11-Geostatistical Methods for

Seismic Inversion
Amlcar Soares
CERENA-IST
asoares@ist.utl.pt
01 - Introduction

Seismic and Log Scale

Seismic
Data
Recap: basic concepts
Acoustic Impedance

Velocity X Density = AI
Recap: basic concepts

Acoustic Impedance = Velocity X Density

Layer 1 impedance
Reflected wave = Velocity(1) x Density(1)
Incident wave = Z1

Layer 2 impedance
= Velocity(2) x Density(2)
Transmitted wave
= Z2

Since reflections are caused by changes in velocity and density, these two parameters are
combined into a parameter called impedance. This is the product of velocity and density
Recap: basic concepts
Reflection coefficient

Reflected wave
Reflected wavelet amplitude
Incident wave R=
Incident wavelet amplitude
Z2 - Z1
R=
Z2 + Z1

(V2 x D2) - (V1 x D1)

R=
(V2 x D2) + (V1 x D1)

Transmitted wave

The ratio of the incident amplitude to the reflected amplitude is called the Reflection Coefficient .
Reflection coefficient can be seen a measure of the impedance contrast at the interface.
Recap: basic concepts
Reflection coefficient
Layered Impedance Reflection
earth Coefficients
Recap: basic concepts
Wavelet
Land dynamite
Marine air gun

Time

A wavelet is a wave-like oscillation with an amplitude that starts out at

zero, increases, and then decreases back to zero.

C-2
Recap: basic concepts
Wavelet

Minimum phase

Time (Sec.)

Zero phase

Time origin
Recap: basic concepts
Wavelet

Lithology Impedance Minimum Zero

phase phase

Low
velocity
density

High
velocity
density
Recap: basic concepts
Wavelet

Zero phase
Lithology Impedance wavelets

High
velocity
density

Low
velocity
density

High
velocity
density
02 Seismic Inversion

Convolution

Impedance = Velocity X Density

Layer 1 impedance
Reflected wave = Velocity(1) x Density(1)
Incident wave = Z1

Layer 2 impedance
= Velocity(2) x Density(2)
Transmitted wave
= Z2
02 Seismic Inversion

Convolution

Reflection coefficient

Reflected wave
Reflected wavelet amplitude
Incident wave R=
Incident wavelet amplitude
Z2 - Z1
R=
Z2 + Z1

(V2 x D2) - (V1 x D1)

R=
(V2 x D2) + (V1 x D1)

Transmitted wave
 Convolution
Layered Impedance Reflection
earth Coefficients
Principle of Seismic Inversion

Convolving the reflectivity coefficients c(x) with a

given wavelet w, one obtain the synthetic seismic
amplitudes a*(x)= c(x)*w
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth Impedance
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth Impedance Reflection

Coefficients
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth Impedance Reflection Wavelet

Coefficients
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth Impedance Reflection Wavelet Wavelet

Coefficients Superposition
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth Impedance Reflection Wavelet Wavelet

Coefficients Superposition
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth Impedance Reflection Wavelet Wavelet

Coefficients Superposition
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth Impedance Reflection Wavelet Wavelet

Coefficients Superposition
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth Impedance Reflection Wavelet Wavelet

Coefficients Superposition
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth Impedance Reflection Wavelet Wavelet

Coefficients Superposition
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth Impedance Reflection Wavelet Wavelet Recorded

Coefficients Superposition Trace
 Convolution - Forward exercise

Earth Impedance Reflection Wavelet Wavelet Recorded Seismic

Coefficients Superposition Trace Section
 Convolution - Inverse Exercise
Seismic
Section
 Convolution - Inverse Exercise
Seismic Recorded
Section Trace
 Convolution - Inverse Exercise
Seismic Recorded
Wavelet
Section Trace
 Convolution - Inverse Exercise
Recorded Reflection
Seismic Wavelet
Trace Coefficients
Section
 Convolution - Inverse Exercise

