Cost-effective 3D one-pass depth migration1

A crucial point in the processing of 3D seismic data is the migration step, both because of its 3D nature and the computational cost involved. The efficiency and accuracy of 3D migration are determined by the wavefield extrapolation technique employed. Wavefield extrapolation based on second-order differential operators of variable-length is very efficient and accurate at the same time. Compared to migration based on the McClellan transform and operator splitting, the use of variable-length second-order differential operators offers significant advantages. The 3D migration operator has an almost perfect circular symmetry. No positioning errors in the 45° azimuth between the in-line and cross-line directions are evident. The method is, in practice, only limited by spatial aliasing and does not require expensive interpolation of data to reduce numerical artifacts. This reduces the computational cost of 3D one-pass depth migration by a large factor.     

一种新的针对反射波的逆时偏移真振幅成像条件

真振幅成像是一种代表性的定量估计模型参数扰动高波数部分的地震波成像方法.经典的真振幅成像方法在高频近似和理想照明假设条件下求取显式对角Hessian逆矩阵作为偏移振幅加权算子,用以校正波传播过程中的几何扩散效应,得到模型参数扰动的带限估计.真振幅保真成像方法在利用逆时偏移（RTM）框架实现时会产生低波数噪声,影响对高波数参数估计的精度.本文给出了一种新的基于RTM框架的真振幅保真成像条件,该成像条件针对反射波数据,在高频近似下散射模式对应正问题及Bayes反问题框架下导出.与传统基于高频渐进反演的波动方程成像方法类似,利用本文提出RTM成像条件能够保证计算结果与高频近似下反演结果的一致性.同时,利用本文提出RTM真振幅成像条件能够在成像过程中自动保真的消除传统真振幅RTM算法中存在低波数噪声,模型数值实验结果验证了本文方法的正确性和有效性.     

3D depth migration by rotated McClellan filters1

The application of McClellan transformations considerably reduces the computational cost of 3D wavefield depth extrapolation by explicit convolutional methods. The accuracy of migration methods based on McClellan transformation depends on how well the transformation filter (cos !;κ!;) is approximated; errors in this approximation cause anisotropy in the extrapolation operator and frequency dispersion in the migrated results. The anisotropy can be greatly reduced by rotating the approximate filter by 45° and averaging the rotated filter with the original filter. The application of the rotated filter yields a migration method that correctly images very steep dips, with little or no additional computational cost. McClellan migration with the improved circular response enhances the imaging of synthetic and real data.     

3D wavepath migration

3D Kirchhoff migration (KM) smears a trace's time sample along a quasi-ellipsoid in the model space. This is a costly and sometimes noisy process as reflection energy is smeared far away from the actual reflector position, introducing far-field migration artefacts. As a reduced form of 3D KM, 3D wavepath migration (WM) smears a picked reflection arrival to a small Fresnel zone portion centred about the specular reflection point, leading to fewer migration artefacts and reduced computation time. Both the traveltime and the angle of incidence are required by WM for locating the specular reflection point. Our results with 3D prestack synthetic data show that WM generates fewer migration artefacts and can sometimes define complex structure better than KM. Our results with 3D prestack field data show that WM can mostly suppress migration artefacts and can sometimes resolve reflection interfaces better than KM. The CPU comparison shows that, for both the synthetic and field data examples, WM can be more than an order of magnitude faster than KM. The limitation with 3D WM is that the angle of incidence calculation is sensitive to the recording geometry and the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, which can lead to blurred images.     

一种新的针对反射波的逆时偏移真振幅成像条件

真振幅成像是一种代表性的定量估计模型参数扰动高波数部分的地震波成像方法.经典的真振幅成像方法在高频近似和理想照明假设条件下求取显式对角Hessian逆矩阵作为偏移振幅加权算子,用以校正波传播过程中的几何扩散效应,得到模型参数扰动的带限估计.真振幅保真成像方法在利用逆时偏移（RTM）框架实现时会产生低波数噪声,影响对高波数参数估计的精度.本文给出了一种新的基于RTM框架的真振幅保真成像条件,该成像条件针对反射波数据,在高频近似下散射模式对应正问题及Bayes反问题框架下导出.与传统基于高频渐进反演的波动方程成像方法类似,利用本文提出RTM成像条件能够保证计算结果与高频近似下反演结果的一致性.同时,利用本文提出RTM真振幅成像条件能够在成像过程中自动保真的消除传统真振幅RTM算法中存在低波数噪声,模型数值实验结果验证了本文方法的正确性和有效性.

