Revealing Complex Structures in Shallow Waters of the Gulf of Mexico Using FWI

Shallow water regions of the Gulf of Mexico hold promising petroleum prospects but pose imaging challenges due to complex overburden velocity in the Mesozoic section. Traditional sparse OBC surveys struggled to resolve these features. This technical article highlights a Time-lag Full-Waveform Inversion (TLFWI)-driven velocity model building (VMB) approach that significantly improved imaging of faulted sediment basins, allochthonous salt formations, and carbonate blocks. Combining TLFWI with FWI Imaging unveiled deep Mesozoic structures, enabling a clearer geological interpretation of the basin and unlocking new exploration potential.