# US 10,768,323 B2 · Methods and systems for seismic data analysis using a tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) model

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- Number: US 10,768,323 B2
- Document ID: US10768323B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/760,142
- Filed: 2013-06-18
- Published: 2016-03-31
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2013-06-18
- Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
- Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
- Inventors: Donghong Pei; Robert Jason Gibbs; Ran Zhou
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768323B2

## CPC

- G01V 1/306: {for determining physical properties of the subsurface, e.g. impedance, porosity or attenuation profiles}
- G01V 1/28: Processing seismic data, e.g. for interpretation or for event detection (G01V1/48 takes precedence)
- G01V 1/282: {Application of seismic models, synthetic seismograms}
- G01V 1/34: Displaying seismic recordings {or visualisation of seismic data or attributes}
- G01V 1/40: specially adapted for well-logging
- G01V 2210/624: Reservoir parameters
- G01V 2210/626: with anisotropy
- G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02)

## Abstract

At least some of the disclosed systems and methods employ one or more seismic receivers that gather seismic data from a plurality of positions in a borehole that penetrates a formation. Further, at least some of the disclosed systems and methods employ a memory to store the gathered seismic data. Further, at least some of the disclosed systems and methods employ logic that inverts the seismic data for simultaneous determination of asymmetric axis velocity (V0) and Thomsen parameters, epsilon (ε) and delta (δ), in a tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) model.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A seismic data analysis system, comprising:
a logging tool suite including one or more seismic receivers that gather seismic data from a plurality of positions in a borehole that penetrates an anisotropic formation;
memory that stores the seismic data; and
logic that analyzes the seismic data using a tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) model that is optimized based on simultaneous inversion of asymmetric axis velocity (V0) and Thomsen parameters, epsilon (ε) and delta (δ), the simultaneous inversion of the V0, the ε, and the δ including applying a Very Fast Simulated Annealing (VFSA) process to values for the V0, the ε, and the δ,
wherein the logic determines the values for the V0, the ε, and the δ by minimizing a difference between a first arrival pick and a calculated first arrival time, and wherein the logic receives Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) walkaway data and uses the VSP walkaway data to minimize the difference between the first arrival pick and the calculated first arrival time.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The seismic data analysis system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface that displays the TTI model.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The seismic data analysis system of claim 1, wherein the logic produces a seismic section from the VSP walkaway data, wherein the first arrival pick is selected from the seismic section, and wherein the calculated first arrival time corresponds to a travel time from a seismic source to the one or more seismic receiver through the TTI model.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The seismic data analysis system of claim 1, wherein the VFSA process is applied with TTI model update criteria and termination criteria to optimize the TTI model.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The seismic data analysis system of claim 1, wherein the VFSA process uses an objective function, a temperature cooling schedule, and generation of a random variable to perturb the values for the V0, the ε, and the δ.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The seismic data analysis system of claim 1, wherein the VFSA process terminates in response to a misfit that does not vary for a predetermined number of iterations or in response to a number of iterations reaching a predetermined threshold.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The seismic data analysis system of claim 1, wherein the VFSA process terminates in response to a misfit that is smaller than a predetermined value.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The seismic data analysis system of claim 1, wherein the logic is part of the logging tool suite that includes the memory.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The seismic data analysis system of claim 1, wherein the logic is part of a surface computer in communication with the logging tool suite.

### Claim 10

A method for seismic data analysis, comprising:
operating one or more seismic receivers of a logging tool suite that gather seismic data from a plurality of positions in a borehole that penetrates an anisotropic formation;
retrieving the seismic data from the seismic receivers;
receiving Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) walkaway data;
determining values for an asymmetric axis velocity (V0) and Thomsen parameters, epsilon (ε) and delta (δ) by minimizing a difference between a first arrival pick and a calculated first arrival time using the VSP walkaway data;
optimizing a tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) model based on simultaneous inversion of the V0, the ε, and the δ, the simultaneous inversion of the V0, the ε, and the δ including applying a Very Fast Simulated Annealing (VFSA) process to the values for the V0, the ε, and the δ;
analyzing the seismic data using the TTI model; and
displaying a representation of the anisotropic formation based on the analyzed seismic data.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising producing a seismic section from the VSP walkaway data, selecting the first arrival pick from the seismic section, and calculating the first arrival time as a travel time from a seismic source to the one or more seismic receiver through the TTI model.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising applying the VFSA process with TTI model update criteria and termination criteria to optimize the TTI model.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising applying to the VFSA process an objective function, a temperature cooling schedule, and generation of a random variable to perturb the values for the V0, the ε, and the δ.

### Claim 14

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing seismic data analysis software that, when executed, causes one or more processors to:
produce a seismic section from Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) walkaway data;
select a first arrival pick from the seismic section;
calculate a first arrival time as a travel time from a seismic source to the one or more seismic receiver through a tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) model;
determine values for an asymmetric axis velocity (V0) and Thomsen parameters, epsilon (ε) and delta (δ) by minimizing a difference between the first arrival pick and the calculated first arrival time;
optimize the TTI model based on simultaneous inversion of the V0, the c, and the δ, the simultaneous inversion of the V0, the ε, and the δ including applying a Very Fast Simulated Annealing (VFSA) process to the values for the V0, the ε, and the δ;
use the TTI model to analyze seismic data from one or more seismic receivers of a logging tool suite that gather the seismic data from a plurality of positions in a borehole that penetrates an anisotropic formation; and
display a representation of the anisotropic formation based on the analyzed seismic data.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the seismic data analysis software, when executed, further causes the one or more processors to perform the simultaneous inversion using the VFSA process with TTI model update criteria and termination criteria.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are part of a surface computer in communication with the logging tool suite that includes the one or more seismic receivers.