Processing Flow

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Data Processing Overview

The objectives of data processing may be summarized as :

To produce seismic cross-section representative of geology

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To enhance the signal and reject the noise

To meet the exploration objectives of the client

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The Sequence of Events

Raw shot records
(with some amplitude compensation applied)

What do we start with in Data Processing?

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Final migrated section

How do we get here?

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Project Planning
Before any processing can take place, we need to: Internal project meeting Client meeting - determine objectives etc Perform inventory check Produce testing plan Project set-up - resource allocation etc
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Data Processing - In the beginning.

Data processing will usually commence with the receipt of the following (or part thereof) : New Data:
Tape containing recorded seismic data (trace sequential or
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multiplexed) Observer logs/reports Field Geophysicist logs/reports and listings Navigation/survey data Field Q.C. displays Contractual requirements

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Data Processing - In the beginning.

Re-Processing:
Tape containing recorded seismic data with geometry applied
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(usually). Contractual requirements

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Reformat
Processing Sequence
Data Format defines: How the data is arranged and stored.
Reformat
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This will usually follow an Industry standard convention. e.g. SEGD, SEGY for magnetic media

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Data Processing - raw shot data

Data corresponding to one shot (located somewhere on the earth) which was recorded into 96 (only data from 1-93 shown on plot) different receivers (also located somewhere on earth!)

Time zero ref. i.e. reference is time when shot fired Linear noise e.g. direct arrivals

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Reflection - hyperbolic

Loss of amplitude with time

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Loss of frequencies with time

Geometry Definition
Where are the shots and receivers located ?

Processing Sequence
Reformat
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Geometry definition

Important values for data processing are source receiver OFFSETS!

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Field Static Corrections

What if the surface elevation changes ?

Processing Sequence
Reformat
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Geometry definition
datum

Field Static corrections

(land, shallow water, transition zone)

i.e. remove the difference in travel time caused by shots and receivers being at different elevations
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Amplitude Recovery
Wheres all the source energy gone ?

Processing Sequence
Reformat
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Geometry definition Field Static corrections

(land, shallow water, transition zone)

Amplitude recovery

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Geometric spreading, absorption etc

Noise Attenuation
How to remove noise?

Processing Sequence
Reformat
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Geometry definition Field Static corrections

(land, shallow water, transition zone)

Amplitude recovery Noise Attenuation

Despike, K-filtering, AAA .

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Deconvolution (An inverse of filtering process )

How to improve the vertical resolution?

Processing Sequence
Reformat
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Geometry definition Field Static corrections

(land, shallow water, transition zone)

Amplitude recovery Noise Attenuation Deconvolution

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Compensate for the filtering effects of the earth etc

CMP Gather
How to order the data?

Processing Sequence
Reformat
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Geometry definition Field Static corrections

(land, shallow water, transition zone)

Amplitude recovery Noise Attenuation Deconvolution CMP gather

Some processes must be carried out in the CMP domain
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Multiple Coverage Acquisition techniques

Velocity Analysis
How to compute a better velocity field?

Processing Sequence
Reformat
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Geometry definition Field Static corrections

(land, shallow water, transition zone)

Amplitude recovery Noise Attenuation Deconvolution CMP gather Velocity Analysis

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How to remove false reflections?

Demultiple
Processing Sequence
Reformat
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offset time

Geometry definition Field Static corrections

(land, shallow water, transition zone)

Amplitude recovery Noise Attenuation Deconvolution CMP gather Velocity Analysis Demultiple (marine)

CMP gather
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NMO Correction
How to correct for time differences due to offset within the CMP?
offset time
time difference due to offset

Processing Sequence
Reformat
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Geometry definition Field Static corrections

(land, shallow water, transition zone)

Amplitude recovery Noise Attenuation Deconvolution CMP gather Velocity Analysis Demultiple (marine) NMO correction

CMP gather
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DMO Correction
Do the reflections all come from a single point?

Processing Sequence
Reformat Geometry definition Field Static corrections
(land, shallow water, transition zone)
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midpoint

Amplitude recovery
Noise Attenuation Deconvolution CMP gather Velocity Analysis Demultiple (marine) NMO Correction DMO Correction

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CMP Stack
How to reduce the number of traces?

Processing Sequence
Reformat Geometry definition Field Static corrections
(land, shallow water, transition zone)

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Amplitude recovery Noise Attenuation Deconvolution CMP gather Velocity Analysis Demultiple (marine) NMO Correction DMO Correction CMP stack
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Migration
Do the reflections all come from vertically below?

Processing Sequence
Reformat Geometry definition Field Static corrections
(land, shallow water, transition zone)

midpoints

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Amplitude recovery Noise Attenuation Deconvolution CMP gather Velocity Analysis Demultiple (marine) NMO Correction DMO Correction CMP stack Migration

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Pre Stack migration (2D marine)

Field data in
SHOT SORTED

Define positions and relationships Energy spreading corrections Low-cut / velocity filtering Remove source wavelet from data Wavelet compression / demultiple Data re-ordering

Geometry Amplitude recovery Noise rejection

OFFSET SORTED

CMP SORTED

Signature Decon.

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Deconvolution CMP gather

STACK SORTED

Removing multiples
Velocity Analysis Near/far offset noise removal Possible additional velocity Analysis Summing traces within a cmp Lowcut / highcut / signal enhance Time variant amplitude balancing
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Demultiple
Comp. Migr. Vels Mute Migration

Stack
Filtering Amplitude scaling Final products

Cosmetic plotting test:bias/gain

Processing Sequence (3D marine - Post Stack Time Migration)

Field data QC & edit Temporal resample QC navigation data and select binning strategy Nav./seismic merge 2:1 data reduction Amplitude recovery Apply automatic field edits Noise rejection Signature Decon.
For Shallow water. For Depth Water we use INVQ or nothing

As early as possible! Optional

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QC shot data

Deconvolution Initial velocity field Demultiple

Optional

Second velocity field DMO on velocity lines NMO correction 3D DMO & Stack

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Time variant filtering Time variant scaling

final products

Migration

Processing Sequence (3D marine Pre Stack Time Migration)

Field data QC & edit Temporal resample QC navigation data and select binning strategy Nav./seismic merge 2:1 data reduction Amplitude recovery Apply automatic field edits Noise rejection Signature Decon.
For Shallow water. For Depth Water we use INVQ or nothing

As early as possible! Optional

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QC shot data

Deconvolution Initial velocity field Demultiple Migration Vel Lines

Kirchhoff Migration

Pre Stack Migration Final Stacking Vel. Analysis Stacking Time variant filtering

Final Mig velocity analysis

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Time variant scaling

final products

Processing Sequence (2D land)

Basic Processes
Field data in Geometry Field statics Amplitude recovery
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Noise rejection Deconvolution CMP gather NMO correction Residual statics Mute

loop
Initial velocity field 2D DMO Final velocity field

2D DMO & Stack

Migration Filtering Amplitude scaling
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Final products

Summary
Virtually all processing projects will require the following:

Accurate locating of shots and receivers and their relationship Time-correction to a known datum (land, shallow water, transition zone) Amplitude recovery Noise attenuation Signal enhancement Cmp gathering Demultiple (marine) Normal move-out correction (including muting any noise introduced) Residual time-corrections (land data) Correction for smearing within a cmp - dip-moveout correction (for post stack migration processing) Data reduction - stacking Repositioning / imaging - Migration
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