Recorded Reflection Reflection

Seismic Wavelet
Trace Coefficients Coefficients
Section
 Convolution - Inverse Exercise
Recorded Reflection Reflection
Seismic Wavelet
Trace Coefficients Coefficients
Section
Low Frequency Model
 Inverse Modeling is based on the physical relation:
Convolving the reflectivity coefficients c(x) with a
given wavelet w, one obtain the synthetic seismic
amplitudes a*(x)= c(x)*w

1500.0000

1000.0000

* =
500.0000
amplitude

0.0000
-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20

-500.0000

-1000.0000
ms

Typical Inverse Problem: one whish to know the acoustic impedances which
give rise to the known real seismic.
 Typical Inverse Problem: one wish calculate the parameters ( high
resolution grid of acoustic impedance) that give rise to the solution we
know (the real seismic)

Outline of the iterative method

Space of the Solution for Compare with the

Parameters the set of known real solution
parameters
Change the set of
parameters in order to Is the match
make the process satisfactory ?
convergent
N

In this problem there is not a unique solution. One whish to find the set of
solutions that accomplish the spatial requisites of the acoustic impedance
grid: spatial continuity pattern, global CDfs, ...
 Geostatistical Seismic Inversion

The aim of geostatistical inversion of seismic is to produce high

resolution of numerical models that have two properties:

The numerical model honors a physical relationship (convolution model)

with the actual data .

The numerical model reflects the spatial continuity and the global
distribution functions .
 Geostatistical Seismic (Trace-by-Trace) Inversion (Bertolli et al, 1993):
it is an iterative process based on the sequential simulation of trace values of acoustic
impedances.

1500.0000

1000.0000

500.0000
Optimization
amplitude

*
algorithm
=
0.0000
-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20

-500.0000

-1000.0000
ms N Sinthetic
1- Choose randomly trace
a trace to be realizations 3-Compare with the real
2- Convolution
generated. seismic, choose and
with a known retain the best
Simulation of N wavelet realization
realizations of AI of
that trace

4- return until all traces

are simulated
GSI Global Stochastic Inversion
Geostatistical Inversion With Global
Perturbation Method

Part I - Theory
GSI Global Stochastic Inversion

The approach of Global Stochastic

Inversion is based on two key ideas:
the use of the sequential direct co-
simulation as the method of
transforming 3D images, in a iterative
process and
to follow the sequential procedure of
the genetic algorithms optimization to
converge the transformed images
towards an objective function
1 Simulation of Acoustic
Impedance

2- Convolution of transformed Simulated

Acoustic Impedance

1500.0000

1000.0000

500.0000

amplitude
* -20 -15 -10 -5
0.0000
0 5 10 15 20

-500.0000

-1000.0000
ms
3 Comparing the synthetic amplitudes a*(x)
with the real seismic a(x) obtaining local
correlation coefficients cc(x)

4 From the N realizations, retain the traces

with best matches and compose a best
image of AI

5 Return to step one to obtain a new

generation of AI images until a given objective
function is reached.
An iterative inversion methodology is proposed based on a
direct sequential simulation and co-simulation approaches:

Several realizations of the entire 3D cube of acoustic

impedances are simulated in a first step, instead individual
traces or cells;
After the convolution local areas of best fit of the different
images are selected and merged into a secondary image of a
direct co-simulation in the next iteration;
The iterative and convergent process continues until a given
match with objective function is reached. Spatial dispersion
and patterns of acoustic impedances (as revealed by
histograms and variograms) are reproduced at the final
acoustic impedance cube.

In a last step, porosity images are derived from the seismic

impedances and the uncertainty derived from the seismic quality
is assessed based on the quality of match between synthetic
seismogram obtained by seismic inversion and real seismic.
 The use of Direct Sequential Co-Simulation for global
transformation of images.

