Marine Seismic Wavefield Interpolation Using Multi-Component Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Marine seismic surveys generate large amounts of costly data from pressure and particle motion wavefields, necessitating methods to reduce data collection without compromising quality.

Innovation Solution

Computational systems and methods for interpolating pressure wavefields using sampled pressure and particle motion data at a rate less than the typical lower bound, leveraging particle motion wavefield acceleration to achieve efficient data reduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If pressure and particle motion wavefields are collected at typical sample rates, then data quality is maintained, but data volume and storage costs increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata qualityVSAvoiddata volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential information needed for wavefield interpolation by sampling at reduced rates. Instead of collecting full-rate pressure and particle motion data, the system extracts minimally sufficient samples that retain the core wavefield characteristics needed for accurate reconstruction through interpolation algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the sampling rate parameter from typical high rates to reduced rates that are still sufficient for accurate wavefield reconstruction. By adjusting this critical parameter and combining it with multi-component sensing, the system achieves data reduction while maintaining measurement precision through mathematical relationships between pressure and particle motion components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If data collection is reduced to decrease storage and processing costs, then data volume decreases, but data quality may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata volumeVSAvoiddata quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges pressure wavefield data with particle motion wavefield data to create a more robust interpolation system. By combining these two complementary data types, the system achieves accurate wavefield reconstruction even when each individual component is sampled at reduced rates, thereby maintaining data quality while reducing overall data volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses interpolation algorithms as an intermediary process that reconstructs full-rate wavefields from reduced-rate samples. This intermediary mathematical transformation allows the system to work with smaller data volumes during acquisition and storage, then recover full-quality data when needed for analysis and interpretation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If high-resolution seismic images are obtained through comprehensive data collection, then measurement precision improves, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseismic image resolutionVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary wavefield interpolation using reduced-rate multi-component data before full seismic processing. By establishing accurate wavefield representations early in the workflow from compressed data, the system avoids the need to process full-volume high-rate data through entire processing pipelines, thereby reducing overall processing time while maintaining final image resolution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2778720B1Methods and systems for interpolation of multi-component seismic data collected in a marine environment
Publication Date: 2024.11.20 PGS GEOPHYSICAL AS
  • EP2778720B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP2778720B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP2778720B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Computational systems and methods for interpolating a pressure wavefield based on pressure wavefield and particle motion wavefield data are disclosed. The pressure and particle motion wavefields are sampled at a sample rate that is less than a lower bound for sample rates typically used to interpolate the pressure wavefield from the pressure wavefield samples alone. The particle motion wavefield can an acceleration wavefield or a time derivative of a velocity wavefield.