Bp Corporation North America Inc.

Andrew James Brenders

Joseph Anthony Dellinger

Graham Openshaw

John Theodore Etgen

Allan A Ross

Min Zhou

Dianne Ni

Imtiaz Ahmed

A method, and system to implement the process, of selecting a plurality of sets of source and receiver locations over a survey area, modeling on a subsurface attribute model of a subterranean region each source and receiver pair of the plurality of sets of source and receiver locations to generate low frequency seismic data, performing a reverse time migration on the low frequency seismic data to reposition diving wave energy of each source and receiver pair of the plurality of sets of source and receiver locations to generate a diving wave illumination image, extracting seismic amplitudes from the diving wave illumination image at a region of interest, and computing a contribution of a respective diving wave from each source and receiver pair of the plurality of sets of source and receiver locations to diving waves passing through the region of interest.

Low-frequency seismic survey design

A technique for use in geophysical surveying includes imparting a plurality of humming seismic signals and a plurality of low-frequency seismic signals into a geological formation. The technique also includes receiving returned seismic energy of the plurality of humming seismic signals and the plurality of low-frequency seismic signals after interacting with the geological formation and recording the returned seismic energy.

Seismic acquisition method and apparatus

The presently disclosed seismic acquisition technique employs a receiver array and a processing methodology that are designed to attenuate the naturally occurring seismic background noise recorded along with the seismic data during the acquisition. The approach leverages the knowledge that naturally occurring seismic background noise moves with a slower phase velocity than the seismic signals used for imaging and inversion and, in some embodiments, may arrive from particular preferred directions. The disclosed technique comprises two steps: 1) determining from the naturally occurring seismic background noise in the preliminary seismic data a range of phase velocities and amplitudes that contain primarily noise and the degree to which that noise needs to be attenuated, and 2) designing an acquisition and processing method to attenuate that noise relative to the desired signal.

A technique for use in geophysical surveying acquires seismic data at low seismic frequencies to generate better starting models for subsurface attributes rather than enhancing the bandwidth of airguns for broadband imaging as in conventional practice.

A technique for use in geophysical surveying includes imparting a plurality of humming seismic signals and a plurality of swept seismic signals into a geological formation. The technique also includes receiving returned seismic energy of the plurality of humming seismic signals and the plurality of swept seismic signals after interacting with the geological formation and recording the returned seismic energy.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Andrew James Brenders