Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Aramco Services Company

Z Terra Inc.

Constantinos Tsingas

Dongliang Zhang

Tong Wang Fei

Woodon Jeong

Mohammed Mubarak

Young Seo Kim

Ferhan Y Ahmed

Yi Luo

Fuhao Qin

Hong Liang

Hongwei Liu

Alexander M Popovici

Abdulrahman Alshuhail

Yimin Sun

Iulian F Musat

Nicolay Tanushev

Ioan Sturzu

Sergey Fomel

Yazeed Altowairqi

Ali Ameen Almomin

Abdulmohsen Alali

Ali M Jadhar

Wooden Jeong

Systems and methods for automated first arrival picking are disclosed. The method includes obtaining a seismic dataset composed of a plurality of seismic gathers and determining a pilot for each gather, where the pilot includes a position on an ordinate axis for each seismic trace representing a first arrival. The method continues iteratively until a stopping criterion is met by creating a preconditioned gather using the pilot, determining a differential pilot using global path tracing subject to a constraint and incrementing the pilot using the differential pilot to create a total picked first arrival. Once the stopping criterion has been met, the method further includes determining a final picked first arrival based on the total picked first arrival, determining a seismic velocity model from the final picked first arrival using a tomographic inversion and creating a seismic image using the seismic velocity model and the seismic dataset.

Method for iterative first arrival picking using global path tracing

A method may include determining various migrated azimuthal dip-angle gathers based on a migration function and seismic data from a seismic survey regarding a geological region of interest. The method may further include determining various partial dip-angle images using the migrated azimuthal dip-angle gathers. The method may further include determining various azimuthal bins that include the partial dip-angle images. The method may further include determining various wavefield components using an independent component analysis (ICA) function and the partial dip-angle images among the azimuthal bins. The method may further include determining a geological feature within the geological region of interest using the wavefield components.

Method and system for determining wavefield components using independent component analysis

A method may include obtaining seismic data for a geological region of interest. The method may further include determining various velocity semblance values for the geological region of interest using a time window and the seismic data. The method may further include determining, automatically by a computer processor, one or more stacking velocities for the geological region of interest using a traced path based on the velocity semblance values and a path tracing algorithm. The path tracing algorithm may recursively determine an accumulated amplitude array based on the velocity semblance values. The path tracing algorithm may further determine the traced path among the velocity semblance values and the accumulated amplitude array, the traced path corresponding to the one or more stacking velocities. The method may further include generating a velocity model of the geological region of interest using the one or more stacking velocities.

Method and system for determining seismic velocities using global path tracing

A method and system for forming a seismic image of a subterranean region are disclosed. The method includes determining an initial plan for a seismic survey with a value for each member of a set of acquisition parameters and acquiring a first seismic dataset from a first portion of the seismic survey based on the initial plan. The method further includes transmitting the first seismic dataset to a seismic processor, determining a first seismic image from the first seismic dataset by performing expedited seismic processing and determining a first updated plan for the seismic survey based on the first seismic image and acquiring a second seismic dataset from a second portion of the seismic survey based on the first updated plan. The method still further includes transmitting the second seismic dataset to the seismic processor and determining the seismic based on the first seismic dataset and the second seismic dataset.

Methods and systems for real-time modifications to seismic acquisition operations

A method is described that includes obtaining a multicomponent seismic data set for a subterranean region of interest and determining, using a computer processor, a PP stacked time-domain seismic image and a PS stacked time-domain seismic image from the multicomponent seismic data set. The method further includes transforming a recording-time axis of at least one of the PP stacked time-domain seismic image and the PS stacked time-domain seismic image to produce a pair of coarsely-registered PP and PS seismic images and filtering at least one of the pair to produce a pair of spectrally-matched PP and PS seismic images. Further, the method includes dynamically warping at least one of the pair of spectrally-matched PP and PS seismic images to produce a pair of fully-registered PP and PS seismic images.

Automatic image registration of multicomponent seismic data

A method for determining an internal multiple attenuated seismic image is disclosed. The method includes obtaining a seismic dataset composed of a plurality of seismic traces and for each seismic trace determining an internal multiple trace based, at least in part, on a nested truncated correlation and a bounded convolution of the seismic trace with itself. The method further includes determining an internal multiple attenuated seismic trace based, at least in part, on subtracting the internal multiple trace from the seismic trace and combining the internal multiple attenuated seismic trace to form the internal multiple attenuated seismic image. A system including a seismic source, a plurality of seismic receivers, and a seismic processor for executing the method is disclosed.

Generalized internal multiple prediction

Techniques for determining a wellbore drilling path includes identifying input seismic data associated with a subterranean zone that includes a wellbore drilling target. The input seismic data includes primary seismic events and multiple seismic events. The input seismic data is processed to remove the multiple seismic events and at least one of the primary seismic events from the input seismic data. An orthogonalization of the processed input seismic data is performed to recover the at least one primary seismic event into a seismic image of the subterranean zone that excludes at least a portion of the multiple seismic events. A wellbore path is determined from a terranean surface toward the wellbore drilling target for a drilling geo-steering system based on the seismic image of the subterranean zone.

