 173

On the File Selection
dialog, select the file
blackfoot.wdb and click
Ok:
Finally, click Ok on the

Specify Database menu to
create the new project:
November, 2011 174

The Geoview window now shows the current
project and well database in red:
November, 2011 175

Displaying the wells
One part of the Geoview window (called

the Project Manager) shows all the
project data so far.
The tabs along the left side select the

type of project data. Right now, the
Well tab is selected and we can see the
13 wells from the external data base.
Click the “+” sign near one of the wells

(01-17 is shown as an example), to see a
list of curves in that well:
November, 2011 176

To see more details about the wells,
click the Data Explorer tab to the right:
The Geoview
window now
changes as
shown:
November, 2011 177

Click the arrow next to any of
the wells (for example, well 01-
17) to get more information
about the curves in that well:
Click this to return to the

previous table:
November, 2011 178

To the right of the workspace, we can
see a base map, showing the location
of the wells:
Below the base map are a series of

tabs:
November, 2011 179

Click the Single Well Display tab:
This shows the curves for the

selected well:
November, 2011 180

Finally, to see the most complete view
of the log curves within a well, go to the
icon (not the blue/white arrow) for that
well within the Project Data window and
double-click. In this case, we will
choose well 01-08:
This creates a new tab within

the main Geoview window,
called the Wells tab, which
displays the selected well
curves:
November, 2011 181

Loading the Seismic Data
We have now loaded the wells which will be

used in the post stack inversion process. The
next step is to load the seismic volume.
On the far left side of the Geoview window

and click the Seismic tab:
The window to the right of this tab

shows all seismic data loaded so far.
This is empty. Go to the bottom of the
window and click the Import Seismic
button:
On the pull-down menu, select From

SEG-Y File:
November, 2011 182

On the dialog that appears,
Select the file
blackfoot_seismic.sgy and
click Next:
Set the Geometry Type to

3D and click Next:
November, 2011 183

On the third page, we are telling the
program what information it can use
from the trace headers. In fact, in
this data set, there are Inline and
Xline numbers, but not X and Y
coordinates. That is why we answer
No to the question “Do you have X &
Y coordinates in the trace
headers?”:
After modifying that item,

as shown, click Next to
see the SEG-Y Format
page:
November, 2011 184

By default, this page assumes that the seismic data is a SEG-Y file with all
header values filled in as per the standard SEG-Y convention. For example,
it expects to find the Inline and Xline numbers at the byte locations shown
above. If you are not sure that is true, click Header Editor to see what is in
the trace headers.
In our case, we believe the format

information is correct, so click Next to
move to the next page. Now the following
warning message appears because the
program is about to scan the entire SEG-Y
file.
Click Yes to begin the scanning process.
November, 2011 185

When the scanning has finished, the
Geometry Grid page appears:
Because we have read the Inline and

Xline numbers from the SEG-Y headers,
the geometry is correct. Click OK. After
building the geometry files, a new
window appears, showing how each of
the wells is mapped into this seismic
volume:
Click OK to accept the locations

shown on this window.
November, 2011 186

Now the seismic data appears within the Geoview window:
November, 2011 187

Modifying the Seismic Display
The Geoview window currently shows Inline 1.

We will now look at other parts of the data.
The first thing to see is the Base Map. To do
that, select View>Base Map:
Or… right click on the seismic data.
The base map appears, showing that

the seismic volume is a rectangular grid
with 119 inlines and 81 cross lines. You
can also see the 13 wells located within
the volume:
November, 2011 188

By double clicking
within the survey
outline, the
display can be
jumped to any
location.
Click the x to exit.
November, 2011 189

Now let’s look at a different inline. Type the
number 27 as shown, and press the Enter key:
Inline 27 now appears. At

the same time, we can see
one of the sonic logs.
Scroll down to see this
view:
November, 2011 190

To see one of the cross lines, click the field
which currently says Inline. Select the Xline
option.
Cross line 1 now appears. To see the

display positioned at one of the well
locations, go to the Well icon and click
the down arrow as shown:
The drop-down menu shows a list of

wells in the project. Select one – say,
08-08, as shown – and the Geoview
window shows the crossline which
intersects that well location.
November, 2011 191

We can also modify other plotting
parameters by using the Seismic View
Parameters window. To bring up that
window, click the “eyeball” icon as shown:
The Seismic View Parameters window

contains a series of pages which
control various aspects of the plotting.
To see the parameters for a specific

item, select that item from the list at the
left side. For example, here we have
selected the Inserted Wells item:
November, 2011 192

Let us (temporarily) insert the
density log by selecting that item
as shown:
Now click Apply on the Seismic

View Parameters window. The
display is modified accordingly:
November, 2011 193

We will continue the
exercise with the sonic logs
reinserted. To do this, click
Cancel on the View
Parameters window.
This redraws the Geoview

window as before.
November, 2011 194

Importing Horizons
The last data component required for

building the initial inversion model is a set
of horizon picks.
You can use Geoview to pick the data
directly.
Alternatively, you can import horizons,
usually from interpretation software.
To start that process, go to the Project

