Frugal full-waveform inversion: from theory to a practical algorithm

As conventional oil and gas fields are maturing, our profession is challenged to come up with the next-generation of more and more sophisticated exploration tools. In exploration seismology this trend has led to the emergence of wave-equation based inversion technologies such as reverse-time migration and full-waveform inversion. While significant progress has been made in wave-equation based inversion, major challenges remain in the development of robust and computationally feasible workflows that give reliable results in geophysically challenging areas that may include ultra-low shear velocity zones or high-velocity salt. Moreover, sub-salt production carries risks that needs mitigation, which raises the bar from creating sub-salt images to inverting for sub-salt overpressure.