An adaptive finite-difference method for seismic traveltime modeling based on 3D eikonal equation

3D eikonal equation is a partial differential equation for the calculation of first-arrival traveltimes and has been widely applied in many scopes such as ray tracing,source localization,reflection migration,seismic monitoring and tomographic imaging.In recent years,many advanced methods have been developed to solve the 3D eikonal equation in heterogeneous media.However,there are still challenges for the stable and accurate calculation of first-arrival traveltimes in 3D strongly inhomogeneous media.In this paper,we propose an adaptive finite-difference(AFD)method to numerically solve the 3D eikonal equation.The novel method makes full use of the advantages of different local operators characterizing different seismic wave types to calculate factors and traveltimes,and then the most accurate factor and traveltime are adaptively selected for the convergent updating based on the Fermat principle.Combined with global fast sweeping describing seismic waves propagating along eight directions in 3D media,our novel method can achieve the robust calculation of first-arrival traveltimes with high precision at grid points either near source point or far away from source point even in a velocity model with large and sharp contrasts.Several numerical examples show the good performance of the AFD method,which will be beneficial to many scientific applications.

Direct hydrocarbon identification in shale oil reservoirs using fluid dispersion attribute based on an extended frequency-dependent seismic inversion scheme

The identification of hydrocarbons using seismic methods is critical in the prediction of shale oil res-ervoirs.However,delineating shales of high oil saturation is challenging owing to the similarity in the elastic properties of oil-and water-bearing shales.The complexity of the organic matter properties associated with kerogen and hydrocarbon further complicates the characterization of shale oil reservoirs using seismic methods.Nevertheless,the inelastic shale properties associated with oil saturation can enable the utilization of velocity dispersion for hydrocarbon identification in shales.In this study,a seismic inversion scheme based on the fluid dispersion attribute was proposed for the estimation of hydrocarbon enrichment.In the proposed approach,the conventional frequency-dependent inversion scheme was extended by incorporating the PP-wave reflection coefficient presented in terms of the effective fluid bulk modulus.A rock physics model for shale oil reservoirs was constructed to describe the relationship between hydrocarbon saturation and shale inelasticity.According to the modeling results,the hydrocarbon sensitivity of the frequency-dependent effective fluid bulk modulus is superior to the traditional compressional wave velocity dispersion of shales.Quantitative analysis of the inversion re-sults based on synthetics also reveals that the proposed approach identifies the oil saturation and related hydrocarbon enrichment better than the above-mentioned conventional approach.Meanwhile,in real data applications,actual drilling results validate the superiority of the proposed fluid dispersion attribute as a useful hydrocarbon indicator in shale oil reservoirs.

Identification of a Reliable DFT Calculation Method to Predict the Ground-and Excited-State Properties of Nickel(Ⅱ) Complexes with Porphyrin in Crude Oil

Metalloporphyrins have devastating effects on the deep processing and efficient utilization of petroleum resources. Various porphyrins are derived from porphin by substitution at the β, meso, or both positions. Herein, we focus on the interaction between nickel(Ⅱ) and the porphyrin skeleton. Five different density functionals were selected for determining a reliable approach to simulate porphyrin-nickel(Ⅱ) complexes. At D4h symmetry, the 10b1g, 15a1g, 4e1g and 9b2g were dominated by the 3d character of nickel. Compared with pure density functional, the hybrid functional gave larger highest occupied molecular orbital(HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital(LUMO) gap, and the higher HOMO-LUMO gap also corresponded to a higher excitation energy. The characteristic Soret and Q bands modeled by timedependent density functional theory(TDDFT) calculations matched well with experimental results, and the absorption was discussed in detail with natural transition orbitals(NTO) analysis. Furthermore, the binding character of nickel(Ⅱ) with various substituted porphyrins were calculated at perdew-burke-ernzerhof(PBE) level, showed that the geometry and complexation behavior of porphyrin-nickel(Ⅱ) complexes could be significantly tuned by different substituents. The symmetry of the complex was reduced and the skeleton ring get distortion when introducing different substituents. Compared with ETIO porphyrin, the introduction of phenyl on the β position can expand the conjugated system and promote the covalent character of Ni-N bond.

