Common Reflection Point Research Articles

From trash to treasure: Three-dimensional basement imaging with “excess” data from oil and gas explorations

Modern oil and gas seismic surveys commonly use areal arrays that record continuously, and thus routinely collect “excess” data that are not needed for the conventional common reflection point imaging that is the primary goal of exploration. These excess data have recently been recognized to have utility not only in resource exploration but also for addressing a diverse range of scientific issues. Here we report processing of such discarded data from recent exploration surveys carried out in southeastern New Mexico. These have been used to produce new three-dimensional (3-D) seismic reflection imagery of a layered complex within the crystalline basement as well as elements of the underlying crust. This enigmatic basement layering is similar to that found on industry and academic seismic reflection surveys at many sites in the central United States. Correlation of these reflectors with similar features encountered by drilling in northwestern Texas suggest that they may be part of an extensive, continental-scale network of tabular mafic intrusions linked to Keweenawan rifting of the igneous eastcentral Unites States during the late Proterozoic. More importantly, this analysis clearly demonstrates that the new generation of continuously recorded 3-D exploration datasets represent a valuable source of fresh information on basement structure that should be examined rather than discarded. Such basement information is not only important to understanding crustal evolution, it is directly relevant to assessing risks associated with fossil fuel extractions, such as induced seismicity related to waste water injection.

Automatic migration velocity estimation for prestack time migration

Migration velocity analysis is a labor-intensive part of the iterative prestack time migration (PSTM) process. We have developed a velocity estimation scheme to improve the efficiency of the velocity analysis process using an automatic approach. Our scheme is the numerical implementation of the conventional velocity analysis process based on residual moveout analysis. The key aspect of this scheme is the automatic event picking in the common-reflection point (CRP) gathers, which is implemented by semblance scanning trace by trace. With the picked traveltime curves, we estimate the velocities at discrete grids in the velocity model using the least-squares method, and build the final root-mean-square (rms) velocity model by spatial interpolation. The main advantage of our method is that it can generate an appropriate rms velocity model for PSTM in just a few iterations without manual manipulations. In addition, using the fitting curves of the picked events in a range of offsets to estimate the velocity model, which is fitting to a normal moveout correction, can prevent our scheme from the local minima issue. The Sigsbee2B model and a field data set are used to verify the feasibility of our scheme. High-quality velocity model and imaging results are obtained. Compared with the computational cost to generate the CRP gathers, the cost of our scheme can be neglected, and the quality of the initial velocity is not critical.

Common reflection point stacking for ocean-bottom node data

Due to the asymmetrical ray paths caused by the large elevation differences between source and receiver locations in ocean-bottom node (OBN) survey, conventional common midpoint (CMP) stacking is unsuitable for processing OBN data. To mitigate this problem, we propose a common reflection point (CRP) stacking method, which enables us to efficiently produce accurate CRP-stacked image and stacking velocity model for subsequent processing workflow. For each input trace, we estimate the samples representing the reflection points in the output time section using stacking velocity, and then use a modified double-square-root (DSR) formula to map the amplitudes of input trace to these samples, which are progressively accumulated to form moveout-corrected CRP gathers. We can save computational costs by restricting the samples that need to be processed based on OBN reflection geometry, and use conventional moveout analysis of the CRP gathers to iteratively update the stacking velocity model. With tests on synthetic and field-data examples, we demonstrate the advantages of the proposed CRP stacking over conventional CMP stacking.

