"DIAGNOSTIC 3-D SEISMIC PROCESS”

D3DSP* DATA PROCESSING GUIDE

L. Willhoit  4/12/2002    * Patent #5,671,136

 

GOM EXAMPLE DESCRIPTION (To be modified, as needed):

 

1.  INITIAL PRE-PROCESSING

    Processing begins with Field Recorded Seismic Data tapes.  The data usually has no geometry assigned

    to the trace headers.  Data traces will be converted to 2ms sample interval, using an “intelligent” sample

    interpolating algorithm.  Obviously bad traces should be identified and deleted here.

 

2.  COMPENSATION FOR INSTRUMENT IMPULSE RESPONSE & GEOMETRIC SPREADING

   To remove the effects of the recording instrument an inverse filter will be constructed to convert the

    instrument response to a zero-lag spike.  This filter will be applied through convolution with the seismic

    data.  As a correction for spherical divergence, a time-variant geometric spreading scale function will be

    applied to the entire volume.  Shot records will be displayed before and after application of the

    geometric-spreading function for QC purposes.

 

3.  TIME VARYING (TIME-DOMAIN) SPECTRAL BALANCING (TVSB)

    Time-varying spectral balancing will be applied to the volume to whiten the spectrum in the (GOM)

    6-125 Hz. frequency range.  Minimum-phase bandpass filters are recommended for spectral

    decomposition.  Shot records and amplitude spectra will be displayed pre- and post-TVSB.

 

4.  TOMOGRAPHIC / REFRACTION STATICS

    Apply if available.  Not available (or required?) in many offshore areas.

 

5.  SURFACE-CONSISTENT DECONVOLUTION

    Usually a three-step process involving spectral analysis, surface-consistent frequency decomposition, and

    operator design/application.  The data may be scaled with a 500 ms AGC gain to balance amplitudes

    prior to spectral analysis.  The AGC gain is not applied to the actual data to which the decon operators

    are to be applied.  Multiple hyperbolic windows may be used for spectral analysis, having varying time

    extents at zero offset.

 

    The prediction distance will be one sample long.  The operator length is to be determined from test

    Autocorrelograms using lengths of 40, 64, 128, and 256 ms,  with 0.1% white noise.  The spectra will be

    decomposed into source and detector terms prior to operator design and application.

 

6.  AMPLITUDE ANOMALY PROCESSING (AAP)

    Attenuates anomalous amplitudes in a surface consistent manner.  RMS amplitudes can be measured over

    500 ms. windows of all data.  Amplitude statistics can be decomposed into source, detector, offset and

    CMP terms.  The decomposed amplitudes can then be compared to the RMS amplitudes of the individual

    traces and anomalous amplitudes on each trace can be attenuated.  Amplitude analysis should be

    performed on a swath-by-swath basis, but amplitude decomposition should be run on all data

    simultaniously.

 

7.  SURFACE-CONSISTENT AMPLITUDE COMPENSATION

    Need to produce surface-consistent shot and detector multipliers for the entire survey, analogous to

    Residual Static corrections.

 

8.  RESIDUAL AMPLITUDE COMPENSATION (OFFSET ONLY)

    An offset-consistent scaling routine will be used, which compensates for the higher amplitudes

    associated with the near-offset traces.  Time-variant amplitude analysis should be performed on a subset

    of shots from the entire survey.  These shots will have Amplitude Anomaly Processing and Surface

 D3DSP Processing Guide                                                                         Page 2 of 3          4/11/2002  

 

    Consistent Amplitude Compensation applied, as well as the time-variant filter used in SCAC picking.

    This scaling routine should separate the amplitude statistics into offset groupings (roughly twice the

    receiver spacing) and derive a set of time-variant offset-dependent multipliers for each group.  These

    scalars should then be applied to the Anomaly/SC Amplitude corrected, unfiltered volume according to

    the offset of each trace.

 

9.  AMPLITUDE ANOMALY PROCESSING (CMP ONLY)

    A final pass of  AAP (Par. 6), above, should be run decomposing the CMP term only.  With shot,

    detector and offset balancing complete, any remaining amplitude anomalies should reside in the CMP

    domain.  The same windowing parameters used in the earlier AAP run will be incorporated in this pass.

 

10.  PRELIMINARY VELOCITY ANALYSIS

    Velocity analyses will be derived at roughly a 5000' interval in the inline direction and a 4000' interval in

    the crossline direction.  At each location along an inline, five-to-seven CMP's will be summed for the

    velocity spectra. Multi-velocity function stacks and gathers will also be used as velocity interpretation

    tools.  Velocity picking will be performed in an interactive velocity processing system, in which the

    velocity picks are used to interactively NMO-correct the associated CMP gather.  By doing this, the

    accuracy of the moveout correction can be seen immediately.  The picks will also be overlaid on the

    corresponding multi-function stack, so that the stack response can be observed.  Preliminary velocity

    analysis should be performed on deconvolved data with the refraction or tomographic refraction solution

    (if any) applied.  The data input to velocity analysis can also be filtered with a 10-45 Hz, zero-phase

    filter, and scaled with an RMS gain.