Manager window, click Horizon and then
Import , From File:
November, 2011 195

Importing Horizons
From the File Selection Window, highlight the file

called blackfoot_horizons.txt and click Select.
Note that, at the lower left corner of the dialog, we are

specifying this to be a Free Format file. Click Next:
November, 2011 196
The next page of the dialog allows you
to specify how the file is organized:
Click the View Files button to see the

ASCII file:
November, 2011 197

The file display shows that there are 2
horizons in the file, and that we need to
skip the first 4 information lines.
Fill in the format dialog

as shown, and type-in
the new Horizon
Names:
November, 2011 198

When you have
modified the
dialog, click OK
and the imported
horizons will be
displayed on the
seismic window:
November, 2011 199

Using the Post Stack Inversion Workflow
Now that we have read in all the data necessary for the inversion, we are
ready to start the process.
First, look at the horizontal tabs to the

left of the seismic window. You will see
that one of those tabs is called
Processes. Click that tab to see a list of
all the operations which are available in
Geoview. Each of the processes can be
expanded. For example, if you click on
both the Seismic Processing and
Inversion options, the following
expanded list is seen.
One way to do the inversion would be to

apply each of the desired options in
turn.
November, 2011 200

We will use an alternate procedure in this
exercise. We will use the pre-defined
Workflows. Click the Workflows tab. The
window changes like this:
Each of the items on this window contains

a complete workflow for the specified
process. Click the item called Post Stack
Inversion. The window changes like this:
We now see the suggested series of steps

to be followed for Post Stack Inversion. The
steps are colored red to indicate that the
parameters have not yet been supplied.
These are the “default” steps, but the list
can be edited and customized, as we will
see later.
November, 2011 201
Double-click the first item Select Post-
stack Seismic. An arrow will appear in
front of the item, as shown here:
Now a dialog appears on the right

with a list of all seismic volumes in
the project:
Since we have only loaded one seismic

volume, that volume is selected. Note
that at the lower right corner of the
dialog, there is a button for importing
more seismic volumes.
In fact, we want to use the selected seismic volume,

which is highlighted, so click Select on this dialog.
November, 2011 202
Now double-click the second item of the
workflow, Select Horizons:
The dialog on the right shows the two

horizons we have just loaded:
It also contains buttons for picking or

importing new horizons:
Click Select to accept the two horizons.
November, 2011 203

The next step is to apply the process
Extract Statistical Wavelet, by double-
clicking that option.
There are two basic methods for extracting the wavelet. One method uses
the wells, and can give a good estimate of both amplitude and phase spectra
of the wavelet.
The second method – called “statistical” – uses the seismic data alone to
extract the wavelet. This method will estimate the amplitude spectrum from
the seismic data, but we must make an assumption about the phase –
typically we assume the data are zero phase.
In this step, we are extracting a statistical wavelet. We will refine the wavelet
extraction using the wells at a later stage.
November, 2011 204
The dialog on the right sets the
range of data to analyze:
By default, the program will

examine the entire data volume,
but this is rarely appropriate. In
particular, we want to set a time
window around the zone of
interest. Change the dialog to
extract using the limited time
window shown on the single
cross line now displayed on the
screen:
November, 2011 205

When you have changed the dialog as
shown above, click Run to extract the
wavelet. The extracted wavelet appears
in its own pop-up window:
Note that the time domain response is

in the upper window, while the
amplitude and phase spectra are in the
lower.
Note also this small button at the lower
right of the wavelet window:
November, 2011 206

If you click that button,
the wavelet window will
be “docked” within its
own Wavelets tab:
This is a handy way to keep track of any window created within

our software. To release the wavelet window from its tab, click
on the “airplane” at the lower right of the wavelet window:
All the windows created within HRS can be docked or floating in

this way. Finally, send the wavelet window back to the wavelets
tab by clicking the Wavelets button once again:
November, 2011 207
The next step in the Workflow is to select
the wells which will be used in the model
building:
Once again, we see a list of the wells

which have already been loaded into the
project:
Click Select to complete this step.
November, 2011 208

The Wells tab appears,
showing one of the wells in
the project:
You could apply various log

processing options, like Log
Editing, by going back to the
Processes list:
For this exercise, we will assume that

the logs have been properly edited.
Return to the Post Stack Inversion
Workflow.
November, 2011 209

Correlating the Wells
The next step in the workflow is to

Correlate the Wells, so double-click that
item:
In practice, each of the wells used to build

the inversion model needs to be
correlated. For this tutorial, we will
correlate just one of the available wells,
and assume that all the others have been
correlated previously. On the Well
Selection Dialog, select the well 08-08 and
click OK at the bottom of the dialog:
November, 2011 210

Now a dialog appears to specify
which seismic volume will be
used for the correlation process,
and how the composite trace will
be extracted from that volume:
Click OK on this dialog.
November, 2011 211

