scholarly journals Reverse time migration of multiples for subsalt imaging

Geophysics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. WB209-WB216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yike Liu ◽  
Xu Chang ◽  
Degang Jin ◽  
Ruiqing He ◽  
Hongchuan Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Test ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Multiple Reflections ◽  
Depth Level ◽  
Data Set ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Recorded Data ◽  
Subsalt Imaging

Some hydrocarbon reservoirs are trapped beneath salt bodies, where seismic imaging is greatly challenged due to poor illumination. Multiple reflections have different propagation wave paths from primary reflections and thus can be used to complement the illuminations where primary reflections from beneath the salt are not acquired. Consequently, migration of multiples can sometimes provide better subsalt images compared to conventional migration which uses primary reflections only. In this paper, we propose to modify conventional reverse time migration so that multiples can be used as constructive reflection energy for subsalt imaging. This new approach replaces the impulsive source wavelet with the recorded data containing both primaries and multiples and uses predicted multiples as the input data instead of primary reflections. In the reverse time migration process, multiples recorded on the surface are extrapolated backward in time to each depth level, and the observed data with both primaries and multiples are extrapolated forward in time to the same depth levels, followed by a crosscorrelation imaging condition. A numerical test on the Sigsbee2B data set shows that a wider coverage and a more balanced illumination of the subsurface can be achieved by migration of multiples compared with conventional migration of primary reflections. This example demonstrates that reverse time migration of multiples might be a promising method for complex subsalt imaging.

Application of RTM 3D angle gathers to wide-azimuth data subsalt imaging

Geophysics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. WB175-WB182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Huang ◽  
Bing Bai ◽  
Haiyong Quan ◽  
Tony Huang ◽  
Sheng Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Model Updating ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Azimuth Angle ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Reflection Angle ◽  
Subsalt Imaging

The availability of wide-azimuth data and the use of reverse time migration (RTM) have dramatically increased the capabilities of imaging complex subsalt geology. With these improvements, the current obstacle for creating accurate subsalt images now lies in the velocity model. One of the challenges is to generate common image gathers that take full advantage of the additional information provided by wide-azimuth data and the additional accuracy provided by RTM for velocity model updating. A solution is to generate 3D angle domain common image gathers from RTM, which are indexed by subsurface reflection angle and subsurface azimuth angle. We apply these 3D angle gathers to subsalt tomography with the result that there were improvements in velocity updating with a wide-azimuth data set in the Gulf of Mexico.

scholarly journals Reconstructing the primary reflections in seismic data by Marchenko redatuming and convolutional interferometry

Geophysics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. Q15-Q26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Angelo Meles ◽  
Kees Wapenaar ◽  
Andrew Curtis
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Model ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Surface Reflection ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Reference Velocity ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Recorded Data

State-of-the-art methods to image the earth’s subsurface using active-source seismic reflection data involve reverse time migration. This and other standard seismic processing methods such as velocity analysis provide best results only when all waves in the data set are primaries (waves reflected only once). A variety of methods are therefore deployed as processing to predict and remove multiples (waves reflected several times); however, accurate removal of those predicted multiples from the recorded data using adaptive subtraction techniques proves challenging, even in cases in which they can be predicted with reasonable accuracy. We present a new, alternative strategy to construct a parallel data set consisting only of primaries, which is calculated directly from recorded data. This obviates the need for multiple prediction and removal methods. Primaries are constructed by using convolutional interferometry to combine the first-arriving events of upgoing and direct-wave downgoing Green’s functions to virtual receivers in the subsurface. The required upgoing wavefields to virtual receivers are constructed by Marchenko redatuming. Crucially, this is possible without detailed models of the earth’s subsurface reflectivity structure: Similar to the most migration techniques, the method only requires surface reflection data and estimates of direct (nonreflected) arrivals between the virtual subsurface sources and the acquisition surface. We evaluate the method on a stratified synclinal model. It is shown to be particularly robust against errors in the reference velocity model used and to improve the migrated images substantially.

Fast 3D target-oriented reverse-time datuming

Geophysics ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. WCA141-WCA151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuqian Dong ◽  
Yi Luo ◽  
Xiang Xiao ◽  
Sergio Chávez-Pérez ◽  
Gerard T. Schuster
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Complex Structures ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Salt Domes ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Subsalt Imaging

Imaging of subsalt sediments is a challenge for traditional migration methods such as Kirchhoff and one-way wave-equation migration. Consequently, the more accurate two-way method of reverse-time migration (RTM) is preferred for subsalt imaging, but its use can be limited by high computation cost. To overcome this problem, a 3D target-oriented reverse-time datuming (RTD) method is presented, which can generate redatumed data economically in target areas beneath complex structures such as salt domes. The redatumed data in the target area then can be migrated inexpensively using a traditional migration method. If the target area is much smaller than the acquisition area, computation costs are reduced significantly by the use of a novel bottom-up strategy to calculate the extrapolated Green’s functions. Target-oriented RTD is tested on 2D and 3D SEG/EAGE synthetic data sets and a 3D field data set from the Gulf of Mexico. Results show that target-oriented RTD combined with standard migration can image sediments beneath complex structures accurately with much less calculation effort than full volume RTM. The requirement is that the area over the target zone is smaller than that of the acquisition survey.