     

Parsimonious 3D post-stack Kirchhoff depth migration

Parsimonious post‐stack migration is extended to three dimensions. By tracing single rays back along each incident wave direction (as determined by a local slant stack at the receivers), the ray tracing can be embedded in the migration. This approach significantly reduces the computer time and disk space needed because it is not necessary to build and save image time maps; 3D migration can be performed on a workstation or personal computer rather than using a supercomputer or cluster. The location of a reflector in the output image is defined by tracing a zero‐offset ray to the one‐way traveltime (the image condition); the orientation of the reflector is defined as a surface perpendicular to the raypath. The migration impulse response operator is confined to the first Fresnel zone around the estimated reflection point, which is much smaller than the large isochronic surface in traditional Kirchhoff depth migration. Additional efficiency is obtained by applying an amplitude threshold to reduce the amount of data to be migrated. Tests on synthetic data show that the proposed implementation of parsimonious 3D post‐stack Kirchhoff depth migration is at least two orders of magnitude faster than traditional Kirchhoff migration, at the expense of slightly degraded migration image coherence. The proposed migration is expected to be a useful complement to conventional time migrations for fast initial imaging of subsurface structures and for real‐time imaging of near‐offset sections during data acquisition for quality control.     

True-amplitude migration of 2D synthetic data1

True-amplitude (TA) migration, which is a Kirchhoff-type modified weighted diffraction stack, recovers (possibly) complex angle-dependent reflection coefficients which are important for amplitude-versus-offset (AVO) inversion. The method can be implemented using existing prestack or post-stack Kirchhoff migration and fast Green's function computation programs. Here, it is applied to synthetic single-shot and constant-offset seismic data that include post-critical reflections (complex reflection coefficients) and caustics. Comparisons of the amplitudes of the TA migration image with theoretical reflection coefficients show that the (possibly complex) angle-dependent reflection coefficients are correctly estimated.     

Numerical modelling of airborne electromagnetic anomalies originating from low-conductivity 3D bodies1

Responses of a multifrequency, multicoil airborne electromagnetic (AEM) system were modelled numerically for 3D electrical conductors embedded in a resistive bedrock and overlain by an overburden of low to moderate conductivity. The results cover a horizontal coplanar coil configuration and two frequencies, 7837 Hz and 51 250 Hz. The models studied are single or multiple, poor conductors (conductance lower than 0.1 S) embedded in a host rock of high but finite resistivity (5000 Ωm) and overlain by a layer of overburden with finite thickness and low to moderate conductivity (conductance up to 2 S). On the basis of the modelling results, limits of detectability for poor conductors have been studied for the various model structures. The results indicate that the anomaly from a steeply dipping, plate-like conductor will decrease significantly when the conductor is embedded in a weakly conductive host rock and is overlain by a conductive overburden. However, an anomaly is obtained, and its magnitude can even increase with increasing overburden conductivity or frequency. The plate anomaly remains practically constant when only the overburden thickness is varied. Changes in overburden conductivity will cause the plate-anomaly values to change markedly. If the plate conductance is less than that of the overburden, a local anomaly opposite in sign to the normal type of anomaly will be recorded. Another major consequence is that conductors interpreted with free-space models will be heavily overestimated in depth or underestimated in conductance, if in reality induction and current channelling in the host rock and overburden make even a slight contribution to the anomalous EM field. The lateral resolution for the horizontal coplanar coil system was found to be about 1.7 times the sensor altitude. Similarly, the lateral extension of a horizontal conductive ribbon, required to reach the semi-infinite (half-space) behaviour, is more than three times the sensor altitude. Finally, screening of a steeply dipping plate, caused by a small, conductive horizontal ribbon, is much more severe than screening of the same plate by an extensive horizontal layer.     

