Seismic Data Acquisition and Processing

Chowdhury, K. Roy

doi:10.1007/978-90-481-8702-7_52

“…Seismic data processing comprises a vast of different methods for the analysis of recorded seismic signals to reduce or eliminate unwanted components (noise), to create an image of the subsurface to enable geological interpretation, and eventually to obtain an estimate of the distribution of physical material properties in the subsurface (inversion) (Chowdhury, 2011). Processing is a science by its own and it is impossible to give a complete overview here (for a comprehensive text book, see Yilmaz, 2008).…”

Section: Data Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflection/Refraction Seismology

Hübscher

¹

,

Gohl²

2016

Encyclopedia of Marine Geosciences

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SynonymsControlled-source seismology; Multichannel reflection seismics; Wide-angle reflection/refraction profiling (WARRP) DefinitionsMethods to image and to physically parameterize the subsurface geologic structures and conditions by means of artificially generated shock waves that travel through the subsurface and return to the surface. OverviewControlled-source seismology comprises a variety of geophysical methods to image and to physically parameterize the subsurface geologic structures and conditions. All these methods base upon the principle that artificially generated shock waves travel through the subsurface and that the returned signal can be analyzed regarding the properties of the subsurface. During the last decades the discrepancies between marine seismic equipment as used by the academic marine research community and that used by the hydrocarbon (HC) exploration industry increased significantly, caused by different research targets and the simple fact that gear commonly used for HC exploration is much too costly. In this chapter we will focus on those systems which are typical for academic marine research.In principle, seismic data acquisition requires an energy source, a receiver, and a recording system. The two most important seismic methods are reflection and refraction seismology (Fig. 1).Reflection seismologists deal mainly with steep angle reflections, which means that the source to receiver distance is small compared to the target depth. This method utilizes the fact that a small part of the down-going energy is reflected on geological layer boundaries. The main fraction of the energy is transmitted and travels deeper where reflections occur at the next layer boundary and so on. This method results in a good vertical and horizontal structural resolution of the subsurface. Earth scientists benefit from the technical and methodical developments of the exploration industry which uses reflection seismology for the detection of oil and gas in depths of up to several kilometers below the seafloor.

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“…(Aouad et al 2015) that may contain valuable hydrocarbon gases, salt bodies (Jones and Davison 2014), and shale gas plays (Sunjay 2012). Seismic processing takes seismic data that has been acquired via a seismic survey and applies an array of processes to the data to remove noise and correctly image the subsurface in the spatial domain (Roychowdhury 2011). This is necessary as it provides structural and lithological information that can be utilised by a seismic interpreter so that a decision can be made on where within the subsurface may exist economically feasible resources and whether or not it may be feasible to drill for said resources.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A general framework for anisotropic and wavefront moveout parameter analysis

Wilson¹

0

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Seismic data processing is essential in the development of seismic images. Seismic images are utilised for interpretation purposes in which insights into the underlying geology and structure are obtained. In the search for resource plays, imaging and interpretation are essential. To correctly image the subsurface, there are many important steps in a typical seismic data processing workflow. Of particular interest in this thesis are the moveout analysis, moveout correction and stacking processes. Moveout analysis involves the determination of moveout parameters that optimise the performance of the moveout correction and stacking processes. Moveout correction utilises the moveout parameters by using them in a model which transforms the spatial and temporal location of reflection impulses in the underlying seismic gathers so that they are optimally aligned in preparation for stacking. Stacking involves applying a weighted sum (typically the arithmetic mean) along the spatial axis of the underlying seismic gather. Limitations in these processes can lead to erroneous results which ultimately affect the quality of the seismic imaging and interpretation. Moveout analysis performance is determined by the presence of amplitude variation with offset (AVO) anomalies, the fold and quality of the data, the choice of moveout approximation and the number of moveout parameters, the method of moveout parameter determination, and the resolution provided by the semblance operator. Moveout correction performance is controlled by choice of moveout approximation and the method of stretch removal utilised. Stacking performance is dependent on fold, noise, quality of moveout correction and moveout stretch. Financial support No financial support was provided to fund this research.

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Reflection/Refraction Seismology

Hübscher

¹

,

Gohl

²

2014

Encyclopedia of Marine Geosciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SynonymsControlled-source seismology; Multichannel reflection seismics; Wide-angle reflection/refraction profiling (WARRP) DefinitionsMethods to image and to physically parameterize the subsurface geologic structures and conditions by means of artificially generated shock waves that travel through the subsurface and return to the surface. OverviewControlled-source seismology comprises a variety of geophysical methods to image and to physically parameterize the subsurface geologic structures and conditions. All these methods base upon the principle that artificially generated shock waves travel through the subsurface and that the returned signal can be analyzed regarding the properties of the subsurface. During the last decades the discrepancies between marine seismic equipment as used by the academic marine research community and that used by the hydrocarbon (HC) exploration industry increased significantly, caused by different research targets and the simple fact that gear commonly used for HC exploration is much too costly. In this chapter we will focus on those systems which are typical for academic marine research.In principle, seismic data acquisition requires an energy source, a receiver, and a recording system. The two most important seismic methods are reflection and refraction seismology (Fig. 1).Reflection seismologists deal mainly with steep angle reflections, which means that the source to receiver distance is small compared to the target depth. This method utilizes the fact that a small part of the down-going energy is reflected on geological layer boundaries. The main fraction of the energy is transmitted and travels deeper where reflections occur at the next layer boundary and so on. This method results in a good vertical and horizontal structural resolution of the subsurface. Earth scientists benefit from the technical and methodical developments of the exploration industry which uses reflection seismology for the detection of oil and gas in depths of up to several kilometers below the seafloor.

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Seismic Data Acquisition and Processing

Cited by 5 publications

References 20 publications

Reflection/Refraction Seismology

Reflection/Refraction Seismology

A general framework for anisotropic and wavefront moveout parameter analysis

Reflection/Refraction Seismology

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