Finding signal in the noise: Using multiples and mode conversions to improve AVO inversion
Seismic reservoir characterization in geologic settings with coals, anhydrites, gas clouds is known to be challenging due to transmission effects and non-primary energy noise introduced by these strong velocity contrasts. In the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, the problem of coals masking the amplitude response of underlying reservoirs is well known and understood to be difficult to overcome in AVO inversion workflows. In this study, we compare a standard AVO inversion workflow, which relies on standard convolutional modelling, to a new workflow that uses 1D tau-p domain wave equation as the forward model in an effort not only to more accurately model the input seismic data, but to use the short period multiples and mode conversions to improve AVO inversion results.