Beam Tomography (BT) is a novel high resolution, wide azimuth migration velocity analysis tool using Beam Migration.  The high resolution updates are comparable to FWI results, with three orders of magnitude more efficiency.  A 2000 sq km velocity model can be updated using 400 CPUs in less than 5 minutes.  The Beam Tomography uses Beam Migration to directly output the velocity update matrix with a very high number (2000-10,000) of velocity update values at each (x,y,z) analysis point.  This methodology bypasses the time consuming steps required for traditional tomography, including preparing the gathers for semblance analysis, semblance picking and back-projection picks QC.  The method enables a very rapid estimation of the depth or time delays along each ray that can be used to produce a high quality alignment of the common-image angle or offset gathers.  In addition, Beam Tomography output contains image point azimuth information and this allows the tomographic update to go beyond the current limitation of limited wide azimuth velocity updates.  In summary, Beam Tomography allows for faster turnaround time for large 3-D seismic projects and at the same time increases the accuracy of the velocity model by using wide azimuth information that is typically unavailable in traditional tomography.  

Speaker Biography: Alexander Mihai Popovici, CEO, Z-Terra Inc.
Alexander Mihai Popovici is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman at Z-Terra Inc., a provider of state-of-the-art geophysical and geological technology, services and software for the upstream oil and gas industry.  He holds Ph.D. (1995) and M.Sc. (1991) degrees in geophysics from Stanford University, and an equivalent B.S. (1985) in geophysical and geological engineering from University of Bucharest, Romania.  He escaped from Romania in 1986 and spent a year in a refugee camp in Austria.  Dr. Popovici was co-founder and CEO of 3DGeo Inc.  He is the Honorary Consul of Romania in Houston.

He has nine patents in the field, over 100 publications in conference proceedings, books, trade journals, and research reports and has given numerous invited talks at conferences, geophysical associations, and geophysical workshops.  He has been a member of the SEG Research Committee, served as Associate Editor (Seismic Migration) for Geophysics, and is past Chairman and founding board member of Geoscientists Without Borders, an SEG Foundation program that funds humanitarian applications of geophysics around the world.  Currently he serves on the SEG Board and was the 2017 SEG Houston Technical Program Chairman.