Seismic Reflection Coefficient Deblurring via Aggregate Blurring Function
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current seismic imaging techniques face challenges in compensating for spatial and slowness/angle blurring of reflectivity, particularly in complex subsurface environments like those with highly refractive salt or basalt, which affects the accuracy of amplitude versus offset or angle (AVOA) analysis.
Innovation Solution
A method is developed to compensate for spatial and slowness/angle blurring of plane-wave reflection coefficients by constructing an aggregate blurring function from source and receiver-side blurring functions, allowing for accurate determination of reflection coefficients and material property contrasts using extended image gathers and Radon transforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional seismic imaging techniques are used in complex subsurface environments (e.g., below highly-refractive salt or basalt), then imaging can be performed, but spatial and slowness/angle blurring of reflectivity occurs, reducing measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by constructing blurring functions (both source-side and receiver-side) before determining reflection coefficients. These blurring functions are used to deblur the data in advance, correcting for spatial and slowness/angle blurring effects before the actual reflection coefficient calculation, thereby improving measurement precision in complex subsurface environments
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces blurring functions as intermediary elements that mediate between the raw seismic data and the final reflection coefficients. These functions act as correction factors that account for illumination variations and geometric spreading, enabling accurate reflection coefficient determination by compensating for blurring effects through a intermediate processing step
2Loss of information
If AVOA analysis is applied to estimate material property contrasts, then useful information about reservoir properties can be obtained, but illumination problems in complex environments reduce the reliability of these estimates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using the constructed blurring functions to correct illumination variations and geometric spreading effects in the seismic data before AVOA inversion. This feedback mechanism ensures that the input data for AVOA analysis has already been corrected for known blurring effects, improving the reliability of material property contrast estimates by eliminating systematic errors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the seismic data parameters through the blurring functions, which account for variations in illumination and geometric spreading. By adjusting these parameters before AVOA analysis, the reliability of material property contrast estimation is improved, as the corrected data better represents the true subsurface properties
3Manufacturing precision
If depth imaging is used in areas with subsurface complexity, then more accurate imaging can be achieved, but illumination problems and blurring effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by constructing and applying blurring functions before final imaging to correct for illumination variations and geometric spreading. This preliminary correction step ensures that the depth imaging results are not degraded by these harmful effects, maintaining high imaging accuracy even in complex subsurface environments with salt or basalt structures
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
Systems and methods for compensating for spatial and slowness or angle blurring of plane-wave reflection coefficients in imaging. A wave field may be determined at a reference depth proximate to a reflector for a shot record. A receiver-side blurring function may be determined at the reference depth. An aggregate blurring function may be constructed based at least partially on the source wave field and the receiver-side blurring function. A plane-wave reflection coefficients may be determined based at least partially on the aggregate blurring function.