Seismic data processing with an expanded Common Reflection Surface workflow

Abstract

The so-called CRS workflow is a processing scheme for seismic data based on the kinematic wavefield attributes estimated during the Common Reflection Surface (CRS) stack, the so-called CRS attributes. I extended the CRS workflow with a multiple suppression tool and incorporated the prestack data enhancement tool by Baykulov and Gajewski (2009a). The introduced expanded CRS workflow contains a multiparameter stacking tool, the CRS stack, a multiple attenuation tool based on CRS attributes, a prestack data enhancement technique by means of partial CRS stacks, a tomographic tool also based on CRS attributes, and a subsequent time or depth migration algorithm. This quick and stable processing workflow allows to produce data of enhanced quality for reliable post- and prestack depth migrations, suppress multiple reflections in the data, and generates a velocity model for an initial depth migration. The CRS stack theory will be reviewed in the first chapter of the thesis. Afterwards, the newly developed multiple attenuation tool will be discussed in detail. Additionally, it will be also shown how the prestack data enhancement tool can be incorporated into the CRS workflow and how it serves as an interface for achieving the data condition requirements of other non CRS related methods. Furthermore, NIP-wave tomography will be discussed and compared to another tomographic tool in a complex geological setting. To illustrate the potential of this workflow, results of an imaging project on a marine industry data set from the Eastern Mediteranean / Levantine basin will be presented throughout the thesis. The results are satisfying and allowed a detailed geologic interpretation based on depth migrated sections of the data set, which is presented in the last chapter.