Method of determining weathering corrections in seismic record processing

Abstract

The method of determining the magnitude of the differential static correction between two selected adjacent receiver points D, E, in a linear seismic array, that involves the steps of: recording a first multi-trace record responsive to a first seismic wave generated at a first source point C on one side of D, E at any distance; recording a second corresponding multi-trace record responsive to a second seismic wave at a second source point F on the opposite side of D, E at any distance; correlating a first trace CE with a second trace CD of the first record to obtain a first time difference R; correlating the corresponding first trace FD with a second trace FE of the second record to get a second time difference S; and determining the value of K = (R - S)/2, where K is a value of the static correction equal to the difference in the travel time through the weathered layer at D and E. The process can be repeated for other positions of C, F to obtain other independent values of K. The various values of K can be averaged to provide an improved value of differential static correction at receiver points D, E. The method is applicable also to determining the differential static correction at two adjacent source points.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.