AVO Workshop

Part 5 – Implementing the

Lambda-Mu-Rho (LMR©) Process
in Hampson-Russell’s
Software Suite
Exercise 5-1
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PanCanadian Petroleum
 Introduction

In this tutorial, we will review the principles of RP/RS Inversion and the
Lambda-Mu-Rho (LMR or --) method, and then review a case study
using the Hampson-Russell suite of software.

The LMR method was developed by researchers at PanCanadian

Petroleum.
Petroleum

The implementation of the method is a natural fit for the AVO and
STRATA programs.

Exercise 5-2
 AVO Attributes
As we saw in the last section, a number of different possibilities for AVO
attributes have been proposed:

Offset or angle-limited stacks.

Elastic Impedance inversion.
The Intercept and Gradient.
Extraction of RP and RS reflectivity.
Inversion of RP and RS to give ZP and ZS.
Lambda-Mu-Rho analysis of ZP and ZS.

In the last section, we discussed the first two attributes. Now, we will
discuss the last four, and implement them using an example.

Exercise 5-3
 Intercept / Gradient Analysis

Gathers

AVO Analysis

Intercept Gradient

Crossplot
We have seen extensively how the Intercept and Gradient can be
combined in various ways and displayed, or cross-plotted and
interpreted. Exercise 5-4
 Extracting RP and RS
Recall that we have also discussed how to extract RP and RS attributes.
A summary follows:

Wiggens has shown that if VP/VS = 2, it is trivially easy to extract an

estimate of zero offset S-wave reflectivity, RS. A more rigorous
approach, utilizing the ARCO mudrock line,
line was given by Fatti et al
(Geophysics, Sept. 1994) and is used in our AVO program.

As a related idea, Shuey has shown that the Aki-Richards equation can
be expressed using Poisson’s ratio (), density, and P-wave velocity. If
we assume that AVG = 1/3 (same as VP/VS = 2), intercept and gradient can
be combined to give .

Exercise 5-5
 Inverting RP and RS
Once we have estimates of RP and RS from the AVO program, we can
then proceed to STRATA to invert both attributes.

Inverting RP will give acoustic impedance ZP = VP, and inverting RS will

give S-wave impedance ZS = VS. This is shown in the next slide.

These inverted sections can be displayed or cross-plotted.

Note that in the new versions of our software, these steps can be done
while staying in the same project, meaning that the resulting volumes
are all accessible from the same database.

Exercise 5-6
 RP/RS Inversion

Gathers

AVO Analysis

RP Estimate RS Estimate

Invert to ZP Invert to ZS

Crossplot Exercise 5-7

 The LMR© Approach
Goodway et al (SEG Expanded Abstracts, 1997) proposed a new approach
to AVO inversion based on the Lamé parameters  and , and density
, or Lambda-Mu-Rho (LMR©). The theory is as follows:

  2 
VP  and VS 
 
therefore : Z  ( VS )  
2
S
2

and : ZP2  ( VP )2  (   2  ) 

so :   ZP2  2 ZS2
Exercise 5-8
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PanCanadian Petroleum
 Interpreting Lambda-Rho & Mu-Rho

The original paper by Goodway et al, al gives the following physical

interpretation of the lambda () and mu () attributes: The  term,
or incompressibility, is sensitive to pore fluid, whereas the  term,
or rigidity, is sensitive to the rock matrix.

As we saw in the theory, it is impossible to de-couple the effects of

density from  and  when extracting this information from
seismic data.

It is therefore most beneficial to cross-plot  vs  to minimize

the effects of density.

Exercise 5-9
 Extracting Lambda-Rho & Mu-Rho

Once we have estimates of ZP and ZS from the AVO and STRATA

programs, we can then use the Trace Maths option (in either AVO or
STRATA)
STRATA to produce our lambda-rho and mu-rho volumes.

These volumes can be displayed and cross-plotted.

The flowchart for this is shown in the next slide.

