# US 2025/0093541 A1 · Wavefield traveltime inversion with automatic first arrival filtering

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- Number: US 2025/0093541 A1
- Document ID: US20250093541A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/470,387
- Filed: 2023-09-19
- Published: 2025-03-20
- Earliest claimed: 2023-09-19
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Inventors: Young Seo Kim; Ali Ameen Almomin; Tong W. Fei
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250093541A1

## CPC

- G01V 1/345: {Visualisation of seismic data or attributes, e.g. in 3D cubes}
- E21B 49/00: Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells
- G01V 1/282: {Application of seismic models, synthetic seismograms}
- G01V 1/303: {for determining velocity profiles or travel times}
- G01V 1/301: {for determining seismic cross-sections or geostructures}
- G01V 1/42: using generators in one well and receivers elsewhere or vice versa (G01V1/52 takes precedence)
- G01V 2210/614: Synthetically generated data
- G01V 2210/66: Subsurface modeling
- G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02)
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

Examples of methods and systems are disclosed. The methods may include obtaining, using a seismic processing system, seismic data regarding a subsurface region of interest and determining a plurality of first arrivals based on the seismic data. The methods may also include determining, using the seismic processing system, a plurality of filtered first arrivals by applying a modal filter and replacement interpolation to the plurality of first arrivals, and generating a seismic image based, at least in part, on the plurality of filtered first arrivals.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
obtaining, using a seismic processing system, seismic data regarding a subsurface region of interest;
determining, using the seismic processing system, a plurality of first arrivals based on the seismic data;
determining, using the seismic processing system, a plurality of filtered first arrivals by applying a modal filter and replacement interpolation to the plurality of first arrivals; and
generating, using the seismic processing system, a seismic image based, at least in part, on the plurality of filtered first arrivals.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining, using a seismic interpretation system, a drilling target in the subsurface region based, at least in part, on the seismic image; and
planning, using a wellbore planning system, a planned wellbore trajectory to intersect the drilling target.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising drilling, using a drilling system, a portion of a wellbore guided by the planned wellbore trajectory.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the seismic data comprises synthetic seismic data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein generating the seismic image further comprises:
receiving, from a seismic acquisition system, measured seismic data appertaining to the subsurface region of interest;
obtaining a seismic velocity model of the subsurface region of interest; and
generating an updated seismic velocity model iteratively, or recursively, until a stopping condition is reached, wherein generating the updated seismic velocity model comprises:
generating the synthetic seismic data based, at least in part, on the seismic velocity model and a geometry of the measured seismic data, and
updating, using the seismic processing system, the seismic velocity model based, at least in part, on the plurality of filtered first arrivals and the measured seismic data.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the plurality of first arrivals comprises using a modified energy ratio.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein applying the modal filter comprises sequentially performing modal filtering in an offset domain, a common depth-point domain, and an azimuth domain.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein by applying a modal filter comprises:
dividing a domain of the plurality of first arrivals in a plurality of subdomains; and
determining excluded first arrivals and retained first arrivals based on a mode of first arrivals in each subdomain.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein applying replacement interpolation comprises:
ordering the retained first arrivals by receiver number; and
replacing each excluded first arrival by interpolating the retained first arrivals at adjacent receivers.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising performing statics correction of the measured seismic data based, at least in part, on the updated seismic velocity model.

### Claim 11

A system comprising:
a seismic processing system configured to:
obtain seismic data regarding a subsurface region of interest, determine a plurality of first arrivals based on the seismic data,
determine a plurality of filtered first arrivals by applying a modal filter and replacement interpolation to the plurality of first arrivals, and
generate a seismic image based, at least in part, on the plurality of filtered first arrivals; and
a seismic interpretation system configured to receive the seismic image and to determine a drilling target in the subsurface region based, at least in part, on the seismic image.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, further comprising:
a wellbore planning system, configured to plan a planned wellbore trajectory to intersect the drilling target.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, further comprising a drilling system, configured to drill a portion of a wellbore guided by the planned wellbore trajectory.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the seismic data comprises synthetic seismic data.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, further comprising:
a seismic acquisition system configured to record measured seismic data regarding the subsurface region of interest;
wherein the seismic processing system is further configured to:
receive the measured seismic data,
obtain a seismic velocity model of the subsurface region of interest, and
generate an updated seismic velocity model iteratively, or recursively, until a stopping condition is reached, wherein generating the updated seismic velocity model comprises:
generating the synthetic seismic data based, at least in part, on the seismic velocity model and a geometry of the measured seismic data; and
updating the seismic velocity model based, at least in part, on the plurality of filtered first arrivals and the measured seismic data.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the seismic processing system is further configured to determine the plurality of first arrivals by using a modified energy ratio.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the seismic processing system is further configured to sequentially perform modal filtering in an offset domain, a common depth-point domain, and an azimuth domain.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the seismic processing system is further configured to:
divide a domain of the plurality of first arrivals in a plurality of subdomains; and
determine excluded first arrivals and retained first arrivals based on a mode of first arrivals in each subdomain.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the seismic processing system is further configured to:
order the retained first arrivals by receiver number; and
replace each excluded first arrival by interpolating the retained first arrivals at adjacent receivers.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the seismic processing system is further configured to perform statics correction of the measured seismic data based, at least in part, on the updated seismic velocity model.