SLI .
3-D AVO processing and application
Sheng-Shyong Lee *(Consultant), Steve Shui Chih Wu, Ching-Hsiang Hsu, Jen-Yang Lin, Yu-Liang Yang, Chang-
Sheng Huang, Chinese Petroleum Corporation, Taiwan, R. 0. C.
Summary
Amplitude variation with offset (AVO) analysis is now
established as an effective hydrocarbon detection tool in most
exploration areas. Due to the large 3-D data
volume, processing and interpretation of individual bin
gathers for the entire 3-D data set were practically impossible.
A new 3-D AVO processing method, which is designed not
only to calculate conventional AVO attributes, interception
(P) and gradient (G) but also to migrate these values to the
proper positions for the entire 3-D seismic area, is being
developed. A 3-D seismic survey, which was collected from
offshore Taiwan, is studied in this paper. A comparison
between the results from the conventional 2-D AVO
processing and the 3-D AVO processing has confirmed the
reliability of this technique. Many Oligocene gas sands in this
area exhibit weak relative amplitude responses on seismic
data but do correspond to AVO anomalies on certain AVO
attribute displays. By incorporating the results from this
technology into the seismic structure map, improved
hydrocarbon exploration can be achieved.
Introduction
In the past fifteen years, various papers have been presented
on AVO (Amplitude variation with offset) and many
excellent AVO processing and interpretation techniques have
been published. However, due to the large quantity of 3-D
pre-stack seismic data volume, almost all the AVO
processing techniques deal with 2-D seismic data. The new
information from 3-D AVO can be essential in determining
the placement of future wells and revealing reservoir details.
Although several shortcuts recently have been proposed to
get certain cost effective AVO attributes from 3-D seismic
data, the commonly used AVO attributes interception (P) and
gradient (G) still cannot be obtained for the entire 3-D area.
Many AVO failures are due to excessive use of a particular
AVO attribute. This paper presents a new method of
calculating the 3-D AVO interception (P) and gradient (G)
from 3-D seismic data. Therefore many different AVO
attributes, which are the combinations of AVO informations
such as P, G, envelop P, envelop G,
and envelop (P+G), among others, in the entire 3-D area can
be calculated from this technique.
In order to better illustrate the procedure, an Offshore Taiwan
3-D AVO case history is presented. There are more than ten
different AVO attributes that can be calculated from this
technique. In order to obtain a monotonic relation with a
AVO attribute increasing or decreasing with a lithology or a
fluid property, many crossplots of an AVO attribute and a
rock or a fluid property were established and investigated in
the Oligocene sands. Using the 3-D AVO information to
better identify these gas sands may prove to be a useful
exploration technique.
Theory and method
Following many different authors, including Shuey
the P-wave reflection coefficient R(i) given by the Zoeppritz
equations is simplified to the following:
R(i) = + i
The first term gives the reflection coefficient at normal
incident (i=O), the second term characterize R(i) at
intermediate angles. If the event amplitude is normalized to
its value for normal incidence, then the reflection amplitude
is
A(i) = P + G i
where P = normal incident P-wave reflection amplitude
(interception).
G = the AVO slope (gradient).
.
= incident angle.
As shown in Figure l(a), P and G can be calculated by
measuring the change of amplitude as a function of incident
angle in the CMP gathered seismic data in the conventionally
2-D AVO processing. In order to interpret the AVO
information, various AVO indicators or attributes have been
proposed by Foster et al. Castagna and Smith
Ross and Vern and Hilterman Hall et
al. and many other authors. The majority of these
AVO attributes are combinations of P and G calculated from
seismic traces or envelopes. Therefore, the calculation of the
P and G in AVO seismic processing becomes a necessary
step. However, due to the huge 3-D pre-stack data, the
conventional 2-D approach of best fitting straight lines on bin
gather data to determine the P and G on 3-D data is
practically impossible.
An inexpensive procedure to calculate P and G in 3-D
seismic data has been developed. From Figures 1 (a) and l(b),
we know that P and G calculated from either the pre-stack
CMP gathered amplitudes or from partial stack amplitudes
(near-offset and far-offset) are theoretically the same values.
As shown in Figure l(b), P and G can be calculated from the
average amplitude of near-offset incident angle (A,,) and the
average amplitude of far-offset incident angle as :
where I,, = e incident angle of near-offset traces,
= tan-’ TV) , I,, <
e incident angle of far-offset traces,
= tan-’ TV) , <
= average offset of near-offset traces,
= average offset of far-offset traces,
T = seismic time,
= average velocity in 3-D area,
=
Table 1 shows the 3-D AVO processing sequence. In 3-D
 3-D AVO processing and application

seismic data, due to the large quantity of the seismic traces
and the fluctuation of the seismic amplitude in the
stacked bin gather seismic data, the traces have been divided
into three equal-offset-range groups and stacked DMO.
One pass 3-D migration has been applied to both the
offset and far-offset stacks to ensure that the results have
been migrated to the proper positions. P and G can be
calculated from the equations (3) and (4).
It has been observed in this study area that anomalies on
certain AVO attributes, in this case, the AVO gradient, often
correlate to zones of hydrocarbon production. Therefore,
AVO analysis, using the 3-D AVO processed large seismic
data sets and available well information, is a feasible tool to
explore for hydrocarbon in Offshore Taiwan.
Acknowledgments

