High fidelity velocity models are generated for acoustic vertically transverse isotropic media by taking advantage of full-waveform based modeling using VSP data. The present disclosure determines VTI parameters in acoustic media using pseudo-acoustic equations which can eliminate the contribution from shear waves, and thus significantly reduce the time needed to perform inversion. The methods disclosed herein provide workflows for performing full waveform inversion to provide velocity models used to generate seismic images with high quality and resolution.

A method may comprise: disposing an acoustic logging tool in a wellbore, wherein the acoustic logging tool comprises a transmitter and a receiver; emitting a flexural wave from the transmitter; recording a four component dipole waveform with the receiver, wherein the four component dipole waveform comprises XX, XY, YX, and YY components; rotating the four component dipole waveform using Alford rotation to produce rotated waveform components, wherein the rotated waveform components comprise XX.sub., XY.sub., YX.sub., and YY.sub. components; comparing a travel time of XX.sub. and YY.sub. components to identify a fast wave and a slow wave from the rotated waveform components; processing the fast wave and the slow wave using high-resolution data-driven processing to obtain a fast wave flexural dispersion curve and a slow wave flexural dispersion curve; determining a frequency dependent anisotropy curve using the fast wave flexural dispersion curve and the slow wave flexural dispersion curve; and determining a low-resolution shear anisotropy.

Methods for seismic exploration of an underground formation including at least one anisotropic layer perform a joint velocity-variation-with-azimuth, VVAz, and amplitude-variation-with-azimuth, AVAz, inversion using the azimuthal angle stacks to obtain a structural representation of the underground formation. The structural representation is used to generate scenarios for exploiting resources in at least one layer of the underground formation.

A DAS VSP technique is used to determine the induced fracture height and fracture density of an induced fracture region. The DAS VSP technique obtains pre-hydraulic fracturing DAS VSP survey time-lapse data to establish a baseline reference for the direct acoustic wave travel time. The DAS VSP technique obtains one or more time-lapse data corresponding to the subsequent monitor surveys conducted after each hydraulic fracturing stage along the well. Forward modeling is used to determine a theoretical acoustic wave travel time difference. The forward modeling uses seismic anisotropy to describe the behavior of seismic waves traveling through the induced fracture regions. An inversion scheme is then used to invert for the induced fracture height and the fracture density using the forward modeling. The two extracted induced fracture characteristics may then be used to determine optimal hydraulic fracturing parameters.

An apparatus and a method for estimating interval anellipticity parameter by inversing effective anellipticity parameter in the depth domain using a least-squares method. One embodiment of interval anellipticity parameter estimator includes: 1) an interface configured to receive seismic data and borehole information; 2) a depth convertor configured to obtain a function of depth of effective anisotropy parameter based on said borehole information; 3) an inverse transformer configured to set up said function of depth of effective anisotropy parameter as a least-squares fitting problem based on said P-wave data; and 4) an iterative solver configured to use iterative methods to solve said least-squares fitting problem and to obtain an anisotropy model containing interval anellipticity parameter.

Methods for measuring seismic velocities and for monitoring local changes in inter-well seismic velocities in real time are described. Two or more spaced-apart observation wells are provided. Seismic receiver arrays are placed in the observation wells, and a seismic source array is provided at surface locations away from the well bores and producing areas. Compression (P), vertical shear (Sv) and/or horizontal shear (Sh) seismic wave signals are generated from each element of the seismic source array, and the seismic signals arriving at the receivers in the observation wells are recorded. The virtual source method in seismic interferometry technology is then applied to the recorded data to compute emulated cross-well seismic signals of the virtual sources at receiver locations in one observation well propagating toward the receivers at other observation wells. Analysis of direct arrivals in emulated cross-well seismic signals between the two wells can be subsequently completed to out extract travel times and inter-well seismic velocities and rock properties.

One embodiment includes receiving seismic data from a plurality of seismic sensors located proximate to a build section of a wellbore that is drilled into a subsurface. The seismic data is recorded for a plurality of seismic waves, at different angles, sent from a plurality of seismic sources towards the plurality of seismic sensors. Locations of the plurality of seismic sources relative to locations of the plurality of seismic sensors are such that the plurality of seismic waves are essentially planar at the plurality of seismic sensors. The subsurface is essentially homogenous proximate to the build section. For at least a portion of the plurality of seismic waves, the embodiment includes determining a slowness vector for each seismic wave, and determining a phase velocity and a phase angle. The embodiment includes determining at least one anisotropic parameter value for the build section, determining a vertical velocity value, and using these.

Described embodiments generally relate to a method of determining parameters of VTI anisotropy of a subsurface shale formation. The method comprises receiving wireline log data relating to the subsurface formation, the data comprising density and a clay content indicator; identifying at least one layer of shale in the subsurface formation based on the wireline log data; calculating porosity, clay fraction and silt fraction based on the wireline log data; calculating an orientation distribution function (ODF) of clay platelets within the at least one layer of shale based on the clay fraction and porosity data; estimating at least three independent anisotropy parameters based on the ODF, porosity and silt fraction, the at least three anisotropic parameters comprising a shear wave anisotropy parameter; comparing the estimated shear wave anisotropy parameter with a measured shear wave anisotropy parameter determined based on the sonic log data; upon determining that the estimated shear wave anisotropy parameter is different from the measured shear wave anisotropy parameter by more than a threshold amount, determining parameters of best fit to minimise the difference between the estimated shear wave anisotropy parameter and the measured shear wave anisotropy parameter; adjusting the estimated anisotropy parameters based on the parameters of best fit; and outputting the adjusted anisotropy parameters.

A method can include receiving information associated with an interface between a first medium and a second medium where the information includes sensor data; based on at least a portion of the information, estimating wave properties that include elastic properties, depth-dependent properties and horizontal slowness; and, based on the estimated wave properties, calculating an orientation of a sensor utilized to acquire at least a portion of the sensor data.

A method, including: obtaining initial estimates of a plurality of subsurface parameters; obtaining a recorded wavefield decomposed into a plurality of discrete components; performing, with a computer, a cascaded inversion where the initial estimates of the subsurface parameters are individually updated, wherein each of the subsurface parameters are updated using a different discrete component of the recorded wavefield of the plurality of discrete components; and generating, with the computer, updated subsurface models from the cascaded inversion for each of the subsurface parameters.