起伏地表采集数据的三维直接叠前时间偏移方法

提出一种可对起伏地表采集的三维地震资料直接进行偏移成像的叠前时间偏移方法和流程.它用两个等效速度描述近地表和上覆层对地震波传播的影响,可对炮、检点不在同一水平面的三维地震资料直接进行叠前时间偏移处理.该方法不对近地表地震波传播做垂直出、入射假定,因此可适应高速层出露等不存在明显低、降速带情况.描述近地表和上覆层的两个等效速度参数可依据偏移道集的同相轴是否平直来确定,避免了确定近地表速度的困难;而对已知近地表速度的情况,则可进一步修正近地表速度,获得更好的成像效果.用三维起伏地表的理论数据和中国东部某工区实际数据验证了所发展方法和处理流程的有效性和实用性.     

三维偏移距平面波有限差分叠前时间偏移

本文提出了中点-半偏移距域内的三维偏移距平面波(offset plane-wave)方程,并给出了其有限差分解法.偏移距平面波可通过对CMP道集进行平面波分解(倾斜叠加或线性Radon变换)生成,然而这样做会产生严重的噪音干扰.本文提出了局部倾斜叠加方法(local slant-stacking)来消除离散线性Radon变换引入的噪音.针对实际三维数据的不规则性(中点-偏移距域内方位角展布不均匀及偏移距采样不规则),本文还提出了与方位角无关的三维倾斜叠加方法(azimuth-independent 3D slant-stacking),解决了三维平面波分解中存在的问题.使用文中提出的平面波分解方法,可以得到高信噪比的偏移距平面波数据体.同时,三维偏移距平面波偏移可以输出偏移距射线参数域共成像点道集,基于此道集的剩余速度分析方法可以用来更新偏移速度场.偏移距平面波偏移具有很高的计算效率,相较Kirchhoff积分叠前时间偏移有较好的保幅特性,可作为水平地表三维叠前时间偏移的一个很好的解决方案.     

Scattering pattern analysis and true-amplitude generalized Radon transform migration for acoustic transversely isotropic media with a vertical axis of symmetry

In multi-parameter ray-based anisotropic migration/inversion, it is essential that we have an understanding of the scattering mechanism corresponding to parameter perturbations. Because the complex nonlinearity in the anisotropic inversion problem is intractable, the construction of true-amplitude linearized migration/inversion procedures is needed and important. By using the acoustic medium assumption for transversely isotropic media with a vertical axis of symmetry and representing the anisotropy with P-wave normal moveout velocity, Thomsen parameter δ and anelliptic parameter η, we formalize the linearized inverse scattering problem for three-dimensional pseudo-acoustic equations. Deploying the single-scattering approximation and an elliptically anisotropic background introduces a new linear integral operator that connects the discontinuous perturbation parameters with the multi-shot/multi-offset P-wave scattered data. We further apply the high-frequency asymptotic Green's function and its derivatives to the integral operator, and then the scattering pattern of each perturbation parameter can be explicitly presented. By naturally establishing a connection to generalized Radon transform, the pseudo-inverse of the integral operator can be solved by the generalized Radon transform inversion. In consideration of the structure of this pseudo-inverse operator, the computational implementation is done pointwise by shooting a fan of rays from the target imaging area towards the acquisition system. Results from two-dimensional numerical tests show amplitude-preserving images with high quality.     

Efficient traveltime compression for 3D prestack Kirchhoff migration

Kirchhoff 3D prestack migration, as part of its execution, usually requires repeated access to a large traveltime table data base. Access to this data base implies either a memory intensive or I/O bounded solution to the storage problem. Proper compression of the traveltime table allows efficient 3D prestack migration without relying on the usually slow access to the computer hard drive. Such compression also allows for faster access to desirable parts of the traveltime table. Compression is applied to the traveltime field for each source location on the surface on a regular grid using 3D Chebyshev polynomial or cosine transforms of the traveltime field represented in the spherical coordinates or the Celerity domain. We obtain practical compression levels up to and exceeding 20 to 1. In fact, because of the smaller size traveltime table, we obtain exceptional traveltime extraction speed during migration that exceeds conventional methods. Additional features of the compression include better interpolation of traveltime tables and more stable estimates of amplitudes from traveltime curvatures. Further compression is achieved using bit encoding, by representing compression parameters values with fewer bits.     

