It is well known that the earth is anisotropic; still, the convenience of data processing and subsurface characterization under the isotropic assumption has led us to ignore anisotropy. It is not surprising to note that the isotropy-approximation of the subsurface has resulted in hundreds of dry and misplaced boreholes and billions of dollars in lost revenue.
Over the last two decades, however, advances in computing, methodology, and algorithms coupled with improved seismic data acquisition have exposed us to the many pitfalls of ignoring anisotropy in imaging the subsurface and have shed new light on the immense potential of anisotropy in characterizing oil & gas reservoirs. Applied seismic anisotropy is a rapidly evolving field and has seen significant recent advancement in anisotropy parameter estimation and subsurface imaging. In fact, depth migration using anisotropic velocity models has become a routine data processing step in nearly all oil & gas firms within the United States and Europe. Undoubtedly, seismic anisotropy will play a vital role in the exploration, development, and exploitation of hydrocarbon resources in the coming decades. It is critical that all Indian entities involved in the oil & gas sector, public and private, realize the importance of seismic anisotropy in maximizing resource recovery and remain competitive with the worldwide oil & gas industry.
