Summary:          

Azimuthal inversion is a state-of-the-art technology for characterizing stress fields, detecting fractures, and identifying anisotropic media in reservoirs. While deterministic and geostatistical inversion methods are well-established and widely integrated into standard reservoir characterization workflows, the application of azimuthal inversion for anisotropic reservoirs remains underutilized in tight sand basins like the Anadarko Basin. In such basins, reliance on amplitude-driven interpretations alone often leads to the drilling of dry holes, highlighting the need for more advanced techniques.

The success of fracture characterization in these settings depends heavily on the acquisition of wide-azimuth seismic surveys and meticulous azimuth-dependent processing, including robust noise attenuation. In this talk, I will demonstrate how azimuthal inversion can significantly enhance interpretation and help identify sweet spots in the tight sands of the Granite Wash Formation. Traditional pre-stack inversion methods are often less effective in this area due to challenges such as the absence of acoustic logs, minimal separation of pay sands on upscaled logs, lack of resolution on seismic data and a lack of reliable analogs. Azimuthal inversion offers a powerful and innovative tool for optimizing reservoir characterization and development in these complex, anisotropic environments.