三维最小二乘弹性高斯束叠前深度偏移

与声波高斯束成像相比,弹性波高斯束偏移更适用于复杂油气藏多波多分量地震勘探.但是由于观测系统的局限性和深部构造的复杂性,该方法同样存在成像分辨率低、照明不均衡等问题.本文结合最小二乘偏移和弹性高斯束偏移的优势,提出了一种通过弹性高斯束叠加构建Born正演（反偏移）算子和偏移算子的三维最小二乘叠前深度偏移方法.依据最小二乘反演理论,建立基于反偏移数据与实际观测数据残差的目标函数,采用共轭梯度算法迭代更新来建立地下真实的反射率.与传统弹性高斯束偏移方法相比,该方法不仅提高了成像分辨率,而且使复杂构造特别是陡倾角地层的成像照明也得到了补偿.理论模型测试结果证明了本文方法的可行性和有效性.

     

On the aperture effect in 3D Kirchhoff-type migration

It is well known that the migrated image given by a Kirchhoff-type (diffraction-stack) migration with limited aperture is always accompanied by some events which depend on the migration aperture. Although these events may severely affect the quality of migration, they have been studied only in 2D cases. Here, the events due to the migration aperture in 3D situations are investigated using a new method of analysing the reconstructed wavefield. It is found that a finite migration aperture results in a reconstructed wavefield with two components. One comes from the tangent points and curves between the traveltime surfaces of reflected and point-diffracted rays and is independent of the migration aperture, and the other is from the boundary of the migration aperture and depends strongly on the location and size as well as on the shape of the migration aperture. It is this last component that describes the aperture effect in migration. If the migration aperture is not sufficiently large, and if the input for migration is not zero on the boundary of the migration aperture, the boundary component may partially or totally cancel the migration signal. Furthermore, for synthetic data, the aperture effect cannot be eliminated by enlarging the migration aperture because, except for the common-shotpoint data, the aperture effect always exists however large the migration aperture becomes. This leads to the conclusion that the published Kirchhoff-type operators are not the exact inverse operators of the Fresnel–Kirchhoff integral if the input data are synthetic.     

3D angle-domain common-image gathers for migration velocity analysis

Angle‐domain common‐image gathers (ADCIGs) are an essential tool for migration velocity analysis (MVA). We present a method for computing ADCIGs in 3D from the results of wavefield‐continuation migration. The proposed methodology can be applied before or after the imaging step in a migration procedure. When computed before imaging, 3D ADCIGs are functions of the offset ray parameters (p, p) ; we derive the geometric relationship that links the offset ray parameters to the aperture angle γ and the reflection azimuth φ. When computed after imaging, 3D ADCIGs are directly produced as functions of γ and φ. The mapping of the offset ray parameters (p, p) into the angles (γ, φ) depends on both the local dips and the local interval velocity; therefore, the transformation of ADCIGs computed before imaging into ADCIGs that are functions of the actual angles is difficult in complex structure. By contrast, the computation of ADCIGs after imaging is efficient and accurate even in the presence of complex structure and a heterogeneous velocity function. On the other hand, the estimation of the offset ray parameters (p, p) is less sensitive to velocity errors than the estimation of the angles (γ, φ). When ADCIGs that are functions of the offset ray parameters (p, p) are adequate for the application of interest (e.g. ray‐based tomography), the computation of ADCIGs before imaging might be preferable. Errors in the migration velocity cause the image point in the angle domain to shift along the normal to the apparent geological dip. By assuming stationary rays (i.e. small velocity errors), we derive a quantitative relationship between this normal shift and the traveltime perturbation caused by velocity errors. This relationship can be directly used in an MVA procedure to invert depth errors measured from ADCIGs into migration velocity updates. In this paper, we use it to derive an approximate 3D residual moveout (RMO) function for measuring inconsistencies between the migrated images at different γ and φ. We tested the accuracy of our kinematic analysis on a 3D synthetic data set with steeply dipping reflectors and a vertically varying propagation velocity. The tests confirm the accuracy of our analysis and illustrate the limitations of the straight‐ray approximation underlying our derivation of the 3D RMO function.     

