Automated seismic interpretation-guided inversion

A geophysical data analysis system, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a display configured to display graphical representations of a geophysical data set, wherein the geophysical data analysis system is configured to:
• obtain an initial geophysical model of a subsurface region;
• obtain seismic data for the subsurface region;
• produce a subsurface image of the subsurface region with the seismic data and the geophysical model;
• generate a map of one or more geologic features of the subsurface region by automatically interpreting the subsurface image;
• determine whether to iterate;
• and
• responsive to determining to iterate, iteratively update the geophysical model, subsurface image, and map of geologic features by:
• returning to model building by automatically building an updated geophysical model based on the geophysical model of a prior iteration constrained with a shape of at least one geobody in an updated map of geological features from the prior iteration, wherein the updated geophysical model is consistent with the seismic data used across iterations and wherein the updated geophysical model is both cell-based and includes the at least one geobody;
• automatically imaging the seismic data with the updated geophysical model to produce an updated subsurface image;
• automatically interpreting the updated subsurface image to generate an updated map of geologic features;
• and
• display, via said display, a visual representation of the updated map of geologic features.

An improved method for generating an image of a subsurface region, the improvement of which comprises:

• building an updated geophysical model based on a geophysical model of a prior iteration constrained with a shape of at least one geobody in an updated map of geological features of the subsurface region from the prior iteration, the method comprising:
• obtaining an initial geophysical model of the subsurface region;
• obtaining seismic data for the subsurface region;
• producing a subsurface image of the subsurface region with the seismic data and the geophysical model;
• generating a map of the geologic features by automatically interpreting the subsurface image;
• determining whether to iterate;
• and
• responsive to determining to iterate, iteratively updating the geophysical model, subsurface image, and map of geologic features by:
• returning to model building by automatically building an updated geophysical model based on the geophysical model of a prior iteration constrained with the shape of the at least one geobody in the updated map of geological features from the prior iteration, wherein the updated geophysical model is consistent with the seismic data used across iterations and wherein the updated geophysical model is both cell-based and includes the at least one geobody;
• automatically imaging the seismic data with the updated geophysical model to produce an updated subsurface image;
• and
• automatically interpreting the updated subsurface image to generate an updated map of geologic features for use in building the updated geophysical model in a subsequent iteration.