September 2012
Special Focus
Data and technology integration improve velocity analysis for seismic imaging
Exploration for hydrocarbons is moving toward increasingly challenging areas (e.g., ultra-deep water in subsalt environment), where current seismic imaging methods are reaching their limits. In complex geology, the conventional seismic imaging approaches may fail and result in non-negligible mistakes in the interpretation and construction of the geological model. Wrong depths, wrong structures, wrong salt geometries and “ghost” reflectors are some of the most common a posteriori explanations for the failure of an explorative well where, besides the costs, HS&E issues are at stake. A potential solution is e-DVA (Depth Velocity Analysis), a proprietary tool developed by Eni. This tool exploits the huge amount of computing power available through relatively inexpensive hardware, such as Linux clusters.
