What is DMO coverage?

'Coverage' or 'fold' is defined as the multiplicity of common-midpoint (CMP) data. For CMP stacking the coverage is consistent with the number of traces sharing a common reflection point on flat subsurface reflectors. This relationship is not true for dipping reflectors. The deficiencies of CMP stacking with respect to imaging dipping events have long been overcome by the introduction of the dip-moveout (DMO) correction. However, the concept of coverage has not yet satisfactorily been updated to a 'DMO coverage' consistent with DMO stacking. A definition of constant-velocity DMO coverage will be proposed here. A subsurface reflector will be illuminated from a given source and receiver location if the time difference between the reflector zero-offset traveltime and the NMO- and DMO-corrected traveltime of the reflection event is less than half a dominant wavelength. Due to the fact that a subsurface reflector location is determined by its zero-offset traveltime, its strike and its dip, the DMO coverage also depends on these three parameters. For every surface location, the proposed DMO coverage consists of a 3D fold distribution over reflector strike, dip and zero-offset traveltime.     

EFFECTIVENESS OF WIDE MARINE SEISMIC SOURCE ARRAYS1

In recent years, the use of wide source arrays in marine seismic surveys has been a topic of interest in the seismic industry. Although one motivation for wide arrays is to get more guns in a source array without increasing the in-line array dimension, wide arrays can also provide the benefit of suppressing side-scattered energy. Comparisons of common midpoint (CMP) stacks of data acquired offshore Washington and Alaska with wide and conventional-width source arrays, however, show only small and sometimes inconsistent differences. These data were acquired in areas where side-scattered energy is a problem. Comparisons of pre-stack data, however, show substantial differences between the wide and conventional source array data. The disparity between the stacked and prestack data is explained by analysing the effective suppression of back-scattered energy by CMP stacking. Energy reflected from scatterer positions broadside to a given CMP location has a lower stacking velocity than that of the primary reflection events. Thus, CMP stacking attenuates the side-scattered energy. In both survey areas the action of CMP stacking was so powerful in suppressing the broadside energy that the additional action of the wide array was inconsequential in the final stacked sections. In other areas, where the scattering velocity is comparable to the primary stacking velocity, wide arrays could provide considerable advantage. Even though CMP stacked data from wide and conventional-width arrays may appear similar, the reduced amount of side-scattered energy in wide-array prestack data may provide a benefit for data dependent processes such as predictive deconvolution and velocity analysis. However, wide arrays cannot be used indiscriminately because they can degrade cross-dipping primary events. They should be considered primarily as a special tool for attacking severe source-generated noise from back-scattered waves in areas where the action of CMP stacking is insufficient.     

Common-reflection-point time migration

Since the early days of seismic processing, time migration has proven to be a valuable tool for a number of imaging purposes. Main motivations for its widespread use include robustness with respect to velocity errors, as well as fast turnaround and low computation costs. In areas of complex geology, in which it has well-known limitations, time migration can still be of value by providing first images and also attributes, which can be of much help in further, more comprehensive depth migration. Time migration is a very close process to common-midpoint (CMP) stacking and, more recently, to zero-offset commonreflection- surface (CRS) stacking. In fact, Kirchhoff time migration operators can be readily formulated in terms of CRS parameters. In the nineties, several studies have shown advantages in the use of common-reflection-point (CRP) traveltimes to replace conventional CMP traveltimes for a number of stacking and migration purposes. In this paper, we follow that trend and introduce a Kirchhoff-type prestack time migration and velocity analysis algorithm, referred to as CRP time migration. The algorithm is based on a CRP operator together with optimal apertures, both computed with the help of CRS parameters. A field-data example indicates the potential of the proposed technique.     

Reverse time migration of CMP-gathers an effective tool for the determination of interval velocities

