Construction and application of angle gathers from three-dimensional imaging of multiples wavefields

US9651695B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• PGS Geophysical AS · NO

Inventors

• Shaoping Lu · Houston, US
• Norman Daniel Whitmore, JR. · Houston, US
• Alejandro Antonio Valenciano Mavilio · Bellaire, US
• Nizar Chemingui · Houston, US
• Andrew Samuel Long · Perth, AU
• Grunde Rønholt · Oslo, NO

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 22, 2014
• Grant date: May 16, 2017
• Expiry date: Jul 30, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01V2210/74
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

One embodiment relates to a technological process for identifying a potential subsurface structure below a body of water. Three-dimensional seismic sensor data that includes at least two measured components is obtained. Up-going and down-going wavefields comprising multiples wavefields are constructed from the three-dimensional seismic sensor data by applying wavefield separation. The up-going and down-going wavefields are extrapolated to a reflector surface below a water bottom. An imaging condition is applied at the reflector surface to generate images that include information from the multiples wavefields. Angle gathers are constructed, where each angle gather is constructed by gathering the images generated using the multiples wavefields for a range of illumination angles. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.