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Detection of Fault and Fracture using Seismic Diffraction and Behavior of

Diffraction Hyperbola with Velocity and Time

Conference Paper · April 2015

DOI: 10.3991/2214-4609.201412281

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Yasir Bashir Deva Ghosh

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23618
Detection of Fault and Fracture using Seismic
Diffraction and Behavior of Diffraction Hyperbola
with Velocity and Time
Y. Bashir* (Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS), D. Ghosh (Universiti Teknologi
PETRONAS) & C.W. Sum (Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS)

SUMMARY
Seismic diffractions are often considered as noise and during processing it has been suppress intentionally
or implicitly. Diffraction hyperbola actually have information of true diffraction, wave propagation and/or
fracture waves which always contain valuable information of subsurface and helps in better imaging and
reservoir characterization. Using double radical equation and synthetic data we examine the diffraction
hyperbola behaviour using different velocity and depth. We observe that, at abrupt change of velocity
diffraction is produced which is an indication of fault and fracture.

EAGE Seismic Driven Reservoir Characterization and Production Management Symposium

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20-22 April 2015
Introduction

Seismic diffraction events are produced because of important small scale elements in subsurface such
as fault, fractures and karsts. Diffraction theory sometime makes impossible to understand the
qualitative properties of diffraction phenomena(Landa 2010).

Diffraction hyperbolic patterns occur frequently in seismic section, and their existence is usually
taken as evidence of abrupt discontinuities in the subsurface reflector geometry(Hilterman 1975). A
geophysicist knows about the ray path geometry that at every “point” diffractor, edge of reflector and
a fault gives rise to a hyperbolic pattern on a zero offset section (Berryhill 1977). Most fault planes
are not vertical, they are inclined. A series of diffractions that originate along a given fault surface are
translated horizontally so that the apex of each curve is on the fault plane.

Figure 1 illustrating that diffraction hyperbola produced at edge of the reflectors (D1 and D2). Phase
change of 180 degree on either sides of diffracting edge (+ and -)(Trorey 1970).

This paper deal to increase the understanding of diffraction hyperbola due to faulted structure and
bring possibility to interpret the true structure. In which diffraction hyperbolas are divided into two
parts, one is the algebraic signs of amplitudes phase change is 180 degree and other is that apex of
hyperbola have maximum energy, while the part below the reflection have same energy (Hilterman
1970). We distinguish the reflective and diffractive event to the wave propagation and recognize the
diffractive componets as a key ingredient to image the true structure. We present the double radical
equation that is fundamental of diffraction theory and practicing the thory in real earth model
example.

Method and/or Theory

Principle of diffraction theory is based on that the subsurface behaves like an acoustic media, it means
we do not consider the share wave, only the P-wave is consider for diffraction, with constant velocity
and low reflectivity. The scalar wave equation is used for satisfying wave equation.
 Reflector is an ensemble of individual elements.
 The response is a sum of or integration of each element.
 Zero offset solution.
When the source and receiver are separated, the envelope of arrival times (diffraction curve) has a
different shape due to the increased travel times.
“Double Radical Equation (DRE)” formula for travel time is:

(1)

EAGE Seismic Driven Reservoir Characterization and Production Management Symposium

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20-22 April 2015
where Tm is the time, V is velocity, x is separation between the normal incident (single radical
equation) and shot receiver separate (double radical equation). Curve is greatest at the observation
location over the point source(Ghosh. 2012). At location L varnished and expression above collapse,
so equation can be written as

(2)

This is the usual expression for reflection times form a horizontal reflector. This observation forms
the basis of velocity determination method.

Using equation (2) on MATLAB code, we observe the behaviour or diffraction hyperbola by taking
different constant velocity and keep increasing randomly, as shown in Fig (2-4).

Numerical Example

Figure 2, 3 and 4 show constant velocity 2000, 3500 and 5000 m/sec simultaneously, offset is on x-
axis and time on y-axis, four diffraction hyperbolas are shown by 1 sec interval.

Figure 2 Diffraction curve at velocity 2000 m/sec shows, if velocity is constant but the time is
increasing, that will affect on hyperbola, as time increase curvature of hyperbola will spread out.

Figure 3 Diffraction curve at velocity 3500 m/sec shows, constant velocity but higher than Figure 1,
so curvature of hyperbola spread out more than low velocity.

EAGE Seismic Driven Reservoir Characterization and Production Management Symposium

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20-22 April 2015
Figure 4 Diffraction curve at velocity 5000 m/sec shows constant but higher velocity than figure 1
and 2, therefore diffraction hyperbolic curvature is spread out more in higher velocity with same time.

