Complicated geologic structures such as folds, overthrusts, and salt domes can produce reflectors with dips as great as 90 degrees. Because oil and gas accumulations are often associated with these steeply dipping interfaces, accurate processing of reflection seismic information from such areas becomes an important though challenging task. The proper imaging of steeply dipping reflectors requires accurate knowledge of the velocity field through which the wavefronts propagate. Thus, velocity analysis becomes extremely important. In addition to this problem, most migration algorithms have serious difficulties when dip is greater than about 50 degrees. In this discussion, we assume the velocity field is known, the data may be stacked correctly before migration, and the chief concern is migration accuracy. We describe a method for depth migration of very steeply inclined wavefronts through inhomogeneous velocity fields. The extension of the proposed technique to migration before stack is obvious.
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