Acoustic impedance inversion of zero-offset VSP data

Abstract

Highly precise acoustic impedance inversion is a key technology for pre-drilling prediction by VSP data. In this paper, based on the facts that VSP data has high resolution, high signal to noise ratio, and the downgoing and upgoing waves can be accurately separated, we propose a method of predicting the impedance below the borehole in front of the bit using VSP data. First, the method of nonlinear iterative inversion is adopted to invert for impedance using the VSP corridor stack. Then, by modifying the damping factor in the iteration and using the preconditioned conjugate gradient method to solve the equations, the stability and convergence of the inversion results can be enhanced. The results of theoretical models and actual data demonstrate that the method is effective for pre-drilling prediction using VSP data.