One of the most important steps in the conventional processing of reflection seismic data is common midpoint (CMP) stacking. However, this step has considerable deficiencies. For instance the reflection or diffraction time curves used for normal moveout corrections must be hyperbolae. Furthermore, undesirable frequency changes by stretching are produced on account of the dependence of the normal moveout corrections on reflection times. Still other drawbacks of conventional CMP stacking could be listed.One possibility to avoid these disadvantages is to replace conventional CMP stacking by a process of migration to be discussed in this paper. For this purpose the Sherwood-Loewenthal model of the exploding reflector has to be extended to an exploding point model with symmetry to the lineP _EX M whereP _EX is the exploding point, alias common reflection point, andM the common midpoint of receiver and source pairs.Kirchhoff summation is that kind of migration which is practically identical with conventional CMP stacking with the exception that Kirchhoff summation provides more than one resulting trace.In this paper reverse time migration (RTM) was adopted as a tool to replace conventional CMP stacking. This method has the merit that it uses the full wave equation and that a direct depth migration is obtained, the velocityv can be any function of the local coordinatesx, y, z. Since the quality of the reverse time migration is highly dependent on the correct choice of interval velocities such interval velocities can be determined stepwise from layer to layer, and there is no need to compute interval velocities from normal moveout velocities by sophisticated mathematics or time consuming modelling. It will be shown that curve velocity interfaces do not impair the correct determination of interval velocities and that more precise velocity values are obtained by avoiding or restricting muting due to non-hyperbolic normal moveout curves.Finally it is discussed how in the case of complicated structures the reverse time migration of CMP gathers can be modified in such a manner that the combination of all reverse time migrated CMP gathers yields a correct depth migrated section. This presupposes, however, a preliminary data processing and interpretation.     

MODEL-BASED STACK: A METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTING AN ACCURATE ZERO-OFFSET SECTION FOR COMPLEX OVERBURDENS1

The interpretation of stacked time sections can produce a correct geological image of the earth in cases when the stack represents a true zero-offset section. This assumption is not valid in the presence of conflicting dips or strong lateral velocity variations. We present a method for constructing a relatively accurate zero-offset section. We refer to this method as model-based stack (MBS), and it is based on the idea of stacking traces within CMP gathers along actual traveltime curves, and not along hyperbolic trajectories as it is done in a conventional stacking process. These theoretical curves are calculated for each CMP gather by tracing rays through a velocity-depth model. The last can be obtained using one of the methods for macromodel estimation. In this study we use the coherence inversion method for the estimation of the macromodel since it has the advantage of not requiring prestack traveltime picking. The MBS represents an accurate zero-offset section in cases where the estimated macromodel is correct. Using the velocity–depth macromodel, the structural inversion can be completed by post-stack depth migration of the MBS.     

反射点扫描叠加技术

本文介绍了一种与叠前部分偏移（PMBS）有些类似的方法--反射点扫描叠加（RSSTA）。这种方法能够实现真正的共反射点（CRP）叠加。而且,对于不符合反射或绕射规律的各种规则干扰波（面波、声波、折射波、次生干扰波等）具有相当强的压制能力。 文章从反射和绕射两个角度叙述了方法的原理。还给出了应用这种方法处理的二条实际地震剖面。     

3D3C陆地反射PS转换波CMP成像影响因素分析

三维三分量(3D3C)陆地反射PS转换波共中心点(CMP)叠加成像方法,虽然抽道集简单,但是对实际资料处理结果往往不理想.尤其当反射界面为三维倾斜界面时,其成像质量较差.本文提出有三个主要因素影响其成像质量:第一,转换点离散.运用实例计算得出,转换点离散度随着纵横波速度比、偏移距和界面倾角的增大而增大.相同界面倾角,不同测线方位的转换点离散度不同,视倾角的绝对值越大离散度也越大;第二,道集内静校正量差异增大.CMP道集中,由于转换点离散使得转换点横向跨度较大,经倾斜界面反射转换的S波出射到近地表地层时的角度差异也较大,导致静校突出;第三,加大动校叠加复杂性.三维倾斜界面PS波CMP道集近炮检距时距方程可表示为双曲形式,但是曲线的顶点位置和动校速度同时随测线方位变化,使得CMP道集同相轴很难校平,动校叠加过程很复杂.     