Qualitative seismic attenuation parameter estimation based on prestack data in the continuous wavelet domain

Because the seismic wave propagates through the subsurface, part of the elastic energy eventually ends up as heat energy. This phenomenon is known as absorption (or anelastic attenuation). The factors causing anelastic attenuation include fluid movement and grain boundary friction. The seismic quality factor ([Formula: see text]) quantifies the anelastic attenuation and is commonly used in assisting reservoir characterization. However, current [Formula: see text]-estimation approaches are mainly implemented on a poststack seismic volume. The [Formula: see text]-estimation approaches applied to poststack seismic data assume that the seismic data are normal incident reflections, and they do not consider the effect of the travel path on seismic attenuation. In theory, the attenuation degree of the low-frequency component should differ from the attenuation degree of the high-frequency component for large-offset seismic data. We have developed a method to qualitatively estimate seismic attenuation in the prestack seismic domain. A continuous wavelet transform is used to extract the low- and high-frequency components for the common-reflection point gathers. The difference between the amplitude of the low-frequency component and the amplitude of the high-frequency component is used to measure the seismic attenuation factor. We have determined the effectiveness of our method by applying it to synthetic and real seismic data.

Practical Implementation of Prestack Kirchhoff Time Migration on a General Purpose Graphics Processing Unit

In this study, we present a practical implementation of prestack Kirchhoff time migration (PSTM) on a general purpose graphic processing unit. First, we consider the three main optimizations of the PSTM GPU code, i.e., designing a configuration based on a reasonable execution, using the texture memory for velocity interpolation, and the application of an intrinsic function in device code. This approach can achieve a speedup of nearly 45 times on a NVIDIA GTX 680 GPU compared with CPU code when a larger imaging space is used, where the PSTM output is a common reflection point that is gathered as I[nx][ny][nh][nt] in matrix format. However, this method requires more memory space so the limited imaging space cannot fully exploit the GPU sources. To overcome this problem, we designed a PSTM scheme with multi-GPUs for imaging different seismic data on different GPUs using an offset value. This process can achieve the peak speedup of GPU PSTM code and it greatly increases the efficiency of the calculations, but without changing the imaging result.

Common-reflection-point time migration

Since the early days of seismic processing, time migration has proven to be a valuable tool for a number of imaging purposes. Main motivations for its widespread use include robustness with respect to velocity errors, as well as fast turnaround and low computation costs. In areas of complex geology, in which it has well-known limitations, time migration can still be of value by providing first images and also attributes, which can be of much help in further, more comprehensive depth migration. Time migration is a very close process to common-midpoint (CMP) stacking and, more recently, to zero-offset commonreflection- surface (CRS) stacking. In fact, Kirchhoff time migration operators can be readily formulated in terms of CRS parameters. In the nineties, several studies have shown advantages in the use of common-reflection-point (CRP) traveltimes to replace conventional CMP traveltimes for a number of stacking and migration purposes. In this paper, we follow that trend and introduce a Kirchhoff-type prestack time migration and velocity analysis algorithm, referred to as CRP time migration. The algorithm is based on a CRP operator together with optimal apertures, both computed with the help of CRS parameters. A field-data example indicates the potential of the proposed technique.

Noise suppression of time-migrated gathers using prestack structure-oriented filtering

Prestack seismic analysis provides information on rock properties, lithology, fluid content, and the orientation and intensity of anisotropy. However, such analysis demands high-quality seismic data. Unfortunately, noise is always present in seismic data even after careful processing. Noise in the prestack gathers may not only contaminate the seismic image, thereby lowering the quality of seismic interpretation, but it may also bias the seismic prestack inversion for rock properties, such as acoustic- and shear-impedance estimation. Common postmigration data conditioning includes running window median and Radon filters that are applied to the flattened common reflection point gathers. We have combined filters across the offset and azimuth with edge-preserving filters along the structure to construct a true “5D” filter that preserves amplitude, thereby preconditioning the data for subsequent quantitative analysis. We have evaluated our workflow by applying it to a prestack seismic volume acquired over the Fort Worth Basin, TX. The inverted results from the noise-suppressed prestack gathers are more laterally continuous and have higher correlation with well logs when compared with those inverted from conventional time-migrated gathers.

