Westerngeco L.l.p.

Western Atlas International, Inc.

Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Services Petroliers Schlumberger

Geoquest Systems B.v.

Westerngeco Seismic Holdings Limited

Geco Technology B.v.

Craig J Beasley

Ian Moore

William Henry Dragoset, Jr

Nicolae Moldoveanu

Iain Bush

Richard Timothy Coates

Ronald E Chambers

Rolf Klotz

Clara Castellanos Lopez

Robin Fletcher

Ricky L Workman

Everett C Mobley

Phil Kitchenside

Olivier Peyret

Hannah Flath

Walter S Lynn

Antoun Salama

Ron Chambers

Helmut Jakubowicz

Jr William H Dragoset

A method comprising for deghosting seismic data is disclosed. The method includes the steps of acquiring seismic data by conducting a survey of a subsurface area of interest wherein the seismic data includes ghost data and estimating a time-varying wave height above the subsurface area of interest during at least a portion of the survey, wherein the estimation of the wave height is based at least in part on a remote measurement of the wave height during the survey. The estimated time-varying wave height is used to characterize the ghost data and deghost the seismic data based at least in part on the characterized ghost data.

Method and apparatus for determining rough sea topography during a seismic survey

A technique for acquiring wide azimuth seismic data using simultaneous shooting is presented in which a plurality of seismic sources are positioned to achieve a desired crossline sampling as a function of the number of passes. This is accomplished by 'interleaving' sources as deployed in the spread, as positioned in multiple passes, or some combination of these things, to achieve an effective shotline interval during acquisition or an effective crossline sampling less than their crossline source separation.

Method and apparatus for acquiring wide-azimuth marine data using simultaneous shooting

Various implementations described herein are directed to methods for processing seismic data including enhancing seismic data generated by a seismic sensor. The methods may include receiving seismic data that had been acquired using the seismic sensor. The seismic data may include one or more first seismic data elements related to a first seismic event. The methods may include generating summands of the seismic data as an inner product of multiple seismic data elements associated with the first seismic data elements and one or more second seismic data elements. The second seismic data elements may be different than the first seismic data elements. The methods may further include enhancing the seismic data by estimating outliers in the summands of the inner product and replacing the outliers with interpolated values.

Seismic data enhancement

A method for managing a fracturing operation. In one implementation, the method may include positioning one or more sources and one or more receivers near a hydrocarbon reservoir; pumping a fracturing fluid into a well bore of the hydrocarbon reservoir; performing a survey with the sources and the receivers during the fracturing operation; comparing the baseline survey to the survey performed during the fracturing operation; analyzing one or more differences between the baseline survey and the survey performed during the fracturing operation; and modifying the fracturing operation based on the differences.

Active seismic monitoring of fracturing operations and determining characteristics of a subterranean body using pressure data and seismic data

A technique includes determining at least one parameter that characterizes a seismic survey in which multiple interfering seismic sources are fired and seismic sensors sense energy that is produced by the seismic sources. The determination of the parameter(s) includes optimizing the seismic survey for separation of the sensed energy according to the seismic sources.

Optimizing a seismic survey for source separation

Propagation of wavefields are simulated along paths in a survey environment, where the simulated propagation includes an influence of a reflection at an interface that causes ghost data in measured survey data. Deghosting of the measured survey data is performed using the simulated wavefields.

Deghosting measured survey data

A method for processing seismic data. The method may include receiving seismic data due to a plurality of seismic sources and applying a first operator to the seismic data to generate a first estimate of seismic data. The method may then include applying a second operator to the first estimate of seismic data to generate residual seismic data due to one or more seismic sources. The method may determine a second estimate of seismic data based on the first estimate and the residual seismic data. The method may then process the second estimate of seismic data due to each seismic source to determine the presence of hydrocarbon deposits in a subterranean area of the earth.

Separating interfering signals in seismic data

A method for managing a fracturing operation. In one implementation, the method may include positioning a seismic source and at least one seismic receiver near a hydrocarbon reservoir; pumping a fracturing fluid into a well bore of the hydrocarbon reservoir such that the fracturing fluid may include an additive that enhances acoustic impedance between the fracturing fluid and subsurface formations in which the hydrocarbon reservoir is located and that produces a foam; performing a seismic survey with the seismic source and the at least one seismic receiver during the fracturing operation; and identifying locations of the fracturing fluid within subsurface formations in which the hydrocarbon reservoir is located.

Active seismic monitoring of fracturing operations

To determine characteristics of a subterranean body, pressure testing is performed, where the pressure testing involves drawing down pressure in the well. Pressure data in the well is measured during the pressure testing, and a seismic surface operation is performed. Seismic data is measured as part of the seismic survey operation. The pressure data and the seismic data are provided to a processing system for processing to determine characteristics of the subterranean body.

Determining characteristics of a subterranean body using pressure data and seismic data

Noise may be filtered or attenuated from seismic data by building a four-dimensional volume using the acquired seismic data and then applying a random noise attenuation filter to the four-dimensional volume. The dimensions of the four-dimensional volume may include a trace number dimension, a time dimension, a shot number dimension, and a cable number dimension. The random noise attenuation filter may filter portions of the acquired seismic data if the seismic data is not correlated with respect to other seismic data in the four dimensional volume.

Attenuating noise in seismic data

A technique includes obtaining seismic data acquired by seismic sensors of a composite seismic signal that is produced by the firings of multiple seismic sources. The technique includes modeling the seismic data as being a function of models for the sources and linear operators and defining desired constraints on the models. The technique includes simultaneously determining the models based on the modeling and the desired constraints. The datasets are generated based on the determined models. Each dataset is indicative of a component of the composite seismic signal and is attributable to a different one of the seismic sources.

Separating seismic signals produced by interfering seismic sources

A system includes an interface and a processor. The interface receives seismic datasets, which are associated with multiple firings of a set of at least one seismic source. Each dataset is acquired by seismic sensors during a different time period of a sequence of time periods that are limited by times at which the set of seismic source(s) are fired. The processor, for each of the firings of the set of seismic source(s), generates an associated shot record based on information contained at least two of the datasets.

Technique and system to increase the length of a seismic shot record

A method for managing a fracturing operation. In one implementation, the method may include positioning a seismic source and at least one seismic receiver near a hydrocarbon reservoir; pumping a fracturing fluid into a well bore of the hydrocarbon reservoir such that the fracturing fluid may include an additive that enhances acoustic impedance between the fracturing fluid and subsurface formations in which the hydrocarbon reservoir is located; performing a seismic survey with the seismic source and the at least one seismic receiver during the fracturing operation; and identifying locations of the fracturing fluid within subsurface formations in which the hydrocarbon reservoir is located.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Craig J Beasley