Integrated application of gravity,aeromagnetic,and electromagnetic methods in exploring the Ganzi geothermal field,Sichuan Province,China

The Ganzi geothermal field is located in the Songpan-Ganzi orogenic belt in Sichuan Province.Many hot springs are exposed along the Yalahe valley in Ganzi geothermal field,which is a favorable area for hightemperature geothermal resource exploration.However,the geological model of heat exchange,the regional structure controlling hydrothermal convection and the development model of geothermal reservoirs are still unclear.Therefore,further studies are necessary to meet the geothermal exploration requirements in the middle and deep strata of this geothermal field.In this study,a geological model of the geothermal system of Ganzi geothermal field is proposed.We are convinced that there exists a hydrothermal convection system in the Ganzi geothermal field,the heat transfer of which is accomplished through deep-rooted major faults.Therefore,the identification of deep-rooted major faults and the description of geothermal reservoirs are the research objects of the integrated geophysical methods.The main factors controlling the geothermal reservoirs in the deep-rooted Xianshuihe major fault and Yalahe fault zones are analyzed by using gravity,aeromagnetic,and electromagnetic methods and techniques.The analysis results of regional gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies show that the Xianshuihe major fault has produced obvious gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies on the surface,and thus the position and strike of this fault can be accurately predicted by inversion of the aeromagnetic anomalies.Geothermal reservoirs show low-resistivity anomalies in the electromagnetic profile.The inversion results of the controlled source audio-frequency magnetotelluric(CSAMT)data show that geothermal reservoirs are mainly developed along the Yalahe valley,and the west side of the valley is more favorable for geothermal exploration.This study is of guiding significance to the efficient exploitation and utilization of the Ganzi geothermal field.

Recognition and depiction of special geologic bodies of Member 3 of Dongying Formation in Littoral Slope Zone,Qikou Sag

The purpose of this study is to forecast the profitable oil and gas reservoir,which is the key of finding hydrocarbon,based on the conception of special geologic bodies.With the guiding methodology of the research thinking of integration of point-line-surface by using the methods and techniques of logging,seismic,seismic attribute,and logging constrained inversion in 3D data volume,the special geologic bodies of Member 3 of Dongying Formation in Littoral Slope Zone of Qikou Sag,which has important hydrocarbon exploration potential,are recognized and described under the constraint of sequence stratigraphic framework.As a result,the developed scale,geometric shape and space distribution feature of the special geologic bodies are forecasted;the inner structure and sequence structure patterns of the geologic bodies are also ascertained.From the lowstand system tract (LST) and lacustrine expanding system tract (EST) to the highstand system tract (HST),the geologic bodies have evolved from relative centralization of lake basin reducing period to three relative dispersive isolated parts of broad lake basin period.According to the relevance and regularity of the development of geologic bodies,the conclusions can be obtained that three types of potential profitable reservoir traps,including the lithologic lens traps,lithologic updip pinchout traps and structural-lithologic composite traps,are forecasted.In addition,scientific basis for further hydrocarbon exploration in new area (few-well area and no-well area) is offered in the guidance of sequence stratigraphic model.

Downhole Microseismic Source Location Based on a Multi-Dimensional DIRECT Algorithm for Unconventional Oil and Gas Reservoir Exploration

Downhole microseismic data has the significant advantages of high signal-to-noise ratio and well-developed P and S waves and the core component of microseismic monitoring is microseismic event location associated with hydraulic fracturing in a relatively high confidence level and accuracy.In this study,we present a multidimensional DIRECT inversion method for microseismic locations and applicability tests over modeling data based on a downhole microseismic monitoring system.Synthetic tests inidcate that the objective function of locations can be defined as a multi-dimensional matrix space by employing the global optimization DIRECT algorithm,because it can be run without the initial value and objective function derivation,and the discretely scattered objective points lead to an expeditious contraction of objective functions in each dimension.This study shows that the DIRECT algorithm can be extensively applied in real downhole microseismic monitoring data from hydraulic fracturing completions.Therefore,the methodology,based on a multidimensional DIRECT algorithm,can provide significant high accuracy and convergent efficiency as well as robust computation for interpretable spatiotemporal microseismic evolution,which is more suitable for real-time processing of a large amount of downhole microseismic monitoring data.