The two slides following the flowchart show cross-plots of ZP vs ZS

and  vs for a Biot-Gassmann analysis of a gas sand. Note the
vertical separation for the LMR approach.
approach

We will then show a case study using AVO and STRATA.

STRATA

Exercise 5-10
 LMR Analysis

Gathers

AVO Analysis

RP Estimate RS Estimate

Invert to ZP Invert to ZS

Transform to  and 
Cross-plot Exercise 5-11
 Zp vs Zs for Biot-Gassmann Analysis
2650

2600

2550
Zs

2500

2450

2400
3500 4000 4500 5000 5500
Zp
Wet Sand Gas Sands - 90% to 0% Sw

Exercise 5-12
 Lambda-mu-rho for Biot-Gassmann
7.25

6.75
Mu-rho

6.25

5.75
0 2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5 15
Lambda-rho

Wet Sand Gas Sand - 90% to 0% Sw

Exercise 5-13
Case Study from the
Colony Sand Play in
Alberta, Canada

Exercise 5-14
 Colony Sand Example - Logs
Our well, in the Colony project,
project contains measured P-wave sonic and
density logs, and S-wave sonic calculated with Castagna’s equation.
equation

Exercise 5-15
 Colony Sand Example - Gathers
We have also read in the gathers, and displayed the correlated sonic log
at its proper location.

Exercise 5-16
 Colony Sand Example - Extracting RP/RS

Next, we will extract the RP and RS sections from the gathers, using the
sonic log as velocity control.

On the window containing the pre-stack gathers, click on AVO Attribute /

AVO Attribute Volume:
Volume

Exercise 5-17
On all the subsequent menus, accept the defaults, except
to set the Type of Analysis to RP / RS.

Exercise 5-18
 Colony Sand Example - RP/RS Results
Here are the results of extracting RP and RS. Although the RP and RS
sections exist independently, the default is to display the Fluid Factor
Attribute.
Attribute

Exercise 5-19
 Colony Sand Example

Next, we will start the STRATA program. Click on

the STRATA button on the GEOVIEW window:

Open the Current Project “colony.prj”:

Exercise 5-20
When STRATA starts, read in the P-wave
reflectivity volume, avo_Rp.vol, into a new
STRATA window.

Exercise 5-21
 Colony Sand Example - RP Section
Here is the RP section in the STRATA main window, with the correlated P-
wave sonic inserted at the proper location.

Exercise 5-22
 Inversion Procedure

The STRATA inversion procedure involves the following steps:

Insert the appropriate logs at the correct locations.

Correlate the logs.
Pick the major seismic horizons.
Find an optimum wavelet.
Build the starting model for inversion.
Invert the data.

We will now apply this procedure to the RP section.

Exercise 5-23
 Colony Sand Example
We have already extracted this statistical wavelet, which STRATA will
use for the inversion process:

Exercise 5-24
 Colony Sand Example - Building the Model
We are now ready to build an initial model. Click on Model /
Build/Rebuild a Model,
Model as shown:

Exercise 5-25
The first two menus are shown below, in which we name
the model and select the well(s). Only the second menu
needs to be changed to select the correct well
(AVO_WELL).

Exercise 5-26
The last two menus are shown below, in which we select
the logs and horizons. Click OK to finish building the
model.

Exercise 5-27
 Colony Sand Example - P-wave Model
Here is the initial model, using a single well and the picked horizons.

Exercise 5-28
Now we will perform Model Based Inversion,
Inversion
using the initial model we have just created. Click
on Invert / Model Based.
Based

Exercise 5-29
 Colony Sand Example - P-wave Inversion
On the inversion menus, we will accept all the defaults, except to call the
resulting inversion “P-inversion”, as shown below.

Exercise 5-30
Here is the final P-wave inversion result. The low
impedance just below Horizon 1 represents the gas sand.

Exercise 5-31
 Colony Sand Example - RS Section
Next, open the avo_Rs file into a new window in STRATA,
STRATA as shown
below:

Exercise 5-32
Notice that the picked horizons from the RP section are
still present.

Exercise 5-33
Once again we build an initial model for the inversion.

