Salt velocity model building with FWI on OBN data: Example from Mad Dog, Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

In 2018, BP acquired an ocean-bottom-node (OBN) dataset at Mad Dog field in the Gulf of Mexico. We used these data to rebuild the salt and sediment velocity model, employing a recently developed full-waveform inversion (FWI) algorithm. This resulted in a step-change improvement in image quality, as well as significant time savings compared to traditional salt model building workflows. We conclude that FWI applied to OBN data is the preferred method for salt model building. Presentation Date: Tuesday, September 17, 2019 Session Start Time: 8:30 AM Presentation Time: 10:10 AM Location: 302B Presentation Type: Oral