Seismic Imaging Framework Using Reference Wavefield Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current seismic data processing methods face challenges in accurately imaging subsurface structures due to limitations in handling complex subsurface geologic environments, particularly in accurately modeling traveltimes and accounting for scattering and reflection effects, leading to inaccuracies in seismic imaging.
Innovation Solution
A method involving reference wavefield simulations and correction term simulations, where a limited number of time-steps are used to generate a correction term simulation result, which is then passed to a summed-correction wavefield simulation to improve the accuracy of seismic imaging by accounting for scattering and reflection effects, resulting in a corrected wavefield that enhances the representation of subsurface structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If full-waveform inversion is used to model complex subsurface environments, then imaging accuracy improves, but computational complexity and processing time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The wavefield simulation is segmented into a reference wavefield component and a correction term component. The reference wavefield is computed using a reference model, while the correction term accounts for deviations from the reference model. This segmentation allows the complex inversion problem to be broken into manageable parts that can be processed more efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
A correction term is introduced as an intermediary between the reference wavefield and the total wavefield. This correction term captures the effects of scattering and reflection from subsurface structures without requiring full-waveform inversion of the entire complex model, thereby reducing computational complexity while maintaining imaging accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If traditional wavefield simulation methods are used to account for scattering and reflection effects, then imaging accuracy improves, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reference wavefield is computed in advance using a reference model before the actual inversion process. This preliminary computation allows the correction term to be calculated more efficiently during the inversion, as it only needs to account for deviations from the pre-computed reference wavefield rather than the entire wavefield from scratch.
Solution Approach 2:
The method changes the parameterization of the wavefield by expressing it as the sum of a reference wavefield and a correction term. This parameter change transforms the computational problem from simulating the complete wavefield to simulating only the correction term, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If complex subsurface models are used to represent scattering and reflection effects, then seismic image accuracy improves, but computational resources required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The correction term is extracted from the total wavefield to specifically represent scattering and reflection effects. By separating this correction term from the reference wavefield, the method computes only the necessary correction components rather than the entire complex wavefield, reducing computational resource requirements while maintaining seismic image accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A method can include receiving seismic data, where, in the seismic data, seismic energy reflections represent events associated with structures in a subsurface geologic environment; performing reference wavefield simulations of a reference wavefield, based on a reference model of the subsurface geologic environment for traveltimes of the events; for each time-step of the reference wavefield simulations, passing a reference wavefield simulation result to a correction term simulation that utilizes a limited number of time-steps to generate a correction term simulation result; after the limited number of time-steps, passing the correction term simulation result to a summed-correction wavefield simulation to generate a summed-correction wavefield result; generating a corrected wavefield as a sum of a final reference wavefield simulation result and a final summed-correction wavefield simulation result; and outputting a seismic image based on the corrected seismic wavefield, where the corrected seismic wavefield improves accuracy of the structures in the subsurface.