The Log Correlation
Window now appears:
The blue traces on this

display are synthetic
traces calculated from the
sonic and density logs in
this well, using the depth-
time curve currently
stored in the database
and the wavelet we have
previously extracted:
November, 2011 212

The plot at the upper right shows the cross
correlation between the synthetic trace and
the composite trace:
The correlation plot shows a maximum

correlation of 69%.
It also suggests that the synthetic

should be shifted down by 6 ms.
That information is also displayed on

the menu bar at the base of the window:
Click the Apply Shift button to apply the

suggested 6 ms shift.
November, 2011 213

The asymmetric shape of the
Cross Correlation plot suggests
that there is a residual phase
error in the synthetic, which
could be improved by
extracting a new wavelet now
using the wells. To do this,
click the Wavelet button
(bottom left of the window) and
choose the option Extract
Wavelet Using Wells:
On the dialog, change the

parameters as shown and click
Run.
214
November, 2011
shows an average phase
of -53 degrees:
Click the Wavelets

docking button to move
this new plot to the
Wavelets tab.
Then return
to the Wells
tab
November, 2011 215

The Correlation Plot now shows a maximum
correlation of 74%, with a more symmetrical
shape. From this we can conclude that we have
a good estimate of the wavelet phase.
The plot also suggests a further shift of

-2ms. Click Apply Shift.
Click OK to accept this correlation.
A dialog appears suggesting a name for

the new sonic log we have created by
the log correlation process. Click OK to
accept that new name:
November, 2011 216
We have now completed the log correlation step for one of the 13
wells, and extracted a single wavelet, for all the wells.
In a real project, we would have to do this correlation step for the
remaining 12 wells. To save time, we have done this correlation for
you, so we will assume the other wells are correlated.
The complete flow for a general multi-well project is:
(1) Extract a single Statistical Wavelet.

(2) Go through each of the wells, doing the correlation.
(3) Extract a single wavelet using all the wells.
(4) Go through each of the wells again, fine tuning the correlation.
Often this step means simply apply a bulk shift.
(End of Exercise 5)
November, 2011 217
Scaling, Constraints and Error Plots
November, 2011 218

Scaling
An important parameter
for all inversions is the
scaling.
The scalers are

calculated and saved
during the Inversion
Analysis.
By default, the volume

inversion uses the
scalars from the
analysis, though they
can be changed if
necessary.
November, 2011 219

Scaling
Why is Scaling an Issue?
The Convolutional Model is used as the basis for all inversion:
Trace = Wavelet * Reflectivity + Noise
In the frequency domain, this can be approximated by:
Reflectivity = Trace / Wavelet
To solve for the reflectivity, the wavelet must be known.
This means that the relative amplitudes of the reflection coefficients depends
on the absolute scaling of both the Trace and Wavelet.
From the equation above, if the trace is multiplied by 2, the resulting

reflectivity will be multiplied by 2.
STRATA determines the scaling of the trace automatically by forcing the root-
mean-square amplitude of the initial guess synthetic to be equal to the root-
mean-square amplitude of the real trace.
November, 2011 220

Scaling
Scaling Comparison
Scaling too low Scaling just right Scaling too high
Blue = original
impedance log
Red = inversion
impedance result
November, 2011 221

Scaling
Scaling Range
For some data sets, especially

sparse models, the automatic
scaling may not be ideal. In
that case, you may adjust the
zone over which the scalers are
calculated, or override with a
manual adjustment.
The only way to determine this

factor is by visually inspecting
how well the inversion traces
match the initial guess logs
(previous slide).
November, 2011 222

Scaling
Scaling Options
The first option, separate scalers, can be more robust for noisy data. It
effectively assumes that traces may need to be rescaled to remove
trace-to-trace variation which is not based on lithology.
The second option, single global scaler, is theoretically more desirable.

This is because it assumes that there is a single wavelet scaling which
is suitable for all traces of the data set. This will preserve amplitude
variations from trace to trace.
Recommendation: Use inversion analysis to calculate a single global

scaler at the well locations.
November, 2011 223

Constraints
In rare situations, it may

be necessary to limit
the maximum
impedance change by
the use of constraints
Constraints can be shown

using the display options
(the eye icon).
November, 2011 224

Constraints
Constraints can be examined

during the inversion analysis.
Once specified, the same
constraints are used for the
entire dataset.
Constraints may be hard or soft.
With the recommended Hard

Constraint option, upper and
lower constraints can be set
separately.
November, 2011 225

Constraints
In Hard Constraint inversion, the algorithm is simply constrained to keep

the final impedance values within the specified percentage limits – of the
single average impedance value for the log.
J = (T - W*r)
T = the seismic trace
W = the wavelet
R = the final reflectivity
* = convolution
This is called a hard constraint,

because values are not allowed to
change beyond a fixed boundary.
November, 2011 226

