US 11,656,378 B2Granted

Seismic imaging by visco-acoustic reverse time migration

AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company

InventorsHongwei Liu, Yi Luo

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Abstract

A method for generating a seismic image representing a subsurface includes receiving seismic data for the subsurface formation, including receiver wavelet data and source wavelet data. Source wavefield data are generated based on a forward modeling of the source wavelet data. Receiver wavefield data are generated that compensate for distortions in the seismic data by: applying a dispersion-only model to the receiver wavelet data to generate a first reconstructed back-propagated receiver wavefield portion, applying a dissipation-only model to the receiver wavelet data to generate a second reconstructed back-propagated receiver wavefield portion, and combining the first back-propagated receiver wavefield portion and the second back-propagated receiver wavefield portion into the receiver wavefield data. The method includes applying an imaging condition to the receiver wavefield data and the source wavefield data and generating, based on applying the imaging condition, visco-acoustic reverse time migration (VARTM) result data.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method for generating a seismic image representing a subsurface formation by compensating for distortions of seismic data, the method comprising:

receiving seismic data for the subsurface formation, including receiver wavelet data and source wavelet data;
generating source wavefield data based on a forward modeling of the source wavelet data;
generating receiver wavefield data that compensates for distortions in the seismic data by:
applying a dispersion-only model to the receiver wavelet data to generate a first reconstructed back-propagated receiver wavefield portion, wherein the dispersion-only model comprises applvina a wave eauation to the receiver wavelet, the wave equation comprising:
∂
2
⁢
p
∂
t
2
+
v
_
e
2
1
-
γ
⁢
k
2
1
-
γ
⁢
p
=
s
⁡
(
t
)
,
where
⁢
⁢
v
_
e
=
v
0
(
ω
0
)
γ
.
wherein p represents an acoustic pressure value, wherein ν0 represents an initial velocity value, wherein ω0 represents an initial angular frequency value, wherein γ represents a constant value, wherein k represents a wavenumber, and wherein t represents time;
applying a dissipation-only model to the receiver wavelet data to generate a second reconstructed back-propagated receiver wavefield portion;
and
combining the first back-propagated receiver wavefield portion and the second back-propagated receiver wavefield portion into the receiver wavefield data;
applying an imaging condition to the receiver wavefield data and the source wavefield data;
generating, based on applying the imaging condition, visco-acoustic reverse time migration (VARTM) result data;
based on the VARTM result data, generating a seismic image of the subsurface formation;
and
based on the seismic image, drilling into the subsurface formation.

55 more elements

A system for generating a seismic image representing a subsurface formation by compensating for distortions of seismic data, the system comprising:

one or more processing devices;
and
a memory in communication with the one or more processing devices, the memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:
receiving seismic data for the subsurface formation, including receiver wavelet data and source wavelet data;
generating source wavefield data based on a forward modeling of the source wavelet data;
generating receiver wavefield data that compensates for distortions in the seismic data by:
applying a dispersion-only model to the receiver wavelet data to generate a first reconstructed back-propagated receiver wavefield portion, wherein the dispersion-only model comprises applying a wave equation to the receiver wavelet, the wave equation comprising:
∂
2
⁢
p
∂
t
2
+
v
_
e
2
1
-
γ
⁢
k
2
1
-
γ
⁢
p
=
s
⁡
(
t
)
,
where
⁢
⁢
v
_
e
=
v
0
(
ω
0
)
γ
.
wherein p represents an acoustic pressure value, wherein ν0 represents an initial velocity value, wherein ω0 represents an initial angular frequency value, wherein γ represents a constant value, wherein k represents a wavenumber, and wherein t represents time;
applying a dissipation-only model to the receiver wavelet data to generate a second reconstructed back-propagated receiver wavefield portion;
and
combining the first back-propagated receiver wavefield portion and the second back-propagated receiver wavefield portion into the receiver wavefield data;
applying an imaging condition to the receiver wavefield data and the source wavefield data;
generating, based on applying the imaging condition, visco-acoustic reverse time migration (VARTM) result data;
based on the VARTM result data, generating a seismic image of the subsurface formation;
and
based on the seismic image, causing drilling to be performed into the subsurface formation.

58 more elements

One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions for generating a seismic image representing a subsurface formation by compensating for distortions of seismic data, the instructions configured to cause one or more processing devices that execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:

receiving seismic data for the subsurface formation, including receiver wavelet data and source wavelet data;
generating source wavefield data based on a forward modeling of the source wavelet data;
generating receiver wavefield data that compensates for distortions in the seismic data by:
applying a dispersion-only model to the receiver wavelet data to generate a first reconstructed back-propagated receiver wavefield portion, wherein the dispersion-only model comprises applying a wave equation to the receiver wavelet, the wave equation comprising:
∂
2
⁢
p
∂
t
2
+
v
_
e
2
1
-
γ
⁢
k
2
1
-
γ
⁢
p
=
s
⁡
(
t
)
,
where
⁢
⁢
v
_
e
=
v
0
(
ω
0
)
γ
.
wherein p represents an acoustic pressure value, wherein ν0 represents an initial velocity value, wherein ω0 represents an initial angular frequency value, wherein γ represents a constant value, wherein k represents a wavenumber, and wherein t represents time;
applying a dissipation-only model to the receiver wavelet data to generate a second reconstructed back-propagated receiver wavefield portion;
and
combining the first back-propagated receiver wavefield portion and the second back-propagated receiver wavefield portion into the receiver wavefield data;
applying an imaging condition to the receiver wavefield data and the source wavefield data;
generating, based on applying the imaging condition, visco-acoustic reverse time migration (VARTM) result data;
based on the VARTM result data, generating a seismic image of the subsurface formation;
and
based on the seismic image, causing drilling to be performed into the subsurface formation.

55 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/895,762Filed 8 Jun 2020
Published: US 2021/0382192 A19 Dec 2021
Granted: 23 May 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

G01V 1/301
Analysis: for determining seismic cross-sections or geostructures
G01V 1/181
Receiving elements, e.g. seismometer, geophone or torque detectors, for localised single point measurements: geophones
G01V 1/282
Processing seismic data, e.g. for interpretation or for event detection: application of seismic models, synthetic seismograms
G01V 1/32
Processing seismic data, e.g. for interpretation or for event detection: transforming one recording into another or one representation into another