EAGE Workshop on Quantifying Uncertainty in Depth Imaging

Images of seismic data form the foundation for understanding the nature of structures and subsurface properties everywhere away from existing wells. The industry has largely moved to depth images which have the potential to accurately position the reflectivity even under a complex overburden. However, it is well understood that the resulting images will have various sources of inaccuracy. Some of the causes include inaccuracies in the velocity model, the methods and assumptions during the processing of the data, incomplete sampling of the data, incomplete modelling of all the physical phenomenon affecting the propagation of seismic energy and signal to noise. Despite the known challenges and the multi million-dollar decisions that are made on the basis of this information, the industry does not deliver information on the reliability of these images and a mechanism to use this information in the process of risking decisions. The goal of this workshop is to discuss where we stand as an industry on calculating, providing and using information regarding the reliability of the seismic products. The intention is to improve our shared understanding of what we can do today and where our ambition should be for the future. The workshop should explore the impact of the methods we use throughout the life of the seismic project and how we use the results to make decisions.