Constraints
Example lower and upper hard constraints

50 - 50 20 - 20 15 - 30
November, 2011 227

Constraints
In Soft Constraint inversion, the Model Based algorithm minimizes an

objective function of two parts:
J = weight1 x (T - W*r) + weight2 x (M - H*r)
T = the seismic trace M = the initial guess model impedance

W = the wavelet H = the integration operator which
……convolves with the final reflectivity
……to produce the final impedance
R = the final reflectivity
* = convolution
Minimizing the first part, (T - W*r), forces a solution which honors the
seismic trace. Minimizing the second part, (M - H*r), forces a solution
which honors the initial guess impedance – the Model.
November, 2011 228

Constraints
In Soft Constraints, The weights,

weight1 and weight2, determine how
the two parts are balanced.
The Model Constraint is the value of weight2 in the objective function. Setting
this value to 0 causes the seismic trace to dominate. Setting this value to 1
causes the initial guess model to dominate. This is called a soft constraint
because the final model may deviate any distance from the initial guess.
Recommendation: Use Hard Constraint with default (100%) parameters.
October, 2011 229

Error plots
The Error Plot shows the difference between the actual traces and the
synthetic traces calculated using the inversion impedance result:
Input seismic
Input - synthetic
Ideally, the Error
Plot should show no
coherent energy,
and should have a
low over-all
amplitude.
Trace excursion *3
November, 2011 230
Error plots
Low frequency component in the error:
Error from wrong wavelet

(Statistical 0-5-40-50)
Trace excursion 1
Error plot with correct wavelet

(extracted using wells over target zone)
Trace excursion *3
231
November, 2011
Error plots
The seismic-synthetic error can also be sliced at the target horizon to

check for any localized anomalies. This might be especially useful with
merged 3D surveys, where a change in seismic character could occur.
November, 2011 232

Model Building Refinements:
Kriging and Compaction Trend
November, 2011 233

Model building
After an initial model has been created,

the model dialogues may be re-opened
either from the Process menu, or by
Right Clicking in any seismic window,
which contains the model.
November, 2011 234

Model building : Kriging
In a previous section
we looked at well
interpolation by
Inverse Distance and
by Triangulation.
We will now look at

Kriging and at
Cokriging with a
velocity volume.
November, 2011 235

Kriging requires a variogram, which is generated

by the program and used without intervention,
but is available for editing if required.
November, 2011 236

Examples of model QC by slicing at the target time.
Inverse distance Kriged
November, 2011 237

Model Building : Cokriging
Interpolation of the model throughout a seismic volume may be improved

especially in seismic surveys with few available wells, by using an
external velocity volume, usually provided by the processor. This could
be in either RMS or interval velocity format.
Impedance Model Velocity Volume
November, 2011 238

Model Building : Compaction Trend
Well A Well B
A problem with using multiple
wells in the model is that typically
not all the wells cover the same
depth or time range and they may
have anomalous first and last
values where the logging started
or stopped.
To compensate for this, the HRS-

9 Model Building process,
incorporates an extrapolation
method, based on a compaction
trend – which is now the default.
November, 2011 239

Compaction trends in log curves:
Z P  aebZ  cedZ
The coefficients a,b,c,d are calculated by least-squares
fit to the existing log.
This is done for all the model curves (all wells)

simultaneously. A single compaction trend, as a function
of depth, is used for the entire model.
The calculated trend is then used to extend each log

curve.
The next slide illustrates the result of this method.
November, 2011 240

Without Compaction Without Compaction

trend trend trend trend
Well A Well B
November, 2011 241

Without compaction trend With compaction trend
November, 2011 242


Import seismic


Exercise 6 QC Inversion results at well locations

Create data slices
November, 2011 243
Exercise 6: Blackfoot – Model-Based Inversion
We are now ready to perform the next step on

the workflow, which is Build Initial Model.
Double-click that item on the workflow list:
The dialog which appears

contains the default parameters
for building the standard post-
stack inversion model. By
default, all the wells are selected:
We will use both horizons in the

project:
November, 2011 244

After interpolating the well log curves, a low-pass frequency filter
will be applied, which, by default, passes all frequencies up to 10
Hz, filters all frequencies above 15 Hz, and interpolates the filter
between those limits.
There are many

additional “Advanced”
parameters, which you
can examine by clicking
the Show Advanced
Options button:
For this tutorial, click Run to accept the

defaults.
November, 2011 245

The Geoview window
now shows the
calculated initial
model within the
Models tab:
The wiggle traces on

this display are the
original seismic data,
while the color
displays the filtered
acoustic impedance.
You can display any
location on the model
volume by using the
selection tools on the
menu bar:
November, 2011 246

Performing Inversion Analysis
The next step is to perform Inversion

Analysis. This is the process of running
inversion at the well locations to QC and
optimize the inversion parameters. At the
same time, scalars are automatically
determined which scale the input seismic
data to the amplitude range of the
synthetic seismic data. On the workflow,
double-click Inversion Analysis:
The dialog which appears contains default

selections of the main parameters. These are
usually appropriate.
In this case, we are using the seismic data

called blackfoot_seismic and we are inverting
the entire time window:
November, 2011 247