Exercise 5-34
 Colony Sand Example - S-Impedance Model
This time we select the option to create an S-impedance model.
model All the
other parameters can be defaulted, except to choose the correct well.

Exercise 5-35
We now have the S-Impedance model,
model as shown below.
Note that the new color key represents S-wave
impedance values.

Exercise 5-36
Now we will perform Model Based Inversion again, using the initial
model we have just created. Click on Invert / Model Based.
Based

Exercise 5-37
 Colony Sand Example - S-wave Inversion
On the inversion menus, we will accept all the defaults, except to call the
resulting inversion “S-inversion”, as shown below.

Exercise 5-38
 Colony Sand Example - S-wave Inversion
The S-wave inversion result, using the same parameters as the P-wave
inversion, is shown below. Notice that the gas sand below Horizon 1 is
now associated with an increase in impedance.

Exercise 5-39
 Colony Sand Example - Creating 
Now, we will create the Mu-Rho and Lambda-Rho stacks. This must be
done in the Trace Maths option. Click on that option as shown below.

Exercise 5-40
On the first menu, specify that we will use the
S-inversion volume.

Exercise 5-41
Set the output volume name to Mu-Rho.

Exercise 5-42
Specify the equation for calculating Mu-Rho. Click
Next >> and then OK.
OK

S_inversion^2

Exercise 5-43
 Colony Sand Example - Mu-Rho Result
Here is the Mu-Rho result, with an appropriate color scale. Notice that
the increase in the Mu-Rho value below Horizon 1 indicates that, as
expected, Mu-Rho is responding to the matrix.

Exercise 5-44
 Colony Sand Example - Creating 
Now, we will create the Lambda-Rho stack. This must be done in the
Trace Maths option again. Click on that option as shown below.

Exercise 5-45
On the first menu, specify that we will be using the
volumes P-inversion and S-inversion.

Exercise 5-46
Set the output volume name to Lambda-Rho.

Exercise 5-47
 Specify the equation for calculating Lambda-Rho.

P_inversion^2 - 2*S_inversion^2

Exercise 5-48
 Colony Sand Example - Lambda-Rho
Result
Here is the Lambda-Rho result. The drop in the value of Lambda-Rho
below Horizon 1 is indicating that, as expected, Lambda-Rho is
responding to the fluid, which is gas.

Exercise 5-49
 Colony Sand Example - Cross-plotting

Finally, we wish to cross-plot the results. To start that, go to any of the

windows in STRATA,
STRATA and click on Process / Cross Plot,Plot as shown below:

Exercise 5-50
 Note on the left menu that we are going to plot
Lambda-Rho on the X-axis, and Mu-Rho on the Y-axis.
On the right menu, we have chosen a window that is centered on the gas
sand anomaly.

Exercise 5-51
Here is the initial uninterpreted result of the cross-plot.
To select the zones, click on Zones / Add as shown
below.

Exercise 5-52
 Here is an interpreted cross-plot. Note that the two
zones have been chosen to give separation along a
vertical line, and that the low values of Lambda-Rho represent the known
gas sand. To get the cross section, click on Cross-Section.
Cross-Section

Exercise 5-53
The final step is to display the cross
plot zones on the main windows. To
do that, click on the “Eyeball” icon:

On the menu, select

“Cross Plot” as the
Color Data Volume.
Volume
Click OK on this menu.

Exercise 5-54
The resulting plot shows the highlighted AVO
anomaly region.

Exercise 5-55
 Conclusions
This has been a overview of the RP/RS inversion and LMR© approaches,
as implemented in Hampson-Russell’s AVO and STRATA software
packages.

Note that both methods allow us to estimate two independent

parameters from our prestack data.

The crossplot of Lambda-Rho vs Mu-Rho allowed us to separate the gas

sand from the surrounding sediments using a vertical line, as expected
from the theory.

This method has given good results on this play and others, and can be
easily implemented using the Hampson-Russell software suite.

Exercise 5-56
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PanCanadian Petroleum