Geologically constrained seismic imaging — Workflow

We present the geologically constrained workflow for velocity-model building as a case study from offshore Brazil. The workflow involves basin reconstruction, gravity modeling, and seismic interpretation in addition to standard prestack depth migration (PSDM) model-building tools. Building a salt model based on seismic evidence can be highly nonunique. In a geologically constrained seismic-processing workflow, the main aim is to use geologic understanding with geophysical models and datasets to improve an input velocity realization for the PSDM loop, thereby improving image quality. All of these methods are inherently uncertain, and a final model is based on a range of subjective choices. Thus a final result that agrees with all sciences still can be completely wrong. However, an understanding of these choices enables a unique way of testing and constraining the number of antimodels: velocity models that fit the observations but are different from the final result. This can reduce time spent and uncertainty in geologic evaluation.