Full Waveform Inversion

ION’s Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) reduces risk and enables more effective exploration decisions, via advanced seismic imaging techniques that provide highly accurate models of the subsurface.

Full Wave Inversion technology can be used to:

• Improve the fundamental resolution of the earth model
• Understand highly-compartmentalized reservoir units
• Identify shallow hazards, like gas bodies
• Significantly improve the structural image

Additionally, FWI can provide improved constraints during acoustic impedance inversion that enables more accurate rock property estimations compared to conventional well-horizon constraint methodologies.

The ION Advantage: Our Custom FWI Technology Suite

Full Wave Inversion is commonly incorporated into an earth model building workflow in combination with, or in place of, typical tomographic approaches. At ION, our suite of FWI technologies utilize the entire wave field, incorporating both diving waves and reflections to enable deeper and more robust model estimation across a range of environments and acquisition configurations.

Low Frequencies and FWI

Geophysical research has shown that FWI’s capabilities and efficiencies may be augmented by the availability of strong signal in low frequencies of <4Hz in seismic data, especially at long offsets. The benefits of these lower frequencies are more efficient velocity model building, and higher resolution images. 

Gemini™ is an innovative, new, extended frequency source solution from ION, that not only emits stronger signal at frequencies <4Hz, but also offers a broadband seismic bandwidth solution.  In combination with FWI, the data from Gemini allows you to build higher resolution velocity models and thus better images, to minimize risk and improve geologic understanding.