True amplitude extraction technology and its application in pre-stack seismic data

Common-reflection-point (CRP) gather is a bridge that connects seismic data and petrophysical parameters. Pre-stack attributes extraction and pre-stack inversion, both of them are important means of reservoir prediction. Quality of CRP gather usually has great impact on the accuracy of seismic exploration. Therefore, pre-stack CRP gathers noise suppression technology becomes a major research direction. Based on the vector decomposition principle, here we propose a method to suppress noise. This method estimates optimal unit vectors by searching in various directions and then suppresses noise through vector angle smoothing and restriction. Model tests indicate that the proposed method can separate effective signal from noise very well and suppress random noise effectively in single wavenumber case. Application of our method to real data shows that the method can recover effective signal with good amplitude preserved from pre-stack noisy seismic data even in the case of low signal to noise ratio (SNR).

Qestimation using modifiedStransform based on pre-stack gathers and its applications on carbonate reservoir

Pre-stack seismic data is acknowledged to be more favorable in estimating Q values since it carries much more valuable information in traveltime and amplitude than post-stack data. However, the spectrum of reflectors can be strongly altered by nearby reflector or side lobes of the wavelet, which thereby degrades the accuracy of Q estimation based on the pre-stack spectral ratio method. To solve this problem, we propose a method based on the modified S-transform (MST) for estimating Q values from pre-stack gathers, in which Q values can be obtained with regression analysis based on the relationship between spectral ratio slope and the square of offset. Through tests on a numerical model, we first prove advantages of this pre-stack spectral ratio method compared to the traditional post-stack method. Besides, it is also shown that application of MST would lead to a much more focused intercept, which is the kernel for the pre-stack method. Therefore, the accuracy of Q estimation using MST is further improved when compared with that of conventional S-transform (ST). Based on this Q estimation method, we apply relevant processing methods (e.g. inverse Q filtering and dynamic Q migration) in practice, in order to improve imaging resolution and gathering quality with better amplitude and phase relationships. Applications on a carbonate reservoir witness remarkable enhancements of the imaging result, in which features of faults and deep strata are more clearly revealed. Moreover, pre-stack common-reflection-point (CRP) gathers obtained by dynamic Q migration well compensate the amplitude loss and correct the phase. Its ultimate pre-stack elastic inversion result better characterizes the geologic rules of complex carbonate reservoir predominated by secondary-storage-space.

Research of CRP-based irregular 2D seismic acquisition

Seismic exploration in the mountainous areas of western Chinese is extremely difficult because of the complexity of the surface and subsurface, which results in shooting difficulties, seismic data with low signal-to-noise ratio, and strong interference. The complexity of the subsurface structure leads to strong scattering of the reflection points; thus, the curved-line acquisition method has been used. However, the actual subsurface structural characteristics have been rarely considered. We propose a design method for irregular acquisition based on common reflection points (CRP) to avoid difficult-to-shoot areas, while considering the structural characteristics and CRP positions and optimizing the surface-receiving line position. We arrange the positions of the receiving points to ensure as little dispersion of subsurface CRP as possible to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the seismic data. We verify the applicability of the method using actual data from a site in Sichuan Basin. The proposed method apparently solves the problem of seismic data acquisition and facilitates seismic exploration in structurally complex areas.

Seismic imaging of mud volcano boundary in the east of Caspian Sea by common diffraction surface stack method