基于稀疏反演理论的自动叠加速度反演方法

叠加速度分析技术是常规地震资料处理中的重要环节,也是经典的时间域速度建模方法.叠加速度分析技术主要包括速度谱计算和拾取两个步骤.至今为止,多数研究工作通过提高速度谱的分辨率以及抗噪声能力,获得高质量的速度谱从而有利于拾取.本文的目标是将叠加速度分析技术转为一个全自动化的处理流程.从参数估计的角度出发,将叠加速度估计转化为稀疏反演框架下的模型参数估计问题,并通过稀疏反演算法自动反演叠加速度,进而提高叠加速度建模的效率.为实现这一目标,首先给出了正问题的定义,即层状介质中CMP道集的预测模型,利用叠加速度、垂向双程走时(t_0)以及反射子波以及CMP道集时距关系(如双曲时距关系)可以预测CMP道集.接着,速度分析反问题可以描述为已知观测的CMP道集,估计模型参数(叠加速度及t_0时间等).利用模型参数的稀疏性作为约束条件并用L_0范数作为模型稀疏性的度量准则,叠加速度分析可以转化为L_0范数约束下的稀疏反演问题.本文提出了一种基于预测校正思想的匹配追踪算法求解上述反问题,实现了自动叠加速度建模并为后续的高精度速度反演方法提供较好的初始模型.理论和实际资料的测试结果证明了本文方法的有效性.     

Homeomorphic imaging approach — theory and practice

The homeomorphic imaging (HI) approach is a generalization of the common mid-point (CMP) stack to media of arbitrary structures with the following key properties: it collects and enhances useful waves; no knowledge about the velocity structure of the overburden is required for correlation and stacking; and neither the resolution of nor the information about the target objects is degraded by stacking the data. The so-called common reflecting element (CRE) method, which has all three properties, was proposed by Gelchinsky [Gelchinsky, B., 1988. Common reflecting element (CRE) method. Explor. Geophys. 19, 71–75]. However, the CRE method did not only provide a generalization of the CMP method with the key properties; it also has a topological feature that led to the creation of the HI approach. Today, HI can be regarded as a system of methods and schemes for the study of seismic structures that are based on asymptotic wave theory and on fundamental topological ideas. HI is based on a single supposition: it assumes that a target wave exists on the chosen central trace. The next step makes use of the ensemble of all possible wave fronts that can be formed in the vicinity of the central ray corresponding to the chosen central trace. This approach is applicable to a medium of arbitrary structure without the assumption of a seismic model or its parameters.     

VELOCITY-STACK PROCESSING1

A conventional velocity-stack gather consists of constant-velocity CMP-stacked traces. It emphasizes the energy associated with the events that follow hyperbolic traveltime trajectories in the CMP gather. Amplitudes along a hyperbola on a CMP gather ideally map onto a point on a velocity-stack gather. Because a CMP gather only includes a cable-length portion of a hyperbolic traveltime trajectory, this mapping is not exact. The finite cable length, discrete sampling along the offset axis and the closeness of hyperbolic summation paths at near-offsets cause smearing of the stacked amplitudes along the velocity axis. Unless this smearing is removed, inverse mapping from velocity space (the plane of stacking velocity versus two-way zero-offset time) back to offset space (the plane of offset versus two-way traveltime) does not reproduce the amplitudes in the original CMP gather. The gather resulting from the inverse mapping can be considered as the model CMP gather that contains only the hyperbolic events from the actual CMP gather. A least-squares minimization of the energy contained in the difference between the actual CMP gather and the model CMP gather removes smearing of amplitudes on the velocity-stack gather and increases velocity resolution. A practical application of this procedure is in separation of multiples from primaries. A method is described to obtain proper velocity-stack gathers with reduced amplitude smearing. The method involves a t²-stretching in the offset space. This stretching maps reflection amplitudes along hyperbolic moveout curves to those along parabolic moveout curves. The CMP gather is Fourier transformed along the stretched axis. Each Fourier component is then used in the least-squares minimization to compute the corresponding Fourier component of the proper velocity-stack gather. Finally, inverse transforming and undoing the stretching yield the proper velocity-stack gather, which can then be inverse mapped back to the offset space. During this inverse mapping, multiples, primaries or all of the hyperbolic events can be modelled. An application of velocity-stack processing to multiple suppression is demonstrated with a field data example.     

