Amoco Corporation

The Standard Oil Company

Jerry W Ehlers

Randol R Read

James W Smith

The present invention provides novel methods for identifying, characterizing and mapping seismic noise as an aid in evaluating and enhancing seismic data. In particular, an array of seismic receivers can be beam steered to sense seismic energy arriving from a plurality of azimuths. A measure of the strength of the seismic energy for each azimuth can be obtained for a plurality of arrival times, velocities and distances from the array. Displays of the azimuthal distribution of the strength of the seismic energy sensed by the areal array can then be produced for identifying and characterizing seismic noise into seismic data.

Identifying, characterizing, and mapping of seismic noise

A method for recursively, continuously estimating the noise and signal components of a seismic trace. More particularly, a method for suppressing the noise component in seismic data so as to enhance the resolution of seismic events contained therein. The signal component of each seismic trace is determined recursively from the preceding estimate of the signal component in each preceding seismic trace.

Method for suppressing noise in seismic data

A method and apparatus are disclosed for signal-to-noise optimization of seismic-trace signals during seismic prospecting utilizing plural initiations of a low energy surface seismic source. The method and apparatus optimize signal-to-noise ratio by vertically stacking, that is, summing, inverse power weighted seismic-trace signals from each of the plural initiations wherein the exponent used for weighting is selectable for optimizing the signal-to-noise ratio of the composite seismic-trace signal. The range of exponents provided is correlated to the range of ambient noise, including nonstationary noise, commonly encountered during seismic prospecting, especially vibroseis seismic prospecting, for the purpose of optimizing the quality of seismic-trace data.

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Tulsa, OK, United States of America

Jerry W Ehlers