This course will cover the theory and basis that underlies elastic AVO and seismic petrophysical Quantitative Interpretation. These methods follow from the elastic moduli (Lambda, Mu) involved in Hooke’s law and elastic wave propagation in reflection seismology, for both isotropic and anisotropic media.

Through a mix of theory, application and case studies, this course will show that by inverting pre-stack reflectivity to various elastic moduli in terms of incompressibility (Lambda) and shear rigidity (Mu), offers a new understanding into elastic wave propagation and reflection seismology i.e. wave equation based AVO, to quantifiably characterize hydrocarbon reservoirs. Concepts of seismic petrophysics and rock physics will be discussed in detail to enable simple to more complex workflows for conventional and unconventional reservoirs.

Integrating seismic reservoir characterization workflows with other geologic and engineering data will be a primary focus.
1. AVO basics
2. Processing – conditioning gathers beyond the imaging
3. The AVO equations
4. Inversion
5. Rock Physics
6. Anisotropy
7. Case Studies
8. Unconventional and Geomechanical Applications