107: The low-cost/high-reward for using multi-component imaging

Dr. Xiaogui Miao highlights her SEG Honorary Lecture 2021 talk, "From multi-component imaging to ocean bottom seismic technology - challenges or opportunities?". In this intriguing conversation, Xiaogui makes a convincing argument that utilizing multi-component imaging is a low-cost and low-effort option for companies to better discover oil and gas. She also discusses how utilizing multi-component technology is like moving from black and white images to color and how recent advancements in converted-wave imaging have addressed long-standing challenges. This episode will challenge the status quo and help the geophysicist make a persuasive case to management to use multi-component imaging. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes and links for Xiaogui's free lecture. BIOGRAPHY Xiaogui Miao, Ph.D. quested after multi-component imaging and processing technologies for more than 20 years. Dr. Xiaogui Miao has the expertise and possessed extensive experience in land 3D3C and Ocean Bottom Sensor (OBC & OBN) 3D4C imaging from North America to Asia Pacific (APAC) region. After graduation from the University of Manitoba, Canada with a Ph.D. in geophysics, Dr. Xiaogui Miao joined Veritas Geophysical Services Ltd. in Calgary, Canada in 1994, then became a geophysical research scientist there. In 2008, after Veritas and CGG merged, she was assigned as research and processing center manager at CGG’s newly -opened Beijing Center, then moved to Singapore in 2015, the APAC Hub of CGG, where she has since been in charge of multi-component and seabed imaging research. Dr. Xiaogui has developed a variety of multi-component processing and imaging technologies and published many articles. Her recent research work has involved the development of surface wave and guided wave inversions for shear wave statics correction and shallow Vs and Vp model building, PS wave OBS data velocity analysis from rough seafloors, and incorporating of PP and PS data for wavefield leakage reduction, etc. She also has played a crucial role in providing technical advisories and supervisions to overcome serious challenges in different types of multi-component processing and imaging projects in the APAC region from land to OBC/OBN and from shallow water to deep water. Her areas of study have covered from Cuu Long Basin, Offshore Vietnam, Malaysia Basins, Indonesia’s LNG and gas fields, to Bohai Bay, Offshore South China Sea, and Xinjiang of Northwest China, etc. To demonstrate the values of multi-component technology, she has pushed converted wave imaging into joint PP-PS inversion for reservoir characterization so to enhance the opportunities of hydrocarbon discovery as well. SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by TGS. TGS offers a wide range of energy data and insights to meet the industry where it’s at and where it’s headed. TGS provides scientific data and intelligence to companies active in the energy sector. In addition to a global, extensive and diverse energy data library, TGS offers specialized services such as advanced processing and analytics alongside cloud-based data applications and solutions. Visit https://www.tgs.com to learn more. CREDITS Original music by Zach Bridges. This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary at 51 features, LLC. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Ted Bakamjian, Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.