Data set inversion using source-receiver compression

A method of processing formation survey data generated using an array of physical transmitters and an array of physical receivers, the method comprising:

• (i) producing excitations in the formation using the array of physical transmitters;
• (ii) detecting the excitations using the array of physical receivers to generate survey data;
• (iii) calculating a weighted sum for the array of physical transmitters, wherein the weighted sum comprises a weight for each of the physical transmitters;
• (iv) calculating a compressed data set for the survey data in which a number of physical transmitters is reduced by the weighted sum to a number of representative transmitters in the compressed data set, wherein calculating the compressed data set comprises constructing the compressed data set of L (L<M,N) transmitters ( jk) as follows:
• j
• _
• k
• =
• ∑
• i
• =
• 1
• M
• ⁢
• ⁢
• v
• k
• ,
• i
• *
• ⁢
• J
• _
• i
• ,
• ⁢
• k
• =
• 1
• ,
• 2
• ,
• …
• ⁢
• ,
• L
• ,
• wherein M is the number of physical transmitters, N is the number of physical receivers, L is the number of representative transmitters in the compressed data set, Ji is the weighted sum for represents the M physical transmitters, and vk,i provides transmitter weights;
• (v) performing an inversion using the compressed data set;
• and
• (vi) outputting a result of the inversion in tangible form.