Method of modeling stoneley dispersion

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer processor, the instructions comprising functionality for:

• receiving an acoustic dataset along a well that accesses a hydrocarbon reservoir;
• determining a set of depth windows along the well;
• determining a first subset of dispersion curves for a first subset of depth windows using a dispersion model;
• initializing a second subset of dispersion curves for a second subset of depth windows using a nearest neighbor search of the first subset of dispersion curves;
• determining slowness-frequency pairs for the second subset of depth windows using the acoustic dataset;
• updating the second subset of dispersion curves using a recursive scanning method, wherein the recursive scanning method comprises:
• determining a slowness window for a second frequency based, at least in part, on a slowness intercept and a first slowness at a first frequency, and
• determining a second slowness at the second frequency using a minimum slowness-frequency pair at the second frequency within the slowness window, and
• characterizing rock properties near the well based, at least in part, on the first subset of dispersion curves and the second subset of dispersion curves.

A system of modeling a set of dispersion curves, comprising:

• an acoustic tool configured to collect an acoustic dataset;
• and
• a computer system configured to:
• receive the acoustic dataset along a well that accesses a hydrocarbon reservoir,
• determine a set of depth windows along the well,
• determine a first subset of dispersion curves for a first subset of depth windows using a dispersion model,
• initialize a second subset of dispersion curves for a second subset of depth windows using a nearest neighbor search of the first subset of dispersion curves,
• determine slowness-frequency pairs for the second subset of depth windows using the acoustic dataset,
• update the second subset of dispersion curves using a recursive scanning method, wherein the recursive scanning method comprises:
• determining a slowness window for a second frequency based, at least in part, on a slowness intercept and a first slowness at a first frequency;
• and
• determining a second slowness at the second frequency using a minimum slowness-frequency pair at the second frequency within the slowness window;
• and
• characterize rock properties near the well based, at least in part, on the first subset of dispersion curves and the second subset of dispersion curves.