Broadening Seismic Image Spectrum via L0 Inversion and SVD

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional seismic exploration methods for hydrocarbon reservoirs face challenges in enhancing bandwidth without physically acquiring high-frequency data, leading to increased time and cost.

Innovation Solution

A computer system uses L0-constrained inversion and singular value decomposition (SVD) to reconstruct and broaden the spectrum of post-stack time-domain images, removing structural artifacts and noise, and combines the images using a weighting function to generate a broadband image without requiring high-frequency field data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If traditional methods are used to enhance bandwidth without physical acquisition of high-frequency data, then bandwidth enhancement is attempted, but the method is inadequate and increases time and cost

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovebandwidthVSAvoidtime and cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the frequency parameter of the seismic image by reconstructing an increased-frequency version from the original post-stack time-domain image. This is achieved through L0-constrained inversion that synthesizes high-frequency components mathematically, effectively broadening the bandwidth without requiring physical acquisition of high-frequency data, thus avoiding the time and cost penalties of traditional methods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If L0-constrained inversion is used to reconstruct increased-frequency version, then bandwidth is broadened, but structural artifacts are introduced

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovebandwidthVSAvoidstructural artifacts

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the harmful structural artifacts from the increased-frequency version of the seismic image. This is accomplished through singular value decomposition (SVD) which separates the image into signal and noise components, allowing the artifacts to be isolated and eliminated while preserving the useful high-frequency bandwidth information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent discards the structural artifacts that are identified as harmful components during the SVD process, while recovering and preserving the valuable high-frequency signal components. This selective discarding and recovering approach maintains the broadened bandwidth while eliminating the introduced artifacts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Quantity of substance

If increased-frequency version is reconstructed, then bandwidth is enhanced, but image quality deteriorates due to artifacts and noise

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovebandwidthVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful artifacts and noise introduced during frequency reconstruction into beneficial outcomes. By applying SVD, the harmful components are identified and removed, while the process simultaneously enhances the useful high-frequency signal. The weighting function then optimally combines the processed increased-frequency version with the original image, transforming the potentially harmful reconstruction process into a quality-enhancing operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

4Quantity of substance

If weighting function is used to combine images, then bandwidth is broadened, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovebandwidthVSAvoidcomputational complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by using a weighting function that selectively combines portions of the increased-frequency version and the original image. Rather than processing the entire image uniformly or requiring complex multi-step procedures, the weighting function applies a controlled, partial combination strategy that achieves bandwidth broadening with moderate computational effort, balancing the enhancement goal with computational feasibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11320557B2Post-stack time domain image with broadened spectrum

Publication Date: 2022.05.03 SAUDI ARABIAN OIL CO

AI summary

A computer system receives a post-stack time-domain image having a first spectrum and representing one or more subsurface structures. The computer system reconstructs an increased-frequency version of the post-stack time-domain image using L0-constrained inversion and a least-squares mismatch ratio. The increased-frequency version of the post-stack time-domain image includes structural artifacts. The computer system removes the structural artifacts from the increased-frequency version of the post-stack time-domain image using singular value decomposition. The computer system combines the increased-frequency version of the post-stack time-domain image with the post-stack time-domain image using a weighting function. The computer system generates a combined version of the increased-frequency version of the post-stack time-domain image and the post-stack time-domain image. The combined version represents the one or more subsurface structures and has a second spectrum broader than the first spectrum.