 

11.  REFLECTION RESIDUAL STATICS (1ST PASS)

    A static-time-correction routine is required that resolves observed reflection times into surface-consistent

    residual source and detector static corrections.  Using a Gauss-Seidel-type method, a least-squares error

    solution for the reflection statics problem should be abtained.  For the first pass, static time deviations

    should be picked against a stacked model dataset in a “good data” window, with a reasonable (24ms?)

    time shift limit.  The data input to picking should be nmo-corrected decon data with the tomographic

    statics (if any) applied.  The decomposed solution will be derived from picks from the entire recorded

    volume over the restricted “good data” time window.

 

12.  RESIDUAL REFLECTION STATICS VELOCITY ANALYSIS

    With tomographic (or refraction) statics and residual reflection statics applied, velocity analyses should

    be derived from the deconvolved data at roughly a half-mile interval in the inline direction and a quarter-

    mile interval in the crossline direction, utilizing the same interactive QC tools used in the picking of

    preliminary  velocities.  Filter tests may be performed on the data input to velocity analysis to determine

    the bandpass filter that produces the highest resolution semblances for velocity picking.  That filter, along

    with an RMS gain, should be applied to the input data, but NOT used on the final stacked volume.

 

13.  REFLECTION RESIDUAL STATICS (2ND PASS)

    With tomographic (or refraction) statics, 1st-pass reflection statics and post-statics velocities applied, a

    second pass of reflection statics should be performed.  For 2nd-pass statics, time deviations will be picked

    against a stacked model in the same “good data” time window, with a reasonable (24ms?) shift limit.  For

    pick decomposition, the near Shot-Receiver (e.g., 8000’ for targets below 8000’ depth) data should be

    used.  Both the input data and the model should be RMS gained, but neither should be bandpass filtered.

 

14.  COMMON MIDPOINT FINAL STACK

    With all statics and normal moveout applied,  the CMP Amplitude Adjusted volume in Step (9) should

    be stacked using client-approved outside mute parameters.  An example follows:

 

 

 

D3DSP Processing Guide                                                                          Page 3 of 3          4/11/2002

 

OFFSET               TIME

    700’                      70 ms

  3950                     600

  5500                   1200

  8000                   2000

10000                   3000

12000                   4000

20000                   6000

 

 15.  POST-STACK TIME MIGRATION

    Migrate with a suitable one-pass 3D time migration program, or apply a cascaded series of migrations

    using a minimum function for the one-pass migration and residual laterally varying velocities for two

    passes (Inline and Crossline) of time-domain migration, and again balance the wavelet's spectrum.  Using

    Time-Depth or Time-Velocity information provided by the client, a 3-D migration velocity T’ube should

    be created, from which, a single minimum velocity function can be extracted which can be used in the

    one-pass time-domain migration.  The full, laterally varying, migration velocity field and the minimum

    velocity function can then be used to generate the residual velocity field.  Using this client-approved

    velocity T’ube, 2-D finite-difference residual migration may be run on the one-pass-migrated data, in the

    inline direction.  This volume can then be sorted into the crossline direction, and a second pass of finite-

    difference migration should be performed.

 

16. D3D-REFLECTIVITY VOLUME - (2nd PASS TVSB)

    A second pass of time-varying spectral balancing will be applied post-migration.  The amplitude

    spectrum should be whitened using the same partameters as in Step (3), above.  Zero-phase bandpass

    filters are recommended for spectral decomposition.  This is referred to as the D3D-reflectivity Volume.

 

17.  D3D-IMPEDANCE VOLUME (RUNNING-SUM-INTEGRATION or INVERSION)

    A final impedance volume should be generated through trace integration of the D3D-migrated TVSB

    data.  This trace-by-trace operation is a simple running sum (accumulation) of samples down a tracel,

    and is to be followed by a (~3 Hz?) low-cut filter to remove any DC component that might be generated

    by the first few (high amplitude?) samples on each trace.  A filter test panel is recommended

    to allow the client to select the low-cut parameters.  This (or the next step) is called the D3D-impedance

    Volume.

 

18.  PHASE ROTATION

    At the client's request, for polarity convention purposes, both the reflectivity and the impedance volumes

    may be phase shifted 180-degrees prior to output and delivery.

 

19.   DELIVERABLES (Inline & Crossline Numbering Consistant with Original-processed Data)

    SEG-Y - 8mm cartridge of Final, Unfiltered (D3D-Migrated) Reflectivity Volume

    SEG-Y - 8mm cartridge of Final, Low-cut Filtered (D3D-Migrated) Impedance Volume

    SEG-Y – NMO- and Static-corrected, Unmuted, Prestack CMP Gather Traces

    SEG-Y - Final, Unfiltered D3D-Stack (Relative Amplitude)

    ASCII - 3D Stacking Velocity Field

    ASCII - 3D Time-Depth Field (client supplied)

    ASCII - 3D Total Shot and Receiver Statics Field

    Paper - Contoured Stacking Velocity Cross-sections and Time Slices, at sparsely selected intervals.

    Paper - Final, Fully-corrected CMP Gather Plots (ev 5th CMP on ev 20th Inline, at 2 IPS & 40 TPI)

    Paper and Electronic (MS Word) - Processing Report

 

* Diagnostic 3D Seismic Process – Patent # 5,671,136, issued 9/27/97,

   Licensed to EPL (NOLA) by VTV, Inc. (Denver, CO)