Let us consider that one wish to obtain a transformed image Zt(x), based on
a set of Ni images Z1(x), Z2(x),ZNi(x),
with the same spatial dispersion statistics, e.g. variogram and global
histogram: C (h) , (h) , F (z)

Direct co-simulation of Zt(x), having Z1(x), Z2(x),ZNi(x) as auxiliary

variables, can be applied (Soares, 2001).
The collocated cokriging estimator of Zt(x) becomes:

Ni
Z t ( x0 ) * mt ( x0 ) x0 Z t ( x ) mt ( x ) i x0 Z i ( x0 ) mi ( x0 )
i 1

Colocated data of Ni
secondary images
Variable Z1(x)

3 realizations from variable Z2(x)

Markov-type approximation:
The crossed correlograms 12(h) are calibrated by the
correlation coefficient between variables Z1(x) and Z2(x).
12*(0):

12 (h) 12 (0)*.1 (h)

12 (0)*
12 (h) 12 ( h)
12 global
(0) * global
 Simulation of variable Z2(x)

Variable Z1(x)

=.95 =.80 =.60

Since the models i(h), i=1, Ni, and t(h) are the same, the
following approximation is, in this case, quite appropriated:
t h
t ,i h t ,i 0
t 0

the corregionalization models are totally defined with the correlation

coefficients t,i(0) between Zt(x) and Zi(x).

Remarks:

The affinity of the transformed image Zt(x) with the multiple

images Zi(x) are determined by the correlation coefficients t,i(0).

Hence, one can select the images which characteristics we wish

to preserve in the transformed image Zt(x)
 Local Screening Effect Approximation

Assumption: to estimate Zt(x0) the collocated value Zi(x0) of a specific image Zi(x),
with the highest correlation coefficient t,i(0), screens out the influence of the effect
of remaining collocated values Zj(x0), j i.

Hence, colocated co-kriging can be written with just one auxiliary

variable : the best at location x0:

Z t ( x0 ) * mt ( x0 ) x0 Z t ( x ) mt ( x ) i x0 Z i ( x0 ) mi ( x0 )

The best colocated

data at x0.
 Ni
Z t ( x0 ) * mt ( x0 ) x0 Z t ( x ) mt ( x ) i x0 Z i ( x0 ) mi ( x0 )
i 1

...

Z t ( x0 ) * mt ( x0 ) x0 Z t ( x ) mt ( x ) i x0 Z i ( x0 ) mi ( x0 )

The best colocated data at x0:

highest Correlation Coeffificient
t,i(0) .
 Outline of the proposed methodology
GSI Global Stochastic Inversion

i- Generate a set of initial images of acoustic impedances by

using direct sequential simulation.

ii- Create the synthetic seismogram of amplitudes, by

convolving the reflectivity, derived from acoustic
impedances, with a known wavelet.

iii- Evaluate the match of the synthetic seismograms, of entire

3D image, and the real seismic by computing, for example
local correlation coefficients.
iv - Ranking the best images based on the match (e.g. the
average value or a percentile of correlation coefficients for the
entire image). From them, one select the best parts- the
columns or the horizons with the best correlation coefficient
of each image. Compose one auxiliary image with the selected
best parts, for the next simulation step.

v- Generate a new set of images, by direct co-simulation, and

return to step ii) until a given threshold of the objective
function is reached.
 03 Algorithm Description
Algorithm Description
N stochastic simulations
of AI based upon well data and variograms.

Calculation of Coefficients of Reflection (CR)

Calculation of the N Synthetic cubes: Wavelet
convolution of CR cubes with a wavelet.

Calculation of Correlation Coefficient (CC) 3D seismic

between the synthetics and the seismic cubes. cube

n iterations
A new CC map (Best Correlation Map, BCM) and the
corresponding AI secondary image (Best AI, BAI) are
created:
AI from wells
The highest CC of the N CC maps is allocated to each
x0 location.

The corresponding AI values are used to build the BAI

cube to be used as secondary data set.