We are using all the wells in the
inversion analysis. Note that you
can use different wells than the
wells used to build the initial model:
We are using the initial model

previously generated:
We are using the wavelet previously

extracted:
To verify that is the right wavelet, click

Change Wavelets > Wavelet Data
Explorer, as shown.
November, 2011 248

A dialog appears, showing
you the details of the
wavelet:
Click the “x” on the upper

right corner to dismiss
this dialog.
Now click OK on the Inversion Analysis

dialog to start the process:
November, 2011 249

We are seeing the result at the
first well location (01-08), but the
controls on the upper menu bar
allow us to see any other well:
The Inversion Analysis window now

appears, showing the inversion result at
the first well location:
November, 2011 250

From left to right, the display
shows the inversion result (in
red) overlaying the original
impedance log from the well.
To the right of that, we see

the synthetic traces
calculated from this inversion
result (in red) followed by the
original seismic composite
trace (in black).
Finally, we see the error

trace, which is the difference
between the two previous
results.
November, 2011 251

To the upper left and right of the
display are a series of buttons,
which allow us to fine-tune the
inversion. For example, the
Wavelet button allows you to
manipulate the inversion
wavelet.
A second button allows us to

view and change the initial
model parameters:
A third button brings up a

dialog allowing us to change
the inversion parameters.
Click this Invert button as
shown.
November, 2011 252

For example, change the Inversion Method
to Linear Programming Sparse Spike and
click Apply at the bottom of the dialog.
The inverted traces now

show a blockier appearance:
(We will run different

inversion algorithms later.)
November, 2011 253

Set the Inversion Method back to Model
Based and click Apply to restore the
default settings:
November, 2011 254

When several wells
are available within
the project and have
been correlated (it
does not matter if they
were included in the
model or not) we can
compare the inversion
results at each well.
Click on Error and

Profile Plot:
November, 2011 255

The Error Profile originally appears tabbed at the base of the window.
To make it easier to see, double-click on the space just above the plot,
as shown:
November, 2011 256

Now the Error Profile appears floating and can be re-sized.
Right clicking in the plot, will activate the display options.
November, 2011 257

Close the Error windows and then
close the Inversion Parameters
dialog by clicking the Close button:
November, 2011 258

Applying the Inversion
Now that we have optimized the

parameters at the well locations, the
last step is to apply the inversion to the
entire 3-D volume. Double-click the last
item on the workflow:
The dialog which appears shows all the

inversion parameters, but we do not have
to change any, because we have already
optimized them at the well locations.
The only significant parameters involve

the data range and time range of the input
volume to be inverted:
In this case, we will invert the entire

volume, so click Run at the base of the
dialog to start that process.
November, 2011 259

When the inversion process is done, the result is displayed
in a split-screen along with the initial model:
November, 2011 260

Displaying the Inversion
The default split-screen display is very useful for looking at the results, but
there are many improvements possible.
For example, you can increase the

available plot space by clicking on
the “x” on the Project Manager
window, as shown, to temporarily
hide that window:
To restore the Project

Manager window, click its
name to the left:
November, 2011 261

You can also temporarily hide one of
the views. For example, click on the
first icon shown below to temporarily
hide View 1, which shows the model:
To restore View 1, click it again:
There are actually 3 views

available. Click on the third icon
to display View 3:
November, 2011 262

The third view is currently blank:
To load some data into View

3, first go to the Project Data
window on the left and find
the input seismic data
(blackfoot_seismic):
Then, holding the left mouse

button down, drag-and-drop
the volume blackfoot_seismic
into the blank View 3:
November, 2011 263
The window now looks like this:
The fourth button sets the

orientation horizontally:
November, 2011 264

Now turn off Views 1 and 3 by clicking
the first and third buttons:
Now, right-click within the inversion

window. A series of display options
appear for this window. For example,
we can easily modify the Color Scheme.
November, 2011 265

The Color Scale numerical range can be
changed graphically by selecting Color
Key > Color Key and Histogram:
Click Cancel to remove this

display:
November, 2011 266

Set the range manually by selecting
Color Key > Modify Range:
On the dialog which appears, set

the desired range from 8000 to
12000 and click OK:
November, 2011 267

Another useful display is a data slice
through the inversion volume. To
produce that, go to the tab called
Processes. From the list select double-
click Create data slice:
November, 2011 268

Fill in the menu as shown, and click
Ok to produce the slice:
(End of Exercise 6)
November, 2011 269
Bandlimited, Sparse Spike and
Colored Inversions
November, 2011 270

Recursive Inversion, also called Bandlimited Inversion, is the
simplest and earliest form of inversion.
Starting from the Z i 1  Z i

definition of reflection Ri 
coefficient: Z i 1  Z i
The impedance of the

(i+1)th layer can be 1  Ri
determined from the ith Z i 1  Z i
layer: 1  Ri
Starting at the first layer, n 1