Convolution-based multi-scale envelope inversion

Envelope inversion(El)is an efficient tool to mitigate the nonlinearity of conventional full waveform inversion(FWI)by utilizing the ultralow-frequency component in the seismic data.However,the performance of envelope inversion depends on the frequency component and initial model to some extent.To improve the convergence ability and avoid the local minima issue,we propose a convolution-based envelope inversion method to update the low-wavenumber component of the velocity model.Besides,the multi-scale inversion strategy(MCEI)is also incorporated to improve the inversion accuracy while guaranteeing the global convergence.The success of this method relies on modifying the original envelope data to expand the overlap region between observed and modeled envelope data,which in turn expands the global minimum basin of misfit function.The accurate low-wavenumber component of the velocity model provided by MCEI can be used as the migration model or an initial model for conventional FWI.The numerical tests on simple layer model and complex BP 2004 model verify that the proposed method is more robust than El even when the initial model is coarse and the frequency component of data is high.

An effi cient scheme for multi-GPU TTI reverse time migration

Reverse time migration (RTM) is an indispensable but computationally intensive seismic exploration technique. Graphics processing units (GPUs) by NVIDIA■offer the option for parallel computations and speed improvements in such high-density processes. With increasing seismic imaging space, the problems associated with multi-GPU techniques need to be addressed. We propose an efficient scheme for multi-GPU programming based on the features of the compute-unified device Architecture (CUDA) using GPU hardware, including concurrent kernel execution, CUDA streams, and peer-to-peer (P2P) communication between the different GPUs. In addition, by adjusting the computing time for imaging during RTM, the data communication times between GPUs become negligible. This means that the overall computation effi ciency improves linearly, as the number of GPUs increases. We introduce the multi-GPU scheme by using the acoustic wave propagation and then describe the implementation of RTM in tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) media. Next, we compare the multi-GPU and the unifi ed memory schemes. The results suggest that the proposed multi- GPU scheme is superior and, with increasing number of GPUs, the computational effi ciency improves linearly.

3D variable-grid full-waveform inversion on GPU

Full-waveform inversion(FWI)is a powerful tool to reconstruct subsurface geophysical parameters with high resolution.As3 D surveys become widely implemented,corresponding 3 D processing techniques are required to solve complex geological cases,while a large amount of computation is the most challenging problem.We propose an adaptive variable-grid 3 D FWI on graphics processing unit devices to improve computational efficiency without losing accuracy.The irregular-grid discretization strategy is based on a dispersion relation,and the grid size adapts to depth,velocity,and frequency automatically.According to the transformed grid coordinates,we derive a modified acoustic wave equation and apply it to full wavefield simulation.The 3 D variable-grid modeling is conducted on several 3 D models to validate its feasibility,accuracy and efficiency.Then we apply the proposed modeling method to full-waveform inversion for source and residual wavefield propagation.It is demonstrated that the adaptive variable-grid FWI is capable of decreasing computing time and memory requirements.From the inversion results of the 3 D SEG/EAGE overthrust model,our method retains inversion accuracy when recovering both thrust and channels.

Tectonic characteristics and structural styles of a continental rifted basin:Revelation from deep seismic reflection profiles

The Fushan Depression is a half-graben rifted sub-basin located in the southeast of the Beibuwan Basin, South China Sea. The Paleogene Liushagang sequence is the main hydrocarbon-bearing stratigraphic unit in the sub-basin. Using three-dimensional（3-D）seismic data and logging data over the sub-basin, we analyzed structural styles and sedimentary characteristics of the Liushagang sequence. Five types of structural styles were defined： ancient horst, traditional slope, flexure slope-break, faulted slope-break and multiple-stage faults slope, and interpretations for positions, background and development formations of each structural style were discussed. Structural framework across the sub-basin reveals that the most remarkable tectonic setting is represented by the central transfer zone（CTZ） which divides the sub-basin into two independent depressions, and two kinds of sequence architectures are summarized：（i） the western multi-stage faults slope;（ii） the eastern flexure slope break belt. Combined with regional stress field of the Fushan Depression, we got plane combinations of the faults, and finally built up plan distribution maps of structural system for main sequence. Also, we discussed the controlling factors mainly focused on subsidence history and background tectonic activities such as volcanic activity and earthquakes. The analysis of structural styles and tectonic evolution provides strong theoretical support for future prospecting in the Fushan subbasin and other similar rifted basins of the Beibuwan Basin in South China Sea.

