FD Algorithm Information

Examples of the use of Finite Difference Modeling

Modeling has already been used with great effect in seismic imaging despite it's past cost. Here are examples.

1. The best example may be the dramatic demonstration by Carl Regone at BP with wide azimuth acquisition technology. He showed how wide azimuth acquisition is of big benefit to subsalt imaging and that the significantly increased cost of this acquisition is justified. Now many companies are pursuing wide azimuth acquisition. Here is a one slide summary of a key result.
2. Pierre Thore of Total presented work on Accuracy and Limitations in Seismic Modeling of Reservoir . Here is a one slide summary of his modeling.
3. Aline Bourgeois et al of IFP presented work on How to build a geological and geophysical realistic synthetic seismic data set for benchmarking reservoirs studies?
4. Neill Symons et al of Sandia compare acoustic and elastic model data in 3D Acoustic and Elastic Modeling with Marmousi2
5. Laxmidhar Behera of CWP presented work on Sub-basalt imaging using converted waves: A numerical approach
6. 223 papers are returned from a search of "seismic modeling" at the SEG digital library,
7. VerWest and Lin do a wide azimuth marine study.
8. Arntsen et al study the gas chimney effect.
9. Luo et al study the effects caused by an overburden on reservoir analys.
10. The BP Salt model has been used extensively to test imaging in the Gulf of Mexico. A description of the model and test is here.

Several public consortia modeling studies that have had a significant impact on industry technology:

• The 2D Marmousi model. This model was widely used 10-15 years ago to analyze the complications of imaging in complex structure. This model has been recently updated.
• The 2D Sigsbee model developed by the SMAART JV has also been a very popular model used in many subsalt tests.
• The SEG/EAGE 3D Salt model and the EAGE/SEG 3D Overthrust model. Here is a nice description of the Salt data.
• The recent SEAM project is a new SEG consortium for building and modeling a larger and more complex 3D sub-salt geology. For recent developments, see http:
• The University of Houston has a Next Generation Numerical Modeling and Imaging Project.

There are several physical tank seismic modeling efforts:

• University of Houston physical tank modeling lab glued together representative structure of models, put them in tanks with water, and collected sample marine seismic data using ultra-sound equipment.
• Delft University has the ZMAART consortium for physical tank ultrasonic modeling of the Ziggy 3D model.
• The University of Calgary has performed physical ultrasonic modeling of land data.