Seismic data processing including predicting multiples using a reverse time demigration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9448316-B2
Application number	US-201313860567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2013
Priority date	Apr 19, 2012
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems for generating a stable reverse time demigration (RTDM) equation for predicting wave phenomena such as reflections, refractions and multiples are described. A coupling term is added to an RTDM equation and reflectivity associated with the coupling term is replaced with a pseudo-density function derived from a nonlinear equation. The resultant coupled and stabilized RTDM equation is then used to predict the desired wave phenomena based on the applied seismic image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, stored in a memory and executed on a processor, for generating a modeled seismic image based on a reverse time demigration (RTDM) of a seismic depth image of a subsurface formation, said method comprising:
acquiring data that form the seismic depth image, with one or more seismic receivers, upon firing one or more seismic sources;
adding a coupling term, based on a reflectivity term acting as a linear source, to the RTDM equation for the seismic depth image to create a coupled RTDM equation;
estimating a pseudo-density function by converting, based on solving a nonlinear inversion, said seismic depth image to said pseudo-density function;
stabilizing said coupled RTDM equation by replacing, in said coupled RTDM equation, said reflectivity term with said pseudo-density function to create a stabilized coupled RTDM equation;
solving said stabilized coupled RTDM equation and reconstructing wavefields at said one or more seismic receivers based on said seismic depth image, one or more migration velocities and locations associated with said one or more seismic sources; and
outputting a modeled seismic image of said subsurface formation and associated with said seismic depth image, wherein said modeled seismic image comprises surface related multiples or interbed multiples.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said coupling term is the product of the stacked image at a predefined location and a wavefield at said predefined location and a predefined time.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding an additional free surface condition of the wavefield at the surface is equal to zero and wherein said modeled seismic image comprises source-receiver ghosts.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said solving a nonlinear inversion comprises applying a least-square optimization.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said least-square optimization is applied to an optimization equation

C
⁡

(
ρ
)

=



I
-

ρ

⁢

∇

·

1
ρ

⁢

∇

ρ



2

=
min

where ρ is a positive pseudo-density function, I is the stacked image and ∇ is the spatial vector differential operator.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said optimization equation is reformulated as C(ρ, α, {right arrow over (F)})=min, where

C
=



I
+



F
→



2

-

∇

·

F
→



2

+



F
→

-

∇

α
2

α
2



2

+

ɛ
⁢



F
→



2

,

{right arrow over (F)} is

1
β

⁢

∇
β

,

α is √{square root over (β)}, β is √{square root over (ρ)}, and ε is a positive real penalization parameter for the total energy variation of {right arrow over (F)}.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said optimization equation is solved by a steepest descent method.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pseudo-density function is related to a stacked image by the equation

I
=

ρ

⁢

∇

·

1
ρ

⁢

∇

ρ

,

where I is said stacked image, ρ is said pseudo-density function and ∇ is the spatial vector differential operator.

9. A node for modeling seismic image data based on a reverse time demigration (RTDM), said node comprising:
an interface for acquiring data that form a seismic depth image representing a subsurface formation, with one or more seismic receivers, after firing one or more seismic sources;
one or more processors configured to execute computer instructions and a memory configured to store said computer instructions wherein said computer instructions further comprise:
a coupling component for adding a coupling term

Assignees

• Cggveritas Services Sa
• Cgg Services Sa

Inventors

• Zhang Yu
• Duan Lian

Classifications

• G01V1/362 Primary

  Effecting static or dynamic corrections; Stacking · CPC title

• G01V2210/679

  Reverse-time modeling or coalescence modelling, i.e. starting from receivers · CPC title

• G01V2210/56

  De-ghosting; Reverberation compensation · CPC title

• G01V1/30 Primary

  Analysis (G01V1/50 takes precedence) · CPC title