Passive seismic source localization via common-reflection-surface attributes

The common-reflection-surface (CRS) stack can be viewed as a physically justified extension of the classical common-midpoint (CMP) stack, utilizing redundant information not only in a single, but in several neighboring CMP gathers. The zero-offset CRS moveout is parameterized in terms of kinematic attributes, which utilize reciprocity and raypath symmetries to describe the two-way process of the actual wave propagation in active seismic experiments by the propagation of auxiliary one-way wavefronts. For the diffraction case, only the attributes of a single one-way wavefront, originating from the diffractor are sufficient to explain the traveltime differences observed at the surface. While paraxial ray theory gives rise to a second-order approximation of the CRS traveltime, many higher-order approximations were subsequently introduced either by squaring the second-order expression or by employing principles of optics and geometry. It was recently discovered that all of these higher-order operators can be formulated either for the optical projection or in an auxiliary medium of a constant effective velocity. Utilizing this duality and the one-way nature of the CRS parameters, we present a simple data-driven stacking scheme that allows for the estimation of the a priori unknown excitation time of a passive seismic source. In addition, we demonstrate with a simple data example that the output of the suggested workflow can directly be used for subsequent focusing-based normal-incidence-point (NIP) tomography, leading to a reliable localization in depth.     

AN ADVANCED CMP RAY-TRACING1

The ray-tracing algorithm presented in this paper is based on formulae derived for the common reflecting element (CRE) stacking method. A 2D, smooth, laterally-varying media is assumed where offset rays and traveltimes are evaluated from normal-incidence (central) rays. The method uses a second-order asymmetrical approximation for rays and an additional oblique spherical approximation of the central wavefronts for calculating offset traveltimes. In order to solve the two-point ray-tracing problem for the common midpoint (CMP) configuration of source-receiver pairs located symmetrically around the CMP stations, the central rays are perturbed to satisfy the above-mentioned asymmetrical distribution. Although the accuracy of the calculations is limited for far offsets, it is still good for distances of the order of the reflecting depths. Since only a few normal-incidence rays are traced through the medium, the method is very fast and is found to be most attractive for iterative inversions in macromodel estimation.     

海洋CSEM的共中心点域快速反演

海洋可控源电磁法(CSEM)对海底高阻体的反映比较灵敏,可用于天然气水合物探测资料的定性解释和反演研究.海洋CSEM资料的共中心点(CMP)域转换方式,可在横向上较好地分辨高阻储层.本文提出在CMP域实现一维频率域海洋可控源电磁资料高斯-牛顿反演算法.鉴于一维反演是解释地球物理资料的基础,较于二维和三维反演方法有着更高的计算效率和更低的硬件要求,将二维模型的响应在CMP域单元内表达为一维模型的响应,进而运用一维高斯-牛顿反演解释二维海洋CSEM资料.模型数据试算表明,海洋CSEM的CMP域反演速度较快,能够实现二维CSEM资料的反演解释.     

Ground-roll attenuation using modified common-offset–common-reflection-surface stacking

We modified the common-offset–common-reflection-surface (COCRS) method to attenuate ground roll, the coherent noise typically generated by a low-velocity, low-frequency, and high-amplitude Rayleigh wave. The COCRS operator is based on hyperbolas, thus it fits events with hyperbolic traveltimes such as reflection events in prestack data. Conversely, ground roll is linear in the common-midpoint (CMP) and common-shot gathers and can be distinguished and attenuated by the COCRS operator. Thus, we search for the dip and curvature of the reflections in the common-shot gathers prior to the common-offset section. Because it is desirable to minimize the damage to the reflection amplitudes, we only stack the multicoverage data in the ground-roll areas. Searching the CS gathers before the CO section is another modification of the conventional COCRS stacking. We tested the proposed method using synthetic and real data sets from western Iran. The results of the ground-roll attenuation with the proposed method were compared with results of the f–k filtering and conventional COCRS stacking after f–k filtering. The results show that the proposed method attenuates the aliased and nonaliased ground roll better than the f–k filtering and conventional CRS stacking. However, the computation time was higher than other common methods such as f–k filtering.     

ON REVERSE-TIME MIGRATION*

Migration is a process whereby events in ‘image space’ are mapped into their correct positions in ‘object space’. The wave equations associated with this mapping may be defined and solved numerically either in image space or in object space. In the former the CMP section, which represents the initial conditions, is extrapolated toward increasing depths, and the migrated data are recovered at zero time. In the latter, the wave-field extrapolation takes place in the coordinate frame of the depth section, and the CMP data serve as boundary conditions at the surface. Computations begin at the last sample of the record section and continue ‘reverse time’ until time zero. This paper describes a reverse-time migration (RTM) method and compares its performance with that of an image-space method based on the idea of phase shift plus interpolation (PSPI). Synthetic zero-offset sections serve as examples for migration experiments with the RTM and PSPI methods. It is shown that the RTM approach to migration is rather expensive, but its robustness and accuracy are difficult to surpass.     