Providing seismic sections for drilling systems

Methods and systems for determining an interbed multiple attenuated pre-stack seismic dataset are disclosed. The methods include forming a post-stack seismic image composed of post-stack traces from the pre-stack seismic dataset and identifying a first, second, and third post-stack horizon on each of the post-stack traces. The methods further include for each pre-stack trace, generating a first, second, and third multiple-generator trace based on the first, second and third post-stack horizon and determining a correlation trace based, at least in part, on a correlation between the first multiple-generator trace and the second multiple-generator trace. The methods still further include predicting an interbed multiple trace by convolving the correlation trace and the third multiple-generator trace, determining an interbed multiple attenuated trace by subtracting the interbed multiple trace from a corresponding pre-stack seismic trace, and determining the interbed multiple attenuated pre-stack seismic dataset by combining the interbed multiple attenuated traces.

Method and system for target oriented interbed seismic multiple prediction and subtraction

Methods and systems, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium can be used for identifying primary-wave (P-wave) and secondary-wave (S-wave) characteristics of an underground formation by separating P-wave and S-wave modes of seismic data generated by applying a seismic source to a subterranean region of a geological area. Particle motion vectors of a P-wave are parallel to a propagation vector of the P-wave, whereas particle motion vectors of an S-wave are perpendicular to a propagation vector of the S-wave. The parallel and perpendicular relationship between the motion and propagation vectors of the respective P- and S-waves provide a basis for separating P- and S-wave components from a wavefield. The separation methodology extracts P-wave components and S-wave components from the wavefield based on an estimated angle between propagation vectors and wave motion vectors for the wavefield.

Identifying characteristics of a subterranean region using vector-based wavefield separation of seismic data from the subterranean region

A system for seismic imaging of a subterranean geological formation, the system includes a receiver configured to obtain seismic data comprising a data volume representing a post-stacked image. The system includes a filtering module configured to: apply frequency-wavenumber (F-K) filter to the data volume extract a negative-dip structure image and apply the frequency-wavenumber (F-K) filter to the data volume extract a positive-dip structure image. The system includes a diffraction rendering module configured to: multiply the positive-dip structure image with the negative-dip structure image and generate a diffraction-enhanced seismic image representing a geological formation of the data volume.

Identifying geologic features in a subterranean formation using a post-stack seismic diffraction imaging condition

A computer-implemented method includes the following. A frequency sweep using sweep parameters is emitted from a vibratory seismic source into geological layers. The sweep parameters include frequencies and modulation parameters for seismic waves. Signals are received from one or more sensors. The signals include seismic data acquisition information, including values identifying energy reflected back from boundaries where rock properties change. A determination is made regarding which of the reflected seismic waves are attenuated. The determination uses an integral transform and a thresholding algorithm for image segmentation. Optimum sweep parameters are determined based on the reflected seismic values that are attenuated and updated to compensate for local geology effects. The emitting, receiving, determining attenuation, determining optimum parameters, and updating are repeated until the received signals are determined to be satisfactory.

Spatially adaptive vibrator sweep parameter selection during seismic data acquisition

A computer system receives a post-stack time-domain image having a first spectrum and representing one or more subsurface structures. The computer system reconstructs an increased-frequency version of the post-stack time-domain image using L0-constrained inversion and a least-squares mismatch ratio. The increased-frequency version of the post-stack time-domain image includes structural artifacts. The computer system removes the structural artifacts from the increased-frequency version of the post-stack time-domain image using singular value decomposition. The computer system combines the increased-frequency version of the post-stack time-domain image with the post-stack time-domain image using a weighting function. The computer system generates a combined version of the increased-frequency version of the post-stack time-domain image and the post-stack time-domain image. The combined version represents the one or more subsurface structures and has a second spectrum broader than the first spectrum.

Post-stack time domain image with broadened spectrum

A system for seismic imaging of a subterranean geological formation uses a two-way imaging condition. A seismic signal is emitted into a subterranean formation and recorded at receiver(s). Source and receiver wavefields are decomposed into respective right-down/left-up and left-down/right-up propagating waves. The right-down/left-up and left-down/right-up direction can be defined along the direction emitted from the source or receiver to corresponding direction in two dimensional (2D) case. An imaging condition for generating both a positive-dip structure image and a negative-dip structure image is the inner product of the wavefields. Applying the sample-by-sample multiplication imaging condition to the opposite dip images, the diffraction energy is retained while the reflection energy is significantly attenuated. The diffraction image can be used to detect faults and fractures in subsurface regions.

Identifying geologic features in a subterranean formation using seismic diffraction imaging

The present disclosure describes methods and systems, including computer-implemented methods, computer program products, and computer systems, for suppressing noises in seismic data. One computer-implemented method includes receiving, at a data processing apparatus, a set of seismic data associated with a subsurface region; flattening, by the data processing apparatus, the set of seismic data according to an identified seismic event; dividing, by the data processing apparatus, the set of seismic data into a plurality of spatial windows; randomizing, by the data processing apparatus, the set of seismic data according to a random sequential order; filtering, by the data processing apparatus, the randomized seismic data; and reorganizing, by the data processing apparatus, the filtered seismic data according to a pre-randomization order.

Suppressing noises in seismic data

A method of generating diffraction images based on wave equations includes generating a source wavefield and a receiver wavefield. Based on the source wavefield, a first source wavefield propagating in a first direction and a second source wavefield propagating in a second direction are generated. Based on the receiver wavefield, a first receiver wavefield propagating in the first direction and a second receiver wavefield propagating in the second direction are generated. A first seismic image is generated based on the first source wavefield and the first receiver wavefield. A second seismic image is generated based on the second source wavefield and the second receiver wavefield. A final seismic image is generated based on the first seismic image and the second seismic image.

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Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Constantinos Tsingas