In order to make sure that this technique is working properly, The authors wish to express their appreciation to Chinese
line 1601 has been processed by the conventional 2-D AVO Petroleum Corporation, Taiwan, R. 0. C. for permission to
processing sequence. Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are the G and P*G publish this material.
sections of Line 1601, separately obtained this 2-D
processing without migration. The 3-D seismic data has been References
processed by the previously mentioned 3-D AVO processing
technique as shown on Table 1. The G and P*G sections of Castagna, J. P. and Smith, S. W. 1994, ‘Comparison of AVO
Line 1601 obtained from the 3-D AVO processing results are indicators: A modeling study’, Geophysics Vol. 59, No.
shown separately in Figures 3(a) and 3(b). The similarity 12, 1849-1855.
between Figures 2 and 3, especially the strong G and P*G at
a gas well at the producing zone of the Oligocene sand at Foster, D. J., Smith, S. W., Dey-Sarkar, S., Swan, H. W.,
approximately 2.8 seconds, has confirmed that this 3-D AVO 1993, ‘A closer look at hydrocarbon indicators’, 63rd Intern.
processing is correct. SEG Meeting Expanded Abstracts, 73 l-733.
Data analysis Hall, J. D., Adamick J. A., Skoyles D., J., and
Erickson J., 1995, ‘AVO as an exploration tool: Gulf of
The variation in AVO response between the gas sand and wet Mexico case studies and examples’, The Leading Edge, Vol.
sand is so large that it has a substantial effect on certain AVO 14, No. 8, 863-869.
attribute sections. Notice the relatively high gradient of the
Oligocene gas sand at Well F at 2.64 seconds in Figure 4 Ross, C. P. and D. L., 1995, ‘Nonbright-spot AVO:
compared to the relative low gradient of the Oligocene wet two examples’, Geophysics Vol. 60, No. 5, 1398-1408.
sand at well C at 2.73 seconds in Figure 5 is also significant.
The seismically derived G (gradient) and the well measured Shuey, R. T., 1985, ‘A simplification of the Zoeppritz
(gas saturation) for 13 wells are crossplotted in Figure 6. equations’, Geophysics, Vol. 50, No. 4,609.614.
As the gradient increases (absolute value), the gas saturation
increases in general. Figure 7 shows that G increases as the Verrn, R. and Hilterman F., 1995, ‘Lithology color-coded
(porosity) increases for the thirteen wells too. Therefore, seismic sections: the calibration of AVO crossplotting to rock
the AVO gradient at any proposed well location can be properties’, The Leading Edge, Vol. 14, No. 8, 847-853.
directly proportional to a gas porosity value The
AVO gradient map of the Oligocene sand is Figure 8. It was
derived from the amplitude (trough) of the Oligocene sand
from the gradient volume of 3-D AVO processing results. ,, relative true amplitude gain recovery
The thirteen well locations are also shown in Figure 8. In this correction I
figure, the gas wells correspond roughly to the high gradient DMO correction
areas. This result indicates that some AVO attributes, AVO
gradient in this case, are valuable hydrocarbon indicators.
near-offset far-offset stack
_ - p - - -
Conclusions l
pass migration pass
A new 3-D AVO processing method, designed not only to !
calculate conventional AVO attributes interception (P) and
gradient (G) but also to migrate these values to the proper
positions for the entire 3-D seismic area, is developed in this AVO calculations
AVO calculations
study. The advantages of this technique are: on seismic traces on seismic envelope data
the 3-D AVO attributes can be the by-products of the interception interception
I
regular 3-D processing, G gradient gradient
the 3-D AVO results have been properly 3-D migrated, . ________________ ---
the technique can calculate AVO attributes from the
very shallow to the end of the trace so the results can
AVO Attributes
not only detect the overpressure zones for drilling I
safety purpose but also can find the currently undrilled
AVO anomalies in the 3-D survey area,
and more than ten different AVO attributes can be
obtained from this method in a 3-D survey area. Table 1.3-D AVO processing sequence.

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3-D AVO processing and application

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3-D AVO processing and application

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