Application of multifocusing method for subsurface imaging

Abstract

The multifocusing method consists of stacking seismic data with arbitrary source–receiver distribution according to a new paraxial moveout correction. This multifocusing moveout correction is based on a local spherical approximation of the reflection wave fronts in the vicinity of an observation surface. The multifocusing method does not require any knowledge of the subsurface model and can produce an accurate zero offset section, even in cases of a complex geological structure and/or low signal-to-noise ratio. The moveout correction parameters are the emergence angle and the wavefront curvatures for the normal wave and normal-incidence-point wave. The estimated sets of these parameters can be looked upon as new wavefield attributes containing important information regarding the subsurface model. Application of the multifocusing algorithm to synthetic and real data examples demonstrates its advantages in comparison with conventional CMP processing.