We developed a new partial common-reflection-surface (CRS) stacking method to enhance the quality of sparse low-fold seismic data. For this purpose, we use kinematic wavefield attributes computed during the automatic CRS stack. We apply a multiparameter CRS traveltime formula to compute partial stacked CRS supergathers. Our algorithm allows us to generate NMO-uncorrected gathers without the application of inverse NMO/DMO. Gathers obtained by this approach are regularized and have better signal-to-noise ratio compared with original common-midpoint gathers. Instead of the original data, these improved prestack data can be used in many conventional processing steps, e.g., velocity analysis or prestack depth migration, providing enhanced images and better quality control. We verified the method on 2D synthetic data and applied it to low-fold land data from northern Germany. The synthetic examples show the robustness of the partial CRS stack in the presence of noise. Sparse land data became regularized, and the signal-to-noise ratio of the seismograms increased as a result of the partial CRS stack. Prestack depth migration of the generated partially stacked CRS supergathers produced significantly improved common-image gathers as well as depth-migrated sections.

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A processing workflow was introduced for reflection seismic data that is based entirely on common-reflection-surface (CRS) stacking attributes. This workflow comprises the CRS stack, multiple attenuation, velocity model building, prestack data enhancement, trace interpolation, and data regularization. Like other methods, its limitation is the underlying hyperbolic assumption. The CRS workflow provides an alternative processing path in case conventional common midpoint (CMP) processing is unsatisfactory. Particularly for data with poor signal-to-noise ratio and low-fold acquisition, the CRS workflow is advantageous. The data regularization feature and the ability of prestack data enhancement provide quality control in velocity model building and improve prestack depth-migrated images.

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