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Time‐lapse crosswell seismic data acquired with a cemented receiver cable have been processed into P‐ and S‐wave tomograms which image heavy oil sand lithofacies and changes as a result of steam injection. Twenty‐seven crosswell surveys were acquired between two wells over a 3.5 month period before, during, and after a 34‐day, 30 MBBL [Formula: see text] steam injection cycle. Interpretation was based on correlations with reservoir data and models, observation well data, and engineering documentation of the production history and steam cycle. Baseline S‐ and P‐wave tomograms image reservoir sand flow units and areas affected by past cyclic steam injection. S‐wave tomograms define lithology and porosity contrasts between the excellent reservoir quality, “high flow” turbidite channel facies and the interbedded “low to moderate flow” bioturbated levee facies. The reservoir dip of approximately 20° is defined by the velocity contrast between lithofacies. P‐wave baseline tomograms image lithology, porosity, structure, and several low velocity zones caused by past steam injection. Previous steam‐heat injection caused the formation of gas which reduced velocities as much as several thousand ft/s (600 m/s), an amount which obscures the velocity contrast between lithofacies and smaller velocity reductions as a result of temperature alone. Time‐lapse and difference P‐wave tomograms document several areas with small decreases in velocity during steam injection and larger decreases after cyclic steam injection. Velocity reductions range from 300 to 900 ft/s (90 to 270 m/s) adjacent to and above injectors located 20 to 50 feet (6 to 15 m) from the tomogram cross‐section. Poisson’s ratio tomograms show a significant decrease (.10) in the same area, and include low values indicative of gas saturation. Continuous injectors located 50 to 350 feet (15 to 100 m) from the survey area also caused a progressive decrease in velocity of the “high flow” channel sands during the time‐lapse survey. Interdisciplinary interpretation indicates that tomograms not only complement other borehole‐derived reservoir characterization and temperature monitoring data but can be used to quantitatively characterize interwell reservoir properties and monitor changes as a result of the thermal recovery process. Monitoring results over 3.5 months confirms that stratification has controlled the flow of steam, in contrast to gravity override. This suggests that tomographic images of reservoir flow‐units and gas‐bearing high temperature zones should be useful for positioning wells and optimizing injection intervals, steam volumes, and producing well completions.

The usual study of seismic reflections is limited to those from sharply defined contrasts in acoustic impedance. For reflections resulting from transition zones in which acoustic impedance is continuously variable (such as the zones encountered in permafrost), the frequency‐selective nature of attenuation and phase distortion leads to a number of characteristics which may be used in the sense of pattern recognition to identify such reflections. An rms velocity‐analysis procedure can be used to estimate depths and velocity gradients associated with transition zones. Some simple approximations allow us to avoid solving a system of nonlinear equations in many cases of interest, and the result is a practical technique which can be applied to many transition zone reflections at reasonable computational cost.

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