Visibility analysis for optimal imaging of target areas and its application to a Gulf of Mexico deep-water data set

Geophysics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. WB119-WB126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elive Menyoli ◽  
Shengwen Jin ◽  
Shiyong Xu ◽  
Stuart Graber
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Visibility Analysis ◽  
Velocity Models ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Subsalt Imaging

Marine wide-azimuth data in the Gulf of Mexico, reverse time migration (RTM) and anisotropic velocity models have led to significant improvement in subsalt imaging. However, imaging of some steeply dipping subsalt targets such as three-way closures against salt is still difficult. This can be attributed to poor illumination and noise contaminations from various shot records. We apply the visibility analysis method that quantitatively determines which shot records contribute most energy on a specific subsalt prospect area. As a result we selectively migrate only those shot records thereby reducing noise contamination from low energy contributing shot records, improving signal continuity and better trap definition in the target area. Like conventional illumination analysis, the computation takes into account the overburden velocity distribution, acquisition geometry, target reflectivity and dip angle. We used 2D and 3D synthetic data examples to test the concepts and applicability of the method. A Gulf of Mexico case study example using wide-azimuth data demonstrated its use in an industry scale project. It is shown that for the particular 60°–65° subsalt target of interest only 30% of the wide-azimuth shot records are sufficient for the imaging. By reducing noise, the image results show significant improvement in the subsalt area compared to the full shot record RTM volume.

Dirty salt velocity inversion: The road to a clearer subsalt image

Geophysics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. WB169-WB174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuo Ji ◽  
Tony Huang ◽  
Kang Fu ◽  
Zhengxue Li
Keyword(s):  
Model Building ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Velocity Inversion ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Subsalt Imaging

For deep-water Gulf of Mexico, accurate salt geometry is critical to subsalt imaging. This requires the definition of both external and internal salt geometries. In recent years, external salt geometry (i.e., boundaries between allochthonous salt and background sediment) has improved a great deal due to advances in acquisition, velocity model building, and migration algorithms. But when it comes to defining internal salt geometry (i.e., intrasalt inclusions or dirty salt), no efficient method has yet been developed. In common industry practices, intrasalt inclusions (and thus their velocity anomalies) are generally ignored during the model building stages. However, as external salt geometries reach higher levels of accuracy, it becomes more important to consider the once-ignored effects of dirty salt. We have developed a reflectivity-based approach for dirty salt velocity inversion. This method takes true-amplitude reverse time migration stack volumes as input, then estimates the dirty salt velocity based on reflectivity under a 1D assumption. Results from a 2D synthetic data set and a real 3D Wide Azimuth data set demonstrated that the reflectivity inversion scheme significantly improves the subsalt image for certain areas. In general, we believe that this method produces a better salt model than the traditional clean salt velocity approach.

Use of RTM full 3D subsurface angle gathers for subsalt velocity update and image optimization: Case study at Shenzi field

Geophysics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. WB27-WB39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng-Zheng Zhou ◽  
Michael Howard ◽  
Cheryl Mifflin
Keyword(s):  
Model Building ◽  
Transverse Isotropy ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Edge Diffraction ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Image Optimization ◽  
Free Generation

Various reverse time migration (RTM) angle gather generation techniques have been developed to address poor subsalt data quality and multiarrival induced problems in gathers from Kirchhoff migration. But these techniques introduce new problems, such as inaccuracies in 2D subsurface angle gathers and edge diffraction artifacts in 3D subsurface angle gathers. The unique rich-azimuth data set acquired over the Shenzi field in the Gulf of Mexico enabled the generally artifact-free generation of 3D subsurface angle gathers. Using this data set, we carried out suprasalt tomography and salt model building steps and then produced 3D angle gathers to update the subsalt velocity. We used tilted transverse isotropy RTM with extended image condition to generate full 3D subsurface offset domain common image gathers, which were subsequently converted to 3D angle gathers. The angle gathers were substacked along the subsurface azimuth axis into azimuth sectors. Residual moveout analysis was carried out, and ray-based tomography was used to update velocities. The updated velocity model resulted in improved imaging of the subsalt section. We also applied residual moveout and selective stacking to 3D angle gathers from the final migration to produce an optimized stack image.

Near-Borehole Imaging Using Full-Waveform Sonic Data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hala Alqatari ◽  
Thierry-Laurent Tonellot ◽  
Mohammed Mubarak
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Full Waveform ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Imaging Results ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
Recorded Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Processing Steps

Abstract This work presents a full waveform sonic (FWS) dataset processing to generate high-resolution images of the near-borehole area. The dataset was acquired in a nearly horizontal well over a distance of 5400 feet. Multiple formation boundaries can be identified on the final image and tracked at up to 200 feet deep, along the wellbore's trajectory. We first present a new preprocessing sequence to prepare the sonic data for imaging. This sequence leverages denoising algorithms used in conventional surface seismic data processing to remove unwanted components of the recorded data that could harm the imaging results. We then apply a reverse time migration algorithm to the data at different processing stages to assess the impact of the main processing steps on the final image.

Implicit interpolation in reverse‐time migration

Geophysics ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 906-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinming Zhu ◽  
Larry R. Lines
Keyword(s):  
Wave Equation ◽  
Finite Difference ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Seismic Sources ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Difference Wave ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Seismic Acquisition ◽  
Recorded Data

Reverse‐time migration applies finite‐difference wave equation solutions by using unaliased time‐reversed recorded traces as seismic sources. Recorded data can be sparsely or irregularly sampled relative to a finely spaced finite‐difference mesh because of the nature of seismic acquisition. Fortunately, reliable interpolation of missing traces is implicitly included in the reverse‐time wave equation computations. This implicit interpolation is essentially based on the ability of the wavefield to “heal itself” during propagation. Both synthetic and real data examples demonstrate that reverse‐time migration can often be performed effectively without the need for explicit interpolation of missing traces.

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