Method and system for real-time processing of seismic data

A method of real-time processing of seismic data collected with a multichannel seismic acquisition system of N channels comprising the steps of:

• (a) selecting a plurality of near offset channels of a multichannel acquisition system for real-time processing of the seismic signals developed by the selected near offset channels, wherein the selected near offset channels of seismic signals of the multichannel acquisition system are the least sensitive to stacking velocity approximations and are less than N;
• (b) generating a normal movemout correction look-up table to correct for normal moveout in the seismic signals developed by the selected near offset channels, wherein the normal moveout correction look-up table is calculated for a first set of acquisition parameters of the multichannel acquisition system and for predetermined time increments of normal moveout correction times T.sub.o ;
• (c) collecting and sampling seismic signals of each shot record developed by the selected near offset channels to form digitized seismic signals, wherein the time increments between samples of the digitized seismic signal are shorter than the time increments of the normal moveout correction times T.sub.o ;
• (d) moveout correcting the digitized seismic signals of the selected near offset channel in accordance with the normal moveout correction look-up table to form moveout corrected seismic signal;
• and
• (e) common depth point sorting and stacking the moveout corrected signals to form surrogate seismic signals in real-time to evaluate and optimize the first set of acquisition parameters for collecting seismic data with the multichannel acquisition system, wherein the surrogate seismic signal is representative of the seismic data developed by all channels of the multichannel acquisition system.