Shallow-water-flow prediction from multicomponent seismic data

Shallow water flows (SWF's) are a primary hazard to deepwater drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Occurrences can result in web failures and significant discharges of subsurface fluids into the ocean. Many operators choose to drill through these hazards with a modest identification investment before drilling, then mitigate the hazard at significant expense if one is encountered. The occurrence of SF has been identified as one of the top Eve challenges faced in deepwater exploration and production. Initial results from the study detailed in the full-length paper suggest that variations in velocity and impedance resulting from SWF sand bodies are detectable in seismic data.