The problem of seismic imaging in complex structures such as folded faulting areas, salt domes, or mud volcano-bearing areas cannot be properly solved by the conventional seismic processing methods. The reverse time migration, Gaussian beam migration, the extended search strategy in the optimized common reflection surface (CRS) stack, and the partial CRS stack methods are among the new methods introduced for seismic imaging in complex structures. Among them, the CRS stack method is frequently used for seismic imaging. However, besides its great advantage in enhancing the quality of seismic section, it faces with some problem in imaging of complex structures, especially in the existence of conflicting dips. The CRS method transforms pre-processed multi-coverage data into a zero-offset section by summing along stacking surfaces instead of only along a common reflection point trajectory. The extended parameter search strategy in the CRS method and the partial CRS stack method were introduced to solve the problem of conflicting dips in the CRS method. However, some examples showed that these methods could not completely solve the problem of conflicting dips. In this study, a new introduced method is used to completely solve the problem of conflicting dips in complex structures. The new stacking surface is the approximation of diffraction response of a diffraction point. The surface is made by well-known three CRS attributes, where the radius of normal and normal incidence point waves is equals. The third parameter is the emergence angle of the central ray that the stacking surface is built for each angle, thus making an operator volume. Therefore, the operator gathers more energy that might get lost by other stacking surfaces. The new method was applied on a seismic data from a complex geological structure from northeast of Iran. This area contains mud volcano, an indicator for gas reservoir. Mud also absorbs the seismic energy and deteriorates the quality of the seismic section. Therefore, imaging the boundary of the mud volcano is questionable. By applying post-stack time migration on the stacked section obtained by the new method, the advantage of the stacking operator has been evaluated for imaging in complex structures. These advantages were more highlighted in depth migration applied on the new introduced operator volume common diffraction surface (CDS)-stacked section. The results showed that not only the boundary of the mud but also the faults that were completely unclear in previous results were imaged well.

Common-reflection-point migration velocity analysis of 2D P-wave data from TTI media

We have developed a common-reflection-point (CRP)-based kinematic migration velocity analysis for 2D P-wave reflection data to estimate the four transversely isotropic (TI) parameters [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], and the tilt angle [Formula: see text] of the symmetry axis in a TI medium. In each iteration, the tomographic parameter was updated alternately with prestack anisotropic ray-based migration. Iterations initially used layer stripping to reduce the number of degrees of freedom; after convergence was reached, a couple of more iterations over all parameters and all CRPs ensured global interlayer coupling and parameter interaction. The TI symmetry axis orientation was constrained to be locally perpendicular to the reflectors. The [Formula: see text] dominated the inversion, and so it was weighted less than [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in the parameter updates. Estimates of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were influenced if the error in [Formula: see text] was [Formula: see text]; estimates of [Formula: see text] were also influenced if the error in [Formula: see text] was [Formula: see text]. Examples included data for a simple model with a homogeneous TI layer whose dips allowed recovery of all anisotropy parameters from noise-free data, and a more realistic model (the BP tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) model) for which only [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] were recoverable. The adequacy of the traveltimes predicted by the inverted anisotropic models was tested by comparing migrated images and common image gathers, with those produced using the known velocity models.

Tutorial: the seismic response to strong vertical velocity change

Conventional seismic data processing, whether pre-stack data conditioning or migration, is designed with the theory of P-wave reflected energy in mind for travel paths involving only a single reflection. Hence, any energy propagating with other modes or travel paths is not dealt with appropriately during conventional processing. It is primarily for this reason that we spend so much time pre-conditioning seismic data to meet the assumptions of the subsequent processes such as migration. Here I consider a typical North Sea environment where there are both strong vertical compaction gradients and high velocity contrasts in the layered Chalk Formation. I assess the behaviour of refracted and mode-converted seismic arrivals when subjected to conventional processing in order to explain how they give rise to anomalous events that contaminate migrated common reflection point gathers and images.

A joint high-resolution processing method and its application for thin inter-beds

Seismic processing characterizing thickness and borders of thin inter-beds has gradually evolved from post-stack migration to pre-stack migration, and the latter considers both vertical and lateral resolutions. As the key processing methods for improving vertical and lateral resolution, conventional deconvolution and pre-stack time migration (PSTM) are not simply dominated by the estimation and compression of the wavelet because of its instability. Therefore, considering the variations of wavelet frequency before, during and after PSTM can obtain good common reflection point (CRP) gathers and imaging profiles of thin inter-beds. Based on the frequency characteristics of the wavelet before, during and after PSTM, a joint high-resolution processing method for thin inter-beds is proposed in this paper, including inverse Q filtering for high-frequency compensation before PSTM, optimum weighting Kirchhoff PSTM for preserving high-frequencies during PSTM, and wavelet harmonizer deconvolution for consistent processing and frequency-band broadening after PSTM. An application to real data characterized by mudstone beds in the Oriente Basin proved that the joint high-resolution processing method is effective for determining the thickness and borders of thin inter-beds and is favorable for subsequent reservoir prediction and seismic inversions.