1  Ri
the impedance of each
successive layer is
determined by recursively
Z n  Z1 i 1
1  Ri
applying this formula:
November, 2011 271

Bandlimited Inversion
Z (m/s*g/cc)
In this simple example:
We could recover the true value of Z1 = 1000

impedance if seismic recording
resulted in a single reflectivity
spike at each impedance change
Z2 = 1500
(each reflection event).
But the convolution of a wavelet Z1 = 1000

with the earth reflectivity means
that we cannot recover the exact Z2 = 818
value of impedance. Z3 = 1227
Z4 = 1004
November, 2011 272

Step 1:
The initial background model for Recursive Inversion is formed by filtering an
impedance log from a well:
10-Hz
High Cut
November, 2011 273

Step 2:
The recursive equation is applied to the seismic trace. (This is almost
identical to a -90 degree phase rotation):
Note: No account is taken of the wavelet - it is not removed.
Zero phase -90 degree phase
1  ri
Zi  1  Zi *
1- ri
November, 2011 274

Step 3:
Add the scaled inversion trace to the filtered model to get the final result:
+ =
November, 2011 275

Recursive Inversion produces a result which is bandlimited to the same maximum

frequency as the input seismic data (because the wavelet is not removed)
Input Seismic Bandlimited
November, 2011 276

Model Based Bandlimited
Model based contains more detail than

Bandlimited because it is broader bandwidth.
November, 2011 277

Bandlimited (Recursive) Inversion
Issues in Recursive Inversion:
(1) The wavelet is ignored (each sample is treated as a reflection

coefficient) .
(2) Even if the seismic is zero-phase, side-lobes from the actual wavelet
will be interpreted by the algorithm as lithologic variations.
(3) The inversion result is bandlimited to the frequency range of the

seismic data.
(4) The scaling of the seismic trace to reflectivity is critical to get the proper
range of impedance changes. (True of all inversions; large amplitude
changes = large impedance changes).
November, 2011 278

Sparse Spike Inversion

assumes that the actual
reflectivity can be thought of as
a series of large spikes
embedded in a background of
small spikes.

assumes that only the large
spikes are meaningful. It finds
the location of these large
spikes by examining the
seismic trace.
HRS includes two

approaches to Sparse Spike
inversion, MLSS and LPSS.
November, 2011 279

Maximum-Likelihood Sparse Spike Inversion
1 iteration 2 iterations 3 iterations 4 iterations 5 iterations
Red – Reflectivity curve

Blue – Synthetic trace
Maximum Likelihood Sparse Spike Inversion builds up the reflectivity
sequence one spike at a time. Spikes are added until the trace is modeled
accurately enough.
The amplitudes of the impedance blocks are determined using the Model
Based Inversion algorithm; with the locations of the ‘blocks’ determined by
MLSS.
MB – all blocks same size
SS – block thickness determined by locations of the spikes
November, 2011 280
The menu for sparse spike inversion:
Sparse Spike Inversion uses the same parameters as constrained model

based inversion.
These additional parameters determine how many spikes will be detected

on each trace:
Maximum Number of Spikes

Spike Detection Threshold
October, 2011 281

Maximum Number of Spikes
This parameter sets the maximum number of allowable spikes per trace.
This is defaulted to be the same as the total number of samples in the
window. Effectively this means that this parameter does not operate under
normal conditions.
Spike Detection Threshold
As each spike is added, its amplitude is compared with the average

amplitude of all spikes detected so far. When the new amplitude is less
than a specified fraction of the average, the algorithm stops adding spikes.
October, 2011 282

Linear Programming Sparse Spike Inversion
Linear Programming Sparse Spike Inversion seeks the simplest

possible reflectivity model that, when convolved with the wavelet,
produces a synthetic that matches the input seismic.
The simplest model is defined as a model with minimum L1 norm subject

to the constraint that its synthetic matches with the input seismic.
Linear Programming is a mathematical tool to solve equations with

absolute values.
November, 2011 283

LP sparse spike inversion minimizes an objective function of this form.
J  weight1 * T  W * r   weight 2 *  ri
The first term tries to produce an impedance result whose synthetic matches
the input seismic trace. The second term is a constraint which favors
solutions with “sparse” reflectivity or “blocky” impedances”.
The LP Inversion
parameters are
shown here:
October, 2011 284

Sparseness
The most important parameter is the Sparseness, which controls the

relative weighting of the two terms:
1% 50% 100%
October, 2011 285

Window length
The LP Inversion algorithm is very time consuming. To decrease run-time,

the inversion is run over a series of small overlapping windows.
Theoretically, a larger window is always preferable, at the cost of
increased run-time:
October, 2011 286

Output Impedance Type:
This parameter outputs either the abolute impedance using the low-
frequency model (Full Spectrum) or the relative impedance without the
low-frequency model (High Frequency Residual)
October, 2011 287

