Assisted seismic matching: Joint inversion of seismic, rock physics, and basin modeling

In this study, we apply advanced numerical optimization techniques to extend the work of Imhof and Sharma (2005, 2006) to integrate geological and geophysical data and infer the sedimentary parameters that produce a match to seismic data. In particular, we seek to match not just event timing (phase) but also reflection strength (amplitude). This inverse problem of quantitatively matching present-day measurements of structure, stratigraphy, petrology and/or fluids is inherently ill-posed and computationally difficult. In our approach we automatically adjust parameters, which control numerical forward models such as numerical basin models, petrophysical models, and seismic acoustic models, to match observed seismic data and observed stratigraphy. Note that the problem we tackle is more complex than traditional seismic inversion, which “just” estimates the velocity and reflectivity model that fits the seismic data. Here we also estimate the geological layer composition, as well as rock physics parameters controlling the relationships defining the bulk rock density and velocity.