Quantitative regularity analysis of offset-vector sampling for seismic acquisition geometry

Symmetric acquisition geometry consisting of identical sampling of shots and receivers, can maintain the spatial continuity of the wavefield automatically, according to symmetric sampling theory. However, asymmetric geometry is often adopted in practical seismic exploration applications. Such geometry can cause uneven sampling and is necessary to be assessed for its sampling performance prior to acquisition. In conventional survey design, based on the common mid-point (CMP) analysis for a horizontally layered earth or common reflection point (CRP) analysis for a complex subsurface structure, the quality of acquisition geometry is generally judged by such bin properties as effective fold, offset scalar and azimuth distributions. However, these conventional approaches are limited by an incomplete understanding of the offset-vector sampling. Therefore, we propose a new method for quantitatively evaluating the continuity of offset-vector sampling including four spatial coordinates of shot and receiver. On the basis of physical potential energy and force-balance principle, it analyzes the regularity coefficient of offset-vector sampling as a whole using potential function model and takes into account fold, offset-scalar and azimuth distribution factors. The combination of regularity coefficients of every bin can produce spatial continuity distribution of offset-vector sampling. Similar to symmetric sampling, this approach emphasize the spatial relationships between adjacent bins rather than single bin attribute, since it aims to maintain the spatial continuity of the wavefield which allows the faithful reconstruction of the underlying continuous wavefield. Using this method, we can quantitatively compare spatial continuity distribution for different seismic acquisition geometries, and then choose the better acquisition scheme.

Targeting nickel sulfide deposits from 3D seismicreflection data at Kambalda, Australia

The greenstone belts of the Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia, host numerous Archaean gold, nickel, and iron ore deposits. These deposits typically are found in complex geologic structures hidden by a deep, heterogeneous, and often conductive regolith profile. This added complexity limits the depth of penetration for the potential field methods, but at the same time opens new revenue possibilities through the application of seismic methods. To explore this opportunity, we acquired high-resolution, experimental, 3D seismic data over Lake Lefroy in Kambalda, Western Australia. The main objective was to map exceptionally complex, deep structures associated with Kambalda dome. Survey design used 3D ray tracing to improve the distribution of the common reflection points across ultramafic-basalt contacts which host numerous small, high-grade nickel sulfide deposits. A combination of small explosive sources, high-shot/receiver density, and exceptionally good coupling over the ultrasalty lake surface produced seismic data of very high quality. Processing focused on computation of accurate static and dynamic corrections, whereas imaging was helped by the existing geologic model. Advanced volumetric interpretation supported by seismic forward modeling was used to guide mapping of the main lithological interfaces and structures. Forward modeling was carried out using rock properties obtained from ultrasonic measurements and one borehole, drilled in the proximity of the 3D seismic volume. Using this information, geometric constraints based on the typical size of ore bodies found in this mine and a simple window-based seismic attribute, several new targets were proposed. Three of these targets subsequently have been drilled and new zones of mineralization were intercepted. The case study presented demonstrates that high-quality, high-resolution, 3D seismic data combined with volumetric seismic interpretation could become a primary methodology for exploration of deep, small, massive sulfide deposits distributed across the Kambalda area.