3D Fourier finite-difference migration by alternating-direction-implicit plus interpolation

Conventional two‐way splitting Fourier finite‐difference migration for 3D complex media yields azimuthal anisotropy where an additional phase correction is needed with much increase of computational cost. We incorporate the alternating‐direction‐implicit plus interpolation scheme into the conventional Fourier finite‐difference method to reduce azimuthal anisotropy. This scheme retains the high‐order remnants ignored by the two‐way splitting in the form of a wavefield interpolation in the wavenumber domain. The wavefield interpolation for each step of downward extrapolation is implemented between the wavefields before and after the conventional Fourier finite‐difference extrapolation. As the Fourier finite‐difference migration is implemented in the space and wavenumber dual space, the Fourier transforms between space and wavenumber domain that were needed for the alternating‐direction‐implicit plus interpolation in frequency domain (FD) migration are saved in Fourier finite‐difference migration. Since the azimuth anisotropy in Fourier finite‐difference is much less than that in FD, the application of the alternating‐direction‐implicit plus interpolation scheme in Fourier finite‐difference migration is superior to that in FD migration in handling complex media with large velocity contrasts and steep dips. Impulse responses show that the presented method reduces the azimuthal anisotropy at almost no extra cost.     

Kirchhoff型真振幅反偏移加权函数分析

Kirchhoff型真振幅反偏移的基本目的是通过等时线叠加得到偏移的输入场,是将深度偏移的结果再反映射到时间域去,而真振幅加权函数是Kirchhoff型真振幅反偏移的核心内容,它没有唯一的数学形式,目前发表在文献当中的加权函数公式是在物理直观下的最优表述.本文在前人研究的基础上推导了真振幅反偏移加权函数公式,对影响加权...     

Eliminating 3D pre‐stack migration artefacts by 6D filtering

State‐of‐the‐art 3D seismic acquisition geometries have poor sampling along at least one dimension. This results in coherent migration noise that always contaminates pre‐stack migrated data, including high‐fold surveys, if prior‐to‐migration interpolation was not applied. We present a method for effective noise suppression in migrated gathers, competing with data interpolation before pre‐stack migration. The proposed technique is based on a dip decomposition of common‐offset volumes and a semblance‐type measure computation via offset for all constant‐dip gathers. Thus the processing engages six dimensions: offset, inline, crossline, depth, inline dip, and crossline dip. To reduce computational costs, we apply a two‐pass (4D in each pass) noise suppression: inline processing and then crossline processing (or vice versa). Synthetic and real‐data examples verify that the technique preserves signal amplitudes, including amplitude‐versus‐offset dependence, and that faults are not smeared.     

三维/三维构造下大地电磁相位张量数值模拟

当地表存在三维非均匀电导率分布时,区域大地电磁响应发生畸变. 以往对这种畸变研究多假设近地表为三维,区域构造为一维或二维. 对于更一般的三维/三维构造,为了分析并消除这种畸变影响,真实反映地下三维区域构造信息,本文实现了三维大地电磁相位张量积分方程数值算法,并研究在不同地质模型下相位张量响应. 结果表明,相位张量不仅可以反映一般三维构造信息,亦可有效反映复杂近地表构造下三维区域构造信息,而无须假设区域构造为一维或二维,证明相位张量具有较强抗近地表局部非均匀构造干扰能力,能够保持更为一般的三维区域构造信息. 为了加快正演计算,同时保持一定精度,算法采用了积分方程多网格法.     

零偏VSP资料波阻抗反演方法研究(英文)

VSP资料钻前预测的关键在于高精度的波阻抗反演,本文针对VSP资料高分辨率、高信噪比以及能精确地分离出上、下行波的特点,提出了一种利用VSP资料进行井底以下钻头前方地层波阻抗反演的方法。该方法首先对VSP走廊叠加记录采用非线性迭代反演方法反演地下地层的波阻抗;通过在迭代过程中不断修改阻尼因子,以及引入预条件共轭梯度法求解方程组,增强了解的稳定性和收敛速度。理论模型与实际资料的处理结果表明该方法具有较好的效果,并在VSP资料钻前预测研究中具有良好的应用前景。