Characterization for wave equations in viscoelastic media based on the constant Q property

The constant Q property in viscoelastic media assumes that the quality factor Q does not change with frequency(i.e.,the Q value is independent of the frequency).For seismic waves propagating in viscoelastic media,the wave equation is determined by the viscoelastic media model.Equivalence relations exist between various frequency domain mathematical models and physical rheological models for the constant Q property.Considering two elastic moduli and three attenuation variables,24 kinds of wave equations based on diff erent generalized rheological models are divided into six classes in this study,and the 12 kinds of specifi c representation for the wave equations in the time domain are derived.On the basis of the equivalence relations between the generalized rheological models,the diff erence and equivalence relation between diff erent wave equations are proven and clarifi ed.Results show that the high-order generalized rheological model can accurately characterize the attenuation characteristics of seismic waves and has advantages in characterizing the dispersion characteristics in viscoelastic media.Lastly,the seismic refl ection characteristics caused by the diff erence of Q value are verifi ed by the forward modeling of the constant Q wave equation in this study,thereby providing a theoretical basis for the analysis and inversion of the formation Q value from refl ection seismic data.

First-order multiples imaging aided by water bottom

Surface-related multiples frequently propagate into the subsurface and contain abundant information on small reflection angles.Compared with the conventional migration of primaries,migration of multiples offers complementary illumination and a higher vertical resolution.However,crosstalk artifacts caused by unrelated multiples during reverse time migration(RTM)using multiples severely degrade the reliability and interpretation of the final migration images.Therefore,we proposed RTM using first-order receiver-side water-bottom-related multiples for eliminating crosstalk artifacts and enhancing vertical resolution.We first backward propagate the first-order receiver-side water-bottom-related multiples using a water-layer model,followed by saving the upper boundary wavefield.Then we produce the source wavefield using a seismic wavelet and the receiver wavefield by back-extrapolating the saved boundary.Finally,the cross-correlation imaging condition is applied to generate the final image.This method transforms the receiver-side multiples into primaries,followed by the conventional migration processing procedures.Numerical examples using synthetic datasets demonstrate that our method significantly enhances the imaging quality by eliminating crosstalk artifacts and improving the resolution.

Carbonate pore type characterization using a statistical inversion method

For carbonate reservoirs, vertical pore type heterogeneity records regional depositional history. However, from the geophysics point of view, these microscopic characteristics cannot be described with conventional data-driven approaches. The author presents an upscale rock physics model which includes both modeling and inverting schemes in this study. According to the statistical comparability between lab measurements and well logs, the main idea is to study and utilize inherent statistical features in naturally occurred carbonate rocks. Firstly, using the critical porosity model as rock physical theory, relationships are built between pore structures and elastic responses. Furthermore, in logging data scale, key parameters are estimated through a statistical method, and thus pore types are classified. The methodology is successfully applied in the well YS1. It is believed that this method will be a promising tool on handing pore complexity and inversion uncertainty in carbonate reservoir exploration.

Flume Tank Simulation on Depositional Mechanism and Controlling Factors of Beach-Bar Reservoirs

The beach-bar reservoir has become an important exploration target in China, but its depositional mechanism and controlling factors have not yet been fully modeled. They have become an inhibitory factor for the exploration and development of beach-bar reservoirs. The depositional mechanism of beach-bars and their controlling factors have been studied by means of a flume experiment including seven runs under controlled boundary conditions which were the water level（Run 1, Run 2 and Run 3）, wave parameters（Run 1, Run 4 and Run 5） and initial slope（Run 1, Run 6 and Run 7）. The experiment revealed that the development of beach-bar was controlled by water level, wave parameters and initial slope. The deposited locations of distal bar and nearshore bar were controlled by the water level. Two beach-bars were migrated downward when the water level falls（Run 1, Run 2 and Run 3）. The width and thickness of distal bar and nearshore bar were controlled by wave parameters, especially the wave height. They increased with the scale of wave. But, the maximum thickness is limited by the water level（Run 1, Run 4 and Run 5）. The distance between distal bar and nearshore bar was controlled by the initial slope. It became shorter with the steeper slope. Distal bar and nearshore bar changed into one bar when the initial gradient was greater than 1/20（Run 1, Run 6 and Run 7）. The results suggest formative mechanism and controlling factors related to beach-bars.

