Incorporating Vertical Ray-Path Measurements in Crosshole Radar Tomography

Abstract:

Image resolution for crosshole radar tomography depends on survey geometry, measurement errors, regularization, prior information, and the physics underlying measurements. In acquisition of crosshole radar surveys, in-well measurements along vertical ray paths are rarely considered. Radar logging, in which the transmitting and receiving antennas are moved in tandem within a single borehole, can be used to generate pseudo logs of slowness and attenuation. Given that crosshole radar tomographic resolution tends to be best towards the center of the interwell region and poorer at boreholes, in-well travel-time and amplitude data represent valuable additional sources of information to improve radar tomographic imaging. Here, we assess the information content of data collected along in-well vertical ray paths. We quantify information content using metrics based on the model resolution matrix and correlation loss. Substantial improvements in crosshole inversion results are possible with consideration of in-well radar measurement data.