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Title: A robust economic technique for crosswell seismic profiling. Final report

Abstract

The objective of this research program was to investigate a novel way to acquire crosswell tomographic data, that being to use a standard surface-positioned seismic energy source stationed inline with two wells that have downhole receiver arrays. This field technique differs from the traditional way that crosswell tomography is done, which requires that a downhole receiver array be in one well and that a downhole seismic source be in a second well. The purpose of the research effort was to evaluate the relative merits of the potential advantages and pitfalls of surface-source crosswell tomography, which some also refer to as twin-receiver-well crosswell tomography. The principal findings were: (1) surface-source crosswell tomography is a viable technology and can be used in appropriate reservoir conditions, (2) raypath modeling should be done to determine if the targeted interwell space is properly illuminated by surface-generated wavefields before proceeding to collect surface-source tomographic data, (3) crosswell data generated by a surface-based source are subject to a greater range of traveltime errors than are data generated by a downhole source, primarily due to shot statics caused by variable weathered layers, and (4) the accuracy and reliability of the interwell tomogram increase as more independent velocity informationmore » (sonic logs, velocity checkshots, vertical seismic profiles, downhole-source crosswell data) is available to constrain the inversion. The surface-source approach to crosswell tomography was evaluated by recording twin-receiver well data at the Texaco Borehole Test Site in Humble, Texas.« less

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Texas, Bureau of Economic Geology, Austin, TX (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
656577
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/14504-T1
ON: DE98007333; TRN: AHC29817%%133
DOE Contract Number:  
FG03-95ER14504
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Jan 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; 44 INSTRUMENTATION, INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS; PROGRESS REPORT; TOMOGRAPHY; SEISMIC SOURCES; POSITIONING; WELLS; SEISMIC SURVEYS; SEISMIC P WAVES; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MONITORING; IN-SITU PROCESSING

Citation Formats

Hardage, B A, and Simmons, Jr, J L. A robust economic technique for crosswell seismic profiling. Final report. United States: N. p., 1998. Web. doi:10.2172/656577.
Hardage, B A, & Simmons, Jr, J L. A robust economic technique for crosswell seismic profiling. Final report. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/656577
Hardage, B A, and Simmons, Jr, J L. 1998. "A robust economic technique for crosswell seismic profiling. Final report". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/656577. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/656577.
@article{osti_656577,
title = {A robust economic technique for crosswell seismic profiling. Final report},
author = {Hardage, B A and Simmons, Jr, J L},
abstractNote = {The objective of this research program was to investigate a novel way to acquire crosswell tomographic data, that being to use a standard surface-positioned seismic energy source stationed inline with two wells that have downhole receiver arrays. This field technique differs from the traditional way that crosswell tomography is done, which requires that a downhole receiver array be in one well and that a downhole seismic source be in a second well. The purpose of the research effort was to evaluate the relative merits of the potential advantages and pitfalls of surface-source crosswell tomography, which some also refer to as twin-receiver-well crosswell tomography. The principal findings were: (1) surface-source crosswell tomography is a viable technology and can be used in appropriate reservoir conditions, (2) raypath modeling should be done to determine if the targeted interwell space is properly illuminated by surface-generated wavefields before proceeding to collect surface-source tomographic data, (3) crosswell data generated by a surface-based source are subject to a greater range of traveltime errors than are data generated by a downhole source, primarily due to shot statics caused by variable weathered layers, and (4) the accuracy and reliability of the interwell tomogram increase as more independent velocity information (sonic logs, velocity checkshots, vertical seismic profiles, downhole-source crosswell data) is available to constrain the inversion. The surface-source approach to crosswell tomography was evaluated by recording twin-receiver well data at the Texaco Borehole Test Site in Humble, Texas.},
doi = {10.2172/656577},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/656577}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998}
}