N stochastic co-simulations (DSco-S) of AI based

upon well data and conditioned to BCM.
 Algorithm Description

AI from wells Variograms from wells

1 DSS

2 CR & SY

3 CC
Direct Sequential Simulation

4 BCM &
BAI

5 DSco-S

AI N

Simulated cubes of AI
 Algorithm Description

1 DSS
AI N

2 CR
Ai (t 1) Ai (t )
& SY Cr (t )
Ai (t 1) Ai (t )

3 CC Coefficient of
CR N
Reflection cubes
4 BCM
& BAI
Convolution Sy(t ) Cr (t ) wave( z) 120000

100000

80000

60000

40000

20000

5 DSco-S
0
-135 -117 -99 -81 -63 -45 -27 -9 9 27 45 63 81 99 117 135

N
-20000

SY -40000

Wavelet
Synthetic cubes
 Algorithm Description

SY N

1 DSS

2 CR
& SY

3 CC
Cov( X , Y )
x, y
x y
4 BCM
& BAI
CC
cube Real
5 DSco-S
seismic
cube

CC N Correlation cubes
 Algorithm Description
AI N
& & & & & &

CC N
1 DSS

2 CR
& SY

3 CC

4 BCM
& BAI

5 DSco-S

N N

BCM BAI
 Algorithm Description

AI from wells Variograms from wells

1 DSS
BCM BAI
2 CR
& SY

3 CC
Direct Sequential co-Simulation

4 BCM
& BAI

5 DSco-S

AI N

Simulated cubes of AI
 Algorithm Description
N stochastic simulations
of AI based upon well data and variograms.

Calculation of Coefficients of Reflection (CR)

Calculation of the N Synthetic cubes: Wavelet
convolution of CR cubes with a wavelet.

Calculation of Correlation Coefficient (CC) 3D seismic

between the synthetics and the seismic cubes. cube

n iterations
A new CC map (Best Correlation Map, BCM) and the
corresponding AI secondary image (Best AI, BAI) are
created:
AI from wells
The highest CC of the N CC maps is allocated to each
x0 location.

The corresponding AI values are used to build the BAI

cube to be used as secondary data set.

N stochastic co-simulations (DSco-S) of AI based

upon well data and conditioned to BCM.
04 Results

Seismic Data Set

Data extracted from a

reservoir

Interpreted Horizons to
quality control
Variograms
Histogram, basic statistics and Wavelet
 Wells

From 19 only 2 had Velocity log

04 Results

Wells
04 Results

Wells
04 Results

Wells Histogram and Basic Statistics

Acoustic Impedance
04 Results

Results from iteration 0 - Unconditional

AI from Simulation 1 AI from Simulation 15

04 Results

Results from iteration 0 - Unconditional

SY from Simulation 1 SY from Simulation 15

04 Results

Results from iteration 0 - Unconditional

CC from Simulation 1 CC from Simulation 15

04 Results

Results from iteration 0 - Unconditional

Average from Simulations Standard Deviation from

Simulations
04 Results

Results from iteration 0 - Unconditional

Best Acoustic Impedance cube Best Correlation Cube

04 Results

Results from Process

1
0.9
0.85 0.87 0.88
0.8
0.80
0.7
Correlation

0.6 0.62
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.08
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
Iterations
04 Results

Results from iteration 5

AI from Simulation 3 AI from Simulation 28

04 Results

Results from iteration 5

SY from Simulation 3 SY from Simulation 28

04 Results

Results from iteration 5

CC from Simulation 3 CC from Simulation 28

04 Results

Results from iteration 5

Average from Simulations Standard Deviation from

Simulations
Good match with the horizons in the final AI cube
04 Results

Synthetic Seismic Real Seismic

Practice VII- Seismic Inversion

Practice with GSI (Student) Global Stochastic Inversion

Practice with S-GeMS Stanford Geostatistical Modelling Software