Seismic acquisition analysis and design using multiple reflections

Abstract

Seismic survey design deals with determining the acquisition parameters that lead to the best possible imaging and characterization of the subsurface. The design of the survey is constrained by health, safety and environmental considerations and the available budget, seeking for a balance between quality and cost. Because seismic exploration is a widely used geophysical method for revealing underground resources, information about the subsurface is available in many areas. Therefore, it can potentially be used for purposes supplementary to exploration such as the monitoring of producing fields and fluids injection. However, the available budget for these purposes is usually lower than for exploration, and it becomes a priority to maximize the benefits derived from a potentially cheaper acquisition. In this thesis, we propose new methods for the analysis and design of seismic surveys that are based on previous knowledge from existing subsurface models and that aimto maximize image quality with the lowest acquisition efforts.