System and method for time-lapse seismic acquisition and processing
The High-Repeatability 4D Time-Lapse Seismic Acquisition and Processing Technique addresses the challenge of inconsistent seismic data collection by optimizing source and receiver configurations, resulting in improved repeatability and accuracy for subsurface imaging.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FANG XINDING
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
Existing seismic acquisition systems face challenges in achieving high repeatability and accuracy in time-lapse seismic data collection for applications such as oil & gas exploration, CO2 sequestration, and subsurface characterization, particularly due to variations in source and receiver configurations and environmental conditions.
A system and method for High-Repeatability 4D Time-Lapse Seismic Acquisition and Processing Technique, utilizing advanced source and receiver configurations to minimize variations and enhance data consistency across multiple surveys.
Enhances the repeatability and accuracy of seismic data acquisition, improving the reliability of subsurface imaging and analysis for applications like oil & gas exploration and CO2 sequestration.
Smart Images
Figure US2025023308_15052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TIME-LAPSE SEISMIC ACQUISITION ANDPROCESSINGCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from a U. S. Provisional Patent Appl. No. 63 / 716,855, filed on 11 / 06 / 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a system and method for time-lapse seismic data acquisition and processing, and more specifically, the present invention relates to the High-Repeatability 4D Time-Lapse Seismic Acquisition and Processing Technique.BACKGROUND
[0003] Seismic acquisition systems typically consist of seismic sources and seismic receivers. A seismic source, such as vibroseis truck, hydraulic or electric vibrator, and weight drop system is a device that generates controlled seismic energy, producing seismic waves that travel through a medium. A seismic source may emit single pulses or continuous sweeps of energy. Seismic receivers, such as geophones, hydrophones, and accelerometers detect and record seismic waves that are reflected or refracted from underground layers. The technique of seismic surveys i.e., the technique of using the seismic acquisition systems plays a critical role in collecting and analysis of data. Seismic surveys are done for a variety of purposes, such as oil & gas exploration & production, CO? sequestration, geothermal exploration, and subsurface characterization for civil engineering projects.
Claims
CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:
1. A method for time-lapse seismic data acquisition and processing using highly repeatable seismic surveys, the method comprises:mounting a vibrator source to an anchoring system, wherein the vibrator source is configured to generate custom linear or nonlinear sweep signals, the anchoring system comprises an anchoring base;installing a source monitoring seismic sensor adjacent to the anchoring base, wherein the source monitoring seismic sensor is configured for recording source sweep waveforms;mounting one or more de-ghost sensors on a surface near the vibrator source, wherein the one or more de-ghost sensors are configured to record seismic waveforms at the surface above the source monitoring seismic sensor; andcoupling the source monitoring seismic sensor and the one or more de-ghost sensors to a source monitoring seismic control and communication box.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the source monitoring seismic sensor is positioned at a depth comparable to a depth of the anchoring base from the surface.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the source monitoring seismic sensor and the anchoring base are separated by a predefined distance.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:deploying an array of seismic receivers for recording reflected and refracted seismic waves.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:optimizing the vibrator source based on a specific environment to determine ideal sweep setups; andestablishing a sweep schedule to maximize data quality.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:creating a baseline seismic model by capturing seismic data over a predetermined timeframe.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:acquiring time-lapse seismic data through the array of seismic receivers; and comparing the time-lapse seismic data against the baseline seismic model to detect variations in seismic attributes.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:enabling an identification of structural or physical changes within subsurface formations by analyzing the variations in seismic attributes.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the source monitoring seismic sensor is mechanically decoupled from the anchoring system.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:recording, by the source monitoring seismic sensor, the source sweep waveforms; andenabling de-ghosting of seismic signals using the source sweep waveforms for improving a resolution of seismic data.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:conducting repeated seismic sweeps on a predetermined schedule to generate raw common receiver gathers for each receiver of the array of seismic receivers;removing source response from individual seismic traces through deconvolution, using corresponding source sweep waveform recorded by the source monitoring seismic sensor;removing surface ghost reflections from the individual seismic traces through deghosting using corresponding seismic data recorded by the one or more de-ghost sensors;creating a 3D data volume in sweep-offset-time domain by consolidating the deconvolved and de-ghosted common receiver gathers from all receivers;extracting coherent seismic signals using pattern recognition techniques and filtering out incoherent surface noise;stacking coherent data from all sweeps to form a shot gather, which serves as a baseline reference for a specific date; andrecording local weather data for the specific date.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:consolidating daily shot gathers over a predefined duration to capture seismic response under varying seasonal and weather conditions;extracting characteristics of surface waves, shallow reflected / refracted waves, and deep reflections below a target layer as functions of date and weather conditions;processing the characteristics together with the local weather data to form a formation seasonal fingerprint library, wherein the formation seasonal fingerprint library represents a natural seismic response variation in a monitored area under different weatherconditions.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of comparing the time-lapse seismic data against the baseline seismic model comprises:processing current shot gather data from time-lapse seismic surveys to extract its current fingerprint;comparing the current fingerprint with the formation seasonal fingerprint library to identify a shot gather from a same time period with similar weather conditions; and using a matched baseline shot gather as a reference to assessing time-lapse changes in the seismic response of a target monitoring layer, ensuring that comparisons account for natural seasonal variations and identifying changes due to subsurface operations.
14. A system for time-lapse seismic data acquisition and processing using highly repeatable seismic surveys, the system comprises:a vibrator source configured to be mounted to an anchoring system, wherein the vibrator source is configured to generate custom linear or nonlinear sweep signals, the anchoring system comprises an anchoring base;a source monitoring seismic sensor configured to be installed adjacent to the anchoring base, wherein the source monitoring seismic sensor is configured for recording source sweep waveforms;one or more de-ghost sensors configured to be mounted on a surface near the vibrator source, wherein the one or more de-ghost sensors are configured to record seismic waveforms at the surface above the source monitoring seismic sensor; anda source monitoring seismic control and communication box coupling the sourcemonitoring seismic sensor and the one or more de-ghost sensors.
15. A method for time-lapse seismic data acquisition and processing using highly repeatable seismic surveys, the method comprises:optimizing a seismic source system based on a specific environment to determine ideal sweep setups;establishing an efficient sweep schedule to maximize data quality;creating a baseline seismic model by capturing seismic data over a predetermined period; andcontinuously acquiring and comparing time-lapse seismic data with the baseline seismic model to detect variations in seismic attributes that reflect structural or physical property changes in subsurface formations.