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Lithosphere Dynamics and Sedimentary Basins: The Arabian Plate and Analogues pp 145–158Cite as

Depth seismic imaging using reflection and first arrival traveltime tomography: Application to a deep profile across the Northern Emirates Foothills

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Part of the book series: Frontiers in Earth Sciences ((FRONTIERS))

Abstract

Among seismic processing methods, the reflection tomography is performed to compute accurate velocity models for depth seismic imaging and the first arrival tomography is used to determine the complex velocity variations of the structured overburden. In foothills, where reflection tomography suffers from severe limitations, combining these two methods provides a more complete determination of the velocity model from the shallowest zones down to the deeper zones. This combined method has been applied to a deep seismic profile acquired across the Northern Emirates Foothills. The main objective of this study is to acquire new information on deep target structures for hydrocarbon exploration. In the western part, with sand dune on surface, the reflection tomography was successfully applied providing an accurate depth estimation of the carbonate platform, the potential reservoir. In the central foothills part of the profile, the velocity model was computed by joint inversion using the first arrivals down to 4 km depth and the reflected travel times for deeper layers. In the eastern part of the profile, due to the outcropping of the Semail ophiolite, the deep reflection events are not visible and only the first arrival tomography using the long offset traces (±15,000 m) has been applied to determine the ophiolite velocity and the limits of the high velocity contrast (up to 5.5 km/s) which could relate to the top of the underthrust platform and basinal Mesozoic unit. Finally seismic imaging combining joint traveltime tomography and pre-stack depth migration has provided new depth seismic images of the structural features of the complex overburden and of the frontal triangle zone.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge MM Saleh Al Mahmoudi, Khalid Al Hosani, Abdullah Gahnoog and the Ministry of Energy of the UAE for their long-term support during this project and for authorizing this publication. We also thank Louis Chérel from IFP Energies nouvelles and Daniela Justiniano, former trainee from IFP-school, for their contribution to tomography and depth migration. We thank the anonymous reviewer and Charles Naville for their reviews of the manuscript and their very useful comments about the traveltime tomography and the case study presentations respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IFP Energies Nouvelles, 1 et 4 Avenue de Bois-Préau, 92852, Rueil-Malmaison, France

    Anne Jardin & Karine Broto

  2. IFP Energies Nouvelles, Rond-Point de l’échangeur de Solaize, BP 3, 69360, Solaize, France

    Timothée Perdrizet

Authors
  1. Anne Jardin
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  2. Karine Broto
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  3. Timothée Perdrizet
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anne Jardin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Geology and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Energy, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Khalid Al Hosani

  2. Géologie-Géochimie-Géophysique, IFP Energies Nouvelles, Rueil-Malmaison, France

    Francois Roure

  3. ritish Geological Survey (BGS), Kingsley Dunham Centre, Nottingham, UK

    Richard Ellison

  4. Earth Sciences, Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Stephen Lokier

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© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Jardin, A., Broto, K., Perdrizet, T. (2013). Depth seismic imaging using reflection and first arrival traveltime tomography: Application to a deep profile across the Northern Emirates Foothills. In: Al Hosani, K., Roure, F., Ellison, R., Lokier, S. (eds) Lithosphere Dynamics and Sedimentary Basins: The Arabian Plate and Analogues. Frontiers in Earth Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30609-9_7

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