Processing seismic data

Abstract

A method of evaluating a seismic survey to be carried out at a particular survey location comprises choosing an initial seismic surveying arrangement. One or more parameters of AVO (amplitude versus offset) uncertainty are then determined from the seismic surveying arrangement using a model of the earth's interior at the survey location. If the parameter(s) of AVO uncertainty are not acceptable the seismic surveying arrangement is changed, and the AVO uncertainty parameter(s) re-determined for the new acquisition geometry. The determination of the AVO uncertainty parameter(s) may make use of prior information such as the noise covariance and/or model covariance. This enables the AVO uncertainty parameters to be estimated independent of any seismic data.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.