Objects Versus Layers: The “Diagnostic 3-D Seismic Process”—Earth’s Seismic Duality and a New Process for Imaging, Measuring, and Evaluating Subterranean “Common-Impedance Objects” (e.g., Petroleum Reservoirs)

Willhoit, Louis Edward, VTV, Incorporated, Metairie, LA

Studies in Quantum Mechanics teach that nature possesses a Wave/Particle (or Energy/Matter) duality. Theoretical models that ignore either side of nature’s dual personal­ity, would deny the existence of many of today’s most useful devices, such as computers, cell phones, televisions, and lasers. Unlike medical methods that are used to diagnose inter­nal “objects”, current 3D seismic methodology is based on the “layer side” of the Earth’s so­called “Object/Layer Duality”.

By acquiring, processing, and interpreting 3D seismic data using an “object-filled earth” model, many subtle reservoirs can be seismically imaged, measured, and evaluated for the first time. The “Diagnostic 3D Seismic Process” requires accurately known seismic source and detector locations, and the use of available non-seismic information, to con­struct a D3D-Impedance Time Cube (T’ube). Each D3D-VOXEL is a seismic sample (volu­metric PIXEL) whose amplitude is the relative natural logarithm of the acoustic impedance (density-multiplied-by-vertical-compressional-velocity) of the local rock-fluid system. Filling rock pore space with oil or (especially) gas, lowers the acoustic impedance of the system. The D3DSP shows individual, 2 ms D3D-VOXELs (55x55x10ft=0.7acre-feet, or 18x18x0.3m=0.025cubic-meters) in a 10,500-foot(3,180 m) deep, gas-filled reservoir.

At South Timbalier 26 and Eugene Island 27, we compared vertical, map, and volumet­ric images of D3D-Impedance data with conventional post-stack-migrated data, and see petroleum reservoirs more clearly. We produce 3D-renderings of buried, opaque reservoir “objects” that are more geologically identifiable and volumetrically quantifiable, than any­thing produced by conventional seismic methods. A D3D-Impedance T’ube (with well­paths) and a volume visualization workstation, reveal the “object side” of the Earth’s Object/Layer duality.