共反射面元走时曲面计算方法

共反射面元走时曲面计算是共反射面元叠加的关键.常规共反射面元叠加必须通过相干搜索和优化确定共反射面元叠加公式中的三个属性参数（二维）,从而确定共反射面元走时曲面,该类算法具有三点不足：①相干搜索及优化法计算量大;②共反射面元叠加公式仅适用小炮检距;③波前曲率半径取负号且较小时,共反射面元叠加公式基本不适用.为此,本文提出了利用共反射点射线追踪拟合共反射面元走时曲面的计算方法.模型计算证明该方法比传统共反射面元叠加走时曲面计算精度高,适用性强.     

P and S reflection and P refraction: An integration for characterising shallow subsurface

Characterization of shallow structures was performed by using different approaches analysing both P- and S-wave seismic data with different resolution. The refraction tomography provided P and S velocity models of the first 80 m, while the reflection seismic processing gives a reasonable stacking velocity field until 300 m depth for both P- and S-wave data. So, we estimated the V_p/V_s ratio and an empirical relationship between the two velocities. We characterised the shallow layers using tomographic velocity models and the deeper layers using seismic images with different resolution. The seismic images were obtained by conventional CMP reflection seismic processing and by a novel multi-refractor imaging technique.     

Removal of overburden velocity anomaly effects for depth conversion

A method of compensating for the presence of discrete overburden velocity anomalies during depth conversion of time horizons interpreted on conventional, post-stack time-migrated seismic data is presented. Positive and negative time delays are estimated either from the push-down or pull-up of reflectors directly beneath the anomalies or from interpreted time thickness of the anomalous body and interval velocities estimated from well data. The critical steps are pre‐stack simulation of seismic acquisition across the velocity anomalies, incorporating the effects of a Fresnel volume which changes its width as a function of depth, and simulation of common-midpoint (CMP) stacking using a linear regression of time delay, Δ t , versus offset-squared, X ². The time-correction method predicts the time distortion for any target horizon and the distortion is removed as a correction in time. Depth conversion is then performed using a background velocity function. The final average velocity map is calculated from the resulting depth structure and the raw times at the target horizon. The method is implemented by manipulating time grids within an industry-standard mapping package. The final average velocity map shows steep lateral velocity gradients which are constrained by the interpreted boundaries of the velocity anomalies.     

提高浅层地震反射静校正精度的一种方法与数值模拟

浅层地震反射法是一种常用的勘探方法.在浅层地震资料处理中,静校正的精度直接影响速度反演的结果和叠加剖面的质量,在地形平缓时,固定基准面静校正可以满足勘探精度的要求,但在复杂地形条件下,其存在较大误差,即使采用浮动基准面,仍会由于地表一致性假设而残余静校正量,不能消除地形起伏引起的影响,为了提高浅层地震反射静校正的精度必须在常规静校正后进行一次剩余静校正,本文给出起伏地形条件下,滑动基准面(过共中心点的水平面即为该共中心点的滑动基准面)的剩余静校正量,该校正量与炮检距、反射层埋深、地层波速以及炮点和接收点高程有关,适用于单一介质和层状介质情况,本文通过对典型地形起伏的3个水平均匀层状介质理论地质模型的速度谱计算和分析,阐明在复杂地形条件下,应用本文提出的剩余静校正方法可以消除地形起伏的影响,提高静校正精度,在此基础上做动校正可以得到高质量的水平叠加剖面.     

基于Duffing振子混沌系统的地震速度分析方法

强随机噪声干扰是导致地震勘探资料低信噪比的主要原因,如何在强随机噪声干扰下获取有效的信息是值得关注的问题.Duffing振子混沌系统是一个非线性的动力学系统,其对强随机噪声具有免疫能力,而对特定的周期性信号具有敏感性.本文提出一种基于Duffing振子混沌系统的速度分析方法.对CMP道集按照时距曲线关系进行移动窗口截取,将所截取的信号构建为待测信号加入Duffing振子混沌系统,通过相图网格分割方法(GPM)判断系统状态的改变,从而在强随机噪声背景下获得高分辨率的速度谱.理论模型和实际资料的处理结果表明,与传统的水平叠加速度分析方法相比,本方法能够在强随机噪声背景下获得更准确的速度分析结果.