An Improved Method of Laser Particle Size Analysis and Its Applications in Identification of Lacustrine Tempestite and Beach Bar：An Example from the Dongying Depression

Grain size analysis is a common method in the study of sedimentology. For the consolidated sedimentary rocks, the traditional methods are rock slice observation and image analysis. In recent years, laser particle size analyzer is used widely in particle size analysis of sedimentary rock. Unlike the pretreatment of loose samples, the rock samples must be crushed, added acid to wipe out cement, and washed. However, in the step of washing, most of the fines component（less than 63 μm） in the suspended state should be inevitably lost. It will significantly affect the accuracy of particle size analysis, especially for siltstone. This paper presents a siltstone sample pretreatment method which core step is washing acid by centrifuge. Compared with traditional decantation method, the results show that the median particle size reduced 33.2 μm on average. Compared with the precipitation method which is commonly used for handling loose samples, the change of solid-liquid separation time is from 12 h to 10 min, while the average reduction of median particle size is about 15 μm. The grain size value corresponded to the cumulative volume of 10%/90% reduced 2.5 μm/20.3 μm on average. The percentage of the clay component less than 2 μm increased 2.88% on average. The fine particle（2–4 μm） and silt component（4–63 μm） increased 1.71% and 5.56% on average. Based on this method, two kinds of similar lacustrine siltstone were analyzed. They are tempestite and beach bar which are difficult to identify in the Lijin sub-depression, Dongying depression, Shengli oilfield, China. The final grain-size probability plot of tempestite is the type of “one saltation component and three suspension components”. The content of suspension components can reach to 80%–90%. The beach bar is the type of “one saltation component and two suspension components”. The content of suspension components can reach to 40%–45%. They both have the characteristics of high slope which means well sorting. But they can be distinguished based on the suspension sedimentary characteristics which were preserved by maximum degree in this kind of sample pretreatment method.

Initiation and evolution of coarse-grained deposits in the Late Quaternary Lake Chenghai source-to-sink system:From subaqueous colluvial apron(subaqueous fans)to Gilbert-type delta

Investigating the formation and evolution of coarse-grained deposits in modern lakes and the relevant controlling conditions is indispensable to the prediction of reservoir sandbodies, disaster prediction,and limnological research. The source-to-sink system of coarse-grained deposits in Lake Chenghai, a deep,scarped Late Quaternary lake, was investigated in this study based on 62 outcrops, Advanced Land Observing Satellite(ALOS) digital elevation model(DEM) data, and regional geological survey data. The findings include the following:(1) the source areas of coarse-grained deposits in Lake Chenghai were lithologically classified into carbonate source areas, basaltic source areas and siliciclastic source areas, and were geomorphically categorized as scarp type or confluence type. Subaqueous colluvial aprons have formed downstream of the carbonate source areas and scarp-type basaltic source areas, while Gilbert-type deltas have formed downstream of siliciclastic source areas and confluence-type basaltic source areas.(2) The formation and evolution of coarse-grained deposits are controlled by the sediment flux that evolves in synchrony with the geomorphic evolution of the source areas and the sink regimes. Scarps represent the initial landform of the source areas.Source material rolls off or slides down scarps or forms small-scale debris flows before entering the lake. The source material initially formed subaqueous colluvial apron(synonymous with subaqueous fans) where sufficient space was present to accommodate sediments and the basement angle exceeded than the natural angle of repose. As weathering and denudation have progressed, the initial scarps have transformed into confluencetype slopes, and the source material has formed medium-and large-scale debris flows that have entered the lake, resulting in an increase in sediment flux. Consequently, the subaqueous colluvial aprons have rapidly grown and developed subaerial deposits, which have evolved into larger-scale Gilbert-type deltas that overlie the initial aprons.(3) The morphology and distribution of coarse-grained deposits vary in response to differences in quantity and composition of materials from different source areas, which resulting from different rates of weathering and denudation and different sediment input regimes. Firstly, the size and surface slope angle of a subaqueous colluvial apron from a carbonate source are smaller than those of a subaqueous colluvial apron of basaltic origin. Secondly, a Gilbert-type delta from a basaltic source features a greater slope angle and a thicker topset than does a Gilbert-type delta of siliciclastic origin, and the latter exhibits a longer foreset and a thicker bottomset than in the former. Thirdly, the sizes of subaqueous colluvial aprons are not strongly correlated with the sizes of the source areas, while the sizes of Gilbert-type deltas are.