Sparse Spike Inversion produces a result which is similar to Model Based

Inversion. A difference is that the very thin layers are missing.
Model Based LP Sparse Spike
November, 2011 288

Issues in Sparse Spike Inversion:
(1) Sparse Spike Inversion puts events only where the seismic demands.
(2) It attempts to produce the simplest possible model consistent with the
seismic data.
(3) It sometimes produces fewer events than are known to be geologically

true.
November, 2011 289

Colored Inversion
Colored Inversion is a modification of Recursive Inversion, which was

originally described by Lancaster and Whitcombe of BP at the 2000 SEG
Convention.
In this process, there is a single operator, O, which is applied to the seismic

trace S to transform it directly into the inversion result Z:
Z  O* S
The authors defined the operator, O, in the frequency domain.
By examining transforms between seismic data and actual inversion results,

they concluded that the operator phase is -90 degrees.
November, 2011 290

Colored Inversion
First, you must run

spectral analysis and
create an operator. The
result is shown on the
next slide.
One key parameter for

Colored Inversion is the
Impedance Output
Option, where High
Frequency Residual, or
Relative impedance is
the default.
The other option is to

create a Full Spectrum
by the adding the
specified frequency
range from the model.
October, 2011 291
Colored Inversion
The spectral analysis and operator creation result has two parts. The top
part of the display shows the analysis and operator results.
October, 2011 292
Colored Inversion
The operator is created automatically using a least-squares fit. The bottom

part of the display allows you to change the automatic parameters if you
wish, and is shown above.
The next set of slides describes the parameters on this menu.
October, 2011 293

Colored Inversion
The first panel shows a plot of

the amplitude spectrum of
Impedance from a series of wells
vs Frequency. This is shown on
a log/log scale.
The red line is a regression

curve, which represents the
“desired output” of the Colored
Inversion.
These parameters allow you to

over-ride the automatic calculation
of the regression line:
October, 2011 294

Colored Inversion
The second panel shows two

curves. One is the amplitude Desired Spectrum
spectrum of the input seismic
data. The second is the “desired
Seismic Spectrum
output” from the previous panel.
Note that this is now curved,
because we are showing a linear
scale in Frequency.
This parameter allows you to apply

smoothing to the Seismic
Spectrum:
October, 2011 295

Colored Inversion
The horizontal red line is the

Spectrum Threshold. This sets a
frequency range over which the
inversion operator will be
calculated. Only those frequencies Spectrum Threshold
for which the seismic spectrum
(blue) is above the threshold will be
used in the calculation. The
threshold prevents division by zero
or small noise values.
This parameter allows you to

change the threshold value:
Alternatively, these parameters (if set

to non-zero values) allow you to set
the frequency range manually:
October, 2011 296

Colored Inversion
Finally, these panels show the time and frequency domain operator which
has been calculated.
These operator displays will be updated automatically to reflect changes to

all the other parameters on the menu.
These parameters directly affect the

operator itself:
October, 2011 297
Comparison : Colored Inversion
Model Based Colored Inversion (absolute)
November, 2011
Comparison : Colored Inversion
HRS includes the option for absolute or relative Impedance.

Note scales
Colored Inversion (absolute) Colored Inversion (relative)
November, 2011 299

Colored Inversion
Issues in Colored Inversion:
• No dependence on an initial model, but

needs a well to determine the impedance-
frequency trend.
• Very fast to apply.
• Assumes the data is zero-phase.
• Produces a result similar to Recursive
Inversion, but with higher frequency
content and better scaling.
• STRATA includes options to output a
relative or absolute (with model)
impedance result,
November, 2011 300

Export of Impedance traces at well locations
Impedance traces or any other type of trace, can be exported from

inverted volumes to the well database for detailed comparison.
November, 2011 301

Impedance algorithm comparison
Alternative Impedance results

compared
Log Log- filt Band MB LPSS Col
November, 2011 302

Impedance algorithm comparison
Alternative Impedance results compared with the filtered well log
Seismic Log Log- filt Band MB LPSS Col
November, 2011 303

AVO Inversion
The basic convolutional model assumes zero-offset data.
Conventional inversion should not be applied to data with AVO

effects, since changes in VP/VS are not explicitly accounted for.
To extend inversion to handle AVO data, these algorithms are

currently used:
(1) Elastic Impedance

(2) Independent Zp and Zs inversion
(3) Simultaneous Inversion for Zp, Zs, and density
(4) Lambda-Mu-Rho (LMR)
October, 2011 304

Stochastic Inversion
Stochastic Inversion
This is a form of geostatistical inversion which explicitly addresses the

non-uniqueness problem by producing a large range of inversion
results for a given input seismic volume.
Each of the results is consistent with the seismic data, and honors the
expected continuity conditions, as contained in the variograms.
These results are analyzed to give an estimate of the uncertainty in the

result, along with the most probable result.
STRATA does not contain a stochastic inversion option.
October, 2011 305