Observations from above figures indicate that diffraction hyperbola is being spread out as time/depth
increase. Velocity is also one of the effective components for diffraction hyperbola. We compare
figure 1 and figure 3, on Y-axis, scale is same but we can clearly see the difference that at a higher
velocity, hyperbola spreads out more than lower velocity.

Now, in figure 5 we consider increasing velocity with time increase,

Figure 5 Diffraction curves at increasing velocity. Figure 6 Diffraction curve at decreasing velocity.

Figure 5 illustrate increasing velocity with time as in a real earth structure so diffraction hyperbola
spread out more increasing depth. Figure 6 shows decreasing velocity with time that describe if we
have high velocity layer above low velocity then at upper layer diffraction hyperbola have less
curvature but in lower layer curvature will increase more.

Examples (Optional)

Seismic modelling for calculating seismic gathers we use the finite-difference wave equation
approximation showing in figure 7-10.

Above situation under consideration is shown in figure 7. Pairs of 41 source and receiver are located
at a distance of 50 m and depth is 2000 m. A reflecting plane terminates along a steeply dipping fault
edge and produces diffraction, so the interpreter can find the abrupt change from diffraction and mark
the fault.

Figure 8-10 are same model but we consider the distance of intruded layer. Figure 8 shows 100 m
intruded layer that produce the seismic diffraction because of intrusion edges. If we don’t consider
diffraction and suppress during processing we will just observe that it is a straight horizon. Until we
keep increasing the distance of intruded layer but that doesn’t shows the difference in velocity change.
Only with the help of diffraction hyperbola we mark the fault.

EAGE Seismic Driven Reservoir Characterization and Production Management Symposium

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20-22 April 2015
Figure 7 shows 3 layer velocity model, having velocity 2000, 3500, and 5000 m/sec spatially. And
zero-offset seismic response on velocity model, diffraction hyperbola is produced because fault in
model.

Figure 8 Two layer velocity model having different velocity 1500 m/sec and 3000 m/sec and intruded
layer width is 100m (Left side). Zero-Offset seismic gather on model (Right side).

Figure 9 Two layer velocity model having different velocity 1500 m/sec and 3000 m/sec and intruded
layer width is 200m (Left side). Zero-Offset seismic gather on model (Right side).

EAGE Seismic Driven Reservoir Characterization and Production Management Symposium

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20-22 April 2015
Figure 10 Two layer velocity model having different velocity 1500 m/sec and 3000 m/sec and
intruded layer width is 300m (Left side). Zero-Offset seismic gather on model (Right side).

Conclusions

Proposed study employs double radical equation that provides the opportunity to study the diffraction
hyperbolas on different velocity and depth. Justification of diffraction on a real earth model we use
finite-difference wave equation approximation for calculating seismic gathers. That shows only
velocity doesn’t effect on diffraction but depth also. High frequency seismic wave gives less
diffraction response than low-frequency wave and maximum amplitude. Above velocity model
indicate fault plain, on seismic gathers we can see the diffraction effect very clearly. This diffraction
hyperbola is produce because of abrupt change of velocity at the edge of reflector and acoustic
impedance contrast. A phase change of 180 degree as point of observation goes over the diffracting
edge also amplitude is decay exponentially as depth increase. Curvature of diffraction hyperbola is
decrease as depth increase because velocity is increasing with depth.

Acknowledgements (Optional)

We are thankful to Dr. Muhammad Sajid for valuable suggestions, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS
(UTP) and Centre of Seismic Imaging (CSI) for carry out this research. In this work we used
MATLAB and some other tool boxes like CREWES.

References

Berryhill, J.R. [1977] DIFFRACTION RESPONSE FOR NONZERO SEPARATION OF SOURCE

AND RECEIVER. GEOPHYSICS, 42(6), 1158-1176.

Ghosh., P.D.D. [2012] Fundamental of Seismic Imaging With Examples From Asia Region. EAGE
SLT Lecture Tour(2012).

Hilterman, F. [1975] Amplitudes of seismic waves; a quick look. GEOPHYSICS, 40(5), 745-762.

Hilterman, F.J. [1970] THREE‐DIMENSIONAL SEISMIC MODELING. GEOPHYSICS, 35(6),

1020-1037.

Landa, E. [2010] Diffractions - Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. 72nd EAGE Conference &
Exhibition incorporating SPE EUROPEC 2010.

Trorey, A.W. [1970] A simple theory for seismic diffractions. GEOPHYSICS, 35(5), 762-.

EAGE Seismic Driven Reservoir Characterization and Production Management Symposium

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20-22 April 2015

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