Methods and systems for reference-based inversion of seismic image volumes

A geologic modeling system that comprises:

• a memory having geologic modeling software;
• and
• one or more processors coupled to the memory to execute the geologic modeling software, the software causing the one or more processors to perform operations including:
• obtaining a measured seismic image volume for a subsurface region of interest;
• determining a reference seismic image volume based on a reference model, wherein the reference model comprises a geologic model for another subsurface region that is similar to the subsurface region of interest;
• deriving a synthesized seismic image volume from a geologic model for the subsurface region of interest;
• creating a locality sensitive hashing (LSH) database using windowed regions of the synthesized seismic image volume;
• detecting at least one geologic model region within the geologic model for the subsurface region of interest where the synthesized seismic image volume and the measured seismic image volume are mismatched by comparing the windowed regions of the synthesized seismic image volume with windowed regions of the measured seismic image volume;
• finding a reference model region within the reference model where the reference seismic image volume best matches the measured seismic image volume by calculating a target LSH value from a windowed region of the measured seismic image volume and performing an approximate nearest-neighbor search of the LSH database;
• replacing content of the at least one geologic model region within the geologic model for the subsurface region of interest with content of the reference model region from the reference model to obtain an improved geologic model for the subsurface region of interest;
• and
• storing the improved geologic model on a non-transitory information storage device.

A non-transitory information storage product having computer readable program code embodied therein, which when executed implements a geological modeling method that comprises:

• obtaining a measured seismic image volume for a subsurface region of interest;
• determining a reference seismic image volume based on a reference model, wherein the reference model comprises a geologic model for another subsurface region that is similar to the subsurface region of interest;
• deriving a synthesized seismic image volume from a geologic model for the subsurface region of interest;
• creating a locality sensitive hashing (LSH) database using windowed regions of the synthesized seismic image volume;
• detecting at least one geologic model region within the geologic model for the subsurface region of interest where the synthesized seismic image volume and the measured seismic image volume are mismatched by comparing the windowed regions of the synthesized seismic image volume with windowed regions of the measured seismic image volume;
• finding a reference model region within the reference model where the reference seismic image volume best matches the measured seismic image volume by calculating a target LSH value from a windowed region of the measured seismic image volume and performing an approximate nearest-neighbor search of the LSH database;
• replacing content of the at least one geologic model region within the geologic model for the subsurface region of interest with content of the reference model region from the reference model to obtain an improved geologic model for the subsurface region of interest;
• and
• outputting the improved geologic model.