Converted wave seismic imaging in the Flin Flon mining camp, Canada

Abstract Seismic imaging for mineral exploration in hardrock environment has typically relied on P-waves recorded using vertical component geophones. Here we demonstrate the potential of using P-to-S converted waves for mineral exploration by applying converted wave processing to high-resolution 3-component data acquired in the Flin Flon mining camp, Canada. Inferences regarding the relative value of PS data are made through comparison with corresponding PP images, interpretation with geological constraints, and by comparison with modeling results. Modeling results show that the horizontal component data provide a robust means of separating the PS conversions from the PP reflections in converted wave processing whereas contamination by PP energy is more severe if the vertical component data are used. A customized processing workflow has been developed in which horizontal component data are sorted into common-reflection point gathers by the application of the converted wave dip-moveout operator. The PS images are characterized by lower signal-to-noise ratios than the PP images due to the smaller S-wave impedance contrasts associated with the main lithologic units and the angular dependence of P-to-S conversion. An exception to this occurs for PS reflections from the ore zones which are accentuated on the PS images relative to the background host-rock reflectivity. There are discrepancies in the reflection dips and positions observed on corresponding PP and PS sections that are not fully explained. They can be partly attributed to the non-coincidence of subsurface spatial sampling associated with common-depth points versus common-conversion points, with an additional complication associated with the known 3D geology. Vp/Vs ratios determined by correlation of reflections observed on PP and PS images can provide a limited means of lithological discrimination.

Enhanced local correlation stacking method

Stacking is a common technique to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) and the imaging quality of seismic data. Conventional stacking that averages equally a collection of normal moveout corrected or migrated shot gathers with a common reflection point is not always satisfactory. Instead, we propose a novel time-dependent weighted average stacking method that utilizes local correlation between each individual trace and a chosen reference trace as a measure of weight and a new weight normalization scheme that ensures meaningful amplitudes of the output. Three different reference traces have been proposed. These are based on conventional stacking, S/N estimation, and Kalman filtering. The outputs of the enhanced stacking methods, as well as their reference traces, were compared on both synthetic data and real marine migrated subsalt data. We conclude that both S/N estimation and Kalman reference stacking methods as well as the output of the enhanced stacking method yield consistently better results than conventional stacking. They exhibit cleaner and better defined reflection events and a larger number of reflections. We found that the Kalman reference method produces the best overall seismic image contrast and reveals many more reflected events, but at the cost of a higher noise level and a longer processing time. Thus, enhanced stacking using S/N estimation as reference method is a possible alternative that has the advantages of running faster, but also emphasizes some reflected events under the subsalt structure.

Prestack Kirchhoff time migration of 3D coal seismic data from mining zones

Conventional seismic data processing methods based on post-stack time migration have been playing an important role in coal exploration for decades. However, poststack time migration processing often results in low-quality images in complex geological environments. In order to obtain high-quality images, we present a strategy that applies the Kirchhoff prestack time migration (PSTM) method to coal seismic data. In this paper, we describe the implementation of Kirchhoff PSTM to a 3D coal seam. Meanwhile we derive the workflow of 3D Kirchhoff PSTM processing based on coal seismic data. The processing sequence of 3D Kirchhoff PSTM includes two major steps: 1) the estimation of the 3D root-mean-square (RMS) velocity field; 2) Kirchhoff prestack time migration processing. During the construction of a 3D velocity model, dip moveout velocity is served as an initial migration velocity field. We combine 3D Kirchhoff PSTM with the continuous adjustment of a 3D RMS velocity field by the criteria of flattened common reflection point gathers. In comparison with post-stack time migration, the application of 3D Kirchhoff PSTM to coal seismic data produces better images of the coal seam reflections.

Everyday misadventures of the everyman of interpretation

To almost every geophysicist CDP means common depth point and calls to mind concepts such as subsurface coverage, fold, move-out and stacking. From that initial thought some geophysicists might go on to contemplate and compare the different meanings of CDP CMP (common midpoint) and CRP (common reflection point)—but at Sam's company, CDP has a much broader and entirely nongeophysical significance, because it stands for Corporate Development Program. This is the fully integrated process through which the company identifies, educates and in general grooms successful candidates for careers in the upper echelons of the organization. It has been said that in Sam's company, no one advances beyond the level of team leader (a management entry-level position) without having scored very highly in the initial testing phase of the CDP.