A METHOD OF PROCESSING SEISMIC DATA

摘要

The invention relates to a method of processing seismic data that is less sensitive to the consequences of multiple propagation paths. There may be three paths (16, 18, 20) between a seismic source (S) and an image point (I). Signals in paths (16 and 20) are refracted by salt bodies. If there were also three paths between a seismic receiver and the image point (I), there would be 9 possible permutations of outward and return signal paths for image point (I) and to account for all of these paths would be prohibitive. According to the present invention, the raypath resulting from the shortest outward and return paths is selected for subsequent processing (such as pre-stack depth migration etc.). The traveltime curves associated with the raypaths having shortest ray length are piecewise continuous and more likely to be associated with more of the energy than either the first arrival or the maximum amplitude arrival thus assisting in effective analysis of the seismic data.