Import seismic


Exercise 7
Perform Inversion: Comparing other algorithms

Create data slices
November, 2011 306
Exercise 7: Blackfoot – Other Inversion
Methods
Since we have built the initial model

for the Blackfoot data set, we can
easily apply other inversion methods
to the data and compare the results
with model-based inversion.
We will start with Bandlimited

inversion.
Go to the Process tab and double-click

on Inversion, Process, Post-stack
Inversion
November, 2011 307

Fill in the menu as shown. Note that
we choosing to apply the Inversion
Method Bandlimited to a single cross
line (42). When you have filled in the
menu, click Ok to run the process.
November, 2011 308

When the process has finished, it looks like this:
Notice that the

bandlimited
inversion runs
much faster than
model-based
inversion.
However, there is
less detail in the
result.
November, 2011 309

Next we will run sparse spike inversion.
Go to the Processes tab again and double-

click on Inversion / Process / Post-stack
Inversion
November, 2011 310

Fill in the menu as shown.
This time we are choosing to apply the

Inversion Method Linear Programming
Sparse Spike to a single cross line
(42). Change the Output name to
lp_inversion.
When you have filled in the menu,

click Ok to run the process.
November, 2011 311

Note that the

detail is
comparable to
model-based
inversion, but
it is not as
continuous
laterally.
November, 2011 312

Finally we will run colored inversion.
Go to the Process tab again and double-

click on Inversion / Process / Post-stack
Inversion
November, 2011 313

Change the menu as shown.
Before running the process, we have

to create the Colored Inversion
operator. To do that, click the button
Run spectral analysis and create
inversion operator:
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Click Ok on the two menus
which follow:
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Finally select the option for
Full Spectrum (i.e. including
the model) and click Ok on the
main inversion menu:
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November, 2011 317

We have now produced a series of
inversion volumes. To see a list of
the volumes, click on the Project tab
and expand the entries by clicking
the “+” signs as shown:
We can see four inversions. Each

inversion contains the inversion
result along with accompanying
synthetic and error volumes.
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We will arrange several of these results in a single window for comparison.
First the model-based inversion. Double click on “inverted” as shown:
This causes
the model-
based
inversion to
appear.
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Now create two
empty windows
by clicking the
“2” and “3”
icons on the
lower right:
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Select the second volume “lp_inversion” and drag it to the empty View 2:
Similarly, drag the third volume “colored_inversion” to the empty View 3:
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Finally, click the fourth button on the lower right to switch between vertical
and horizontal views:
November, 2011 (End of Exercise 7) 322

Summary
Inversion is the process of extracting, from the seismic data, the

underlying geology which gave rise to that seismic.
Inversion can be a very non-unique process. The low-frequency model

is particularly important.
Successful inversions depend on careful correlation of each of the wells

and careful wavelet extraction.
In this course we have studied the following types of inversion:
Model-based inversion
Bandlimited inversion
Colored inversion
Sparse-spike inversion
Model-based inversion is the recommended choice for most inversion projects.

______________________________________
November, 2011 323

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Introduction to Post-stack Inversion

Inversion is the process

Seismic amplitude shows

Later developments incorporated the extracted wavelet, and, combined

Current inversion technology has shifted attention to the quality of the

A recent development is to use inversion results to directly predict

Acoustic Impedance (Zp) =

The source wavelet is

Geology Impedance Reflectivity Seismic

Geology Impedance Reflectivity Seismic

Post-stack seismic inversion transforms an input

The well log shown is

• There are no multiples modeled.

The effect of convolving

Convolution in the time domain is

As we can see from these plots, the Reflectivity Spectrum

Theoretically, inversion attempts to

All inversion algorithms suffer from

This other information is usually

The final result depends on the “other Final

The final result depends on both

Gather necessary inputs: Load wells

Correlate well depths to Extract wavelets

Inversion Analysis: Select Inversion Type and Parameters

Perform Inversion: Using values determined in the Analysis

Interpret Result: QC areal variations

Start the HRS9 Geoview program by clicking

When you launch Geoview,

To change all of the directories to the same location, click on

Then, in the File

The database is used to store all the

One part of the Geoview window (called

To load a well, click the button Import

Note that Geoview assumes

To see more details about the

Click the arrow next to the well name

Note also that we can edit items in

To the right of the workspace, we can

shows the curves for the selected well:

This creates a new

You can also apply various log

For this workshop, we will assume that

We have now loaded the well which will be

On the far left side of the Geoview window

The window to the right of this tab

On the pull-down menu, select From

Set the Geometry Type to

Click Next to see the SEG-Y

In our case, we believe the format information is

Click Yes to begin the scanning process.

Click OK to finish the

Inline 10 now appears:

The drop-down menu shows a

The last data component

To start that process, click

Note that, at the lower left corner of the

Click OK to read the file:

The initial guess

The time to an event depends on all the

• The seismic datum and log datum may be different.

• The average first layer velocity is not known.

• Errors in the sonic log velocities produce cumulative errors in the

• The events on the seismic data may be mispositioned due to