Migrating Horizontal Wavefield Components for Sparse Marine Seismic Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Marine seismic surveys are costly due to the need for a large number of closely spaced receivers to image subsurface locations effectively, and existing methods do not fully utilize horizontal components of wavefields, leading to limited spatial and angular coverage and increased noise in imaging results.
Innovation Solution
The migration of horizontal components of marine seismic survey data using a primary wave velocity model allows for sparse receiver arrays by extrapolating ray-paths and separating up- and down-going wavefields, thereby enhancing spatial and angular coverage and reducing noise through deconvolution and angle gathers for pre-stack data analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a large number of closely spaced receivers are used to image subsurface locations effectively, then imaging quality and spatial coverage are improved, but survey costs and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by using only the necessary minimum number of receivers spaced at larger intervals, rather than deploying a dense array. The migration algorithm processes horizontal components that would otherwise be discarded, achieving adequate imaging quality with reduced receiver density, thus lowering device complexity and survey costs while maintaining acceptable measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a migration algorithm as an intermediary processing step that takes horizontal component data from sparse receiver arrays and transforms it into usable imaging information. This intermediary process enables the system to achieve imaging quality comparable to dense arrays without requiring the corresponding receiver density, effectively mediating between limited physical resources and quality requirements
2Device complexity
If horizontal components of wavefields are not utilized, then processing complexity is reduced, but spatial and angular coverage are limited and noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and utilizes the horizontal component data that was previously discarded or underutilized in conventional processing. By separating and processing the horizontal component independently through migration, the system recovers spatial and angular information that would otherwise be lost, converting previously useless data into valuable imaging information without significantly increasing overall processing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the processing approach by applying migration specifically to horizontal components rather than using conventional vertical-component-only processing. This parameter change in the processing method enables recovery of additional spatial and angular coverage information, transforming the handling of horizontal components from a simplification strategy into an information-recovery strategy
Data Source
AI summary
A horizontal component of marine seismic survey data from an ocean bottom seismic survey can be migrated using a primary wave velocity model. The horizontal component can comprise a shear converted wave. An image of a subsurface location can based on the migration can be produced. Migrating the horizontal component can comprise wave-equation migrating the horizontal component, where the horizontal component is input as both a source wavefield and a receiver wavefield.