PRE-PROCESSING

SEISMIC DATA PROCESSING

A set of logical operations on the

input data aimed at reducing the
unwanted components and
gathering the wanted components.
 PRE PROCESSING
• Demultiplexing
• Field Geometry
• Editing and Muting
• Spherical Divergence Correction
• Field Statics – Elevation & Weathering
Corrections
• Deconvolution
 DEMULTIPLEXING

– transforming the field data which is time sequential into processing format which
is trace sequential.
-- Field data are recorded in a multiplexed mode
--the data are converted to a format that is used by software throughout processing.
--SEG-Y demultiplexed format-- common format used in the seismic industry for
data exchange.
--Now a days its no more in use as data being directly recorded in demultiplexed
format.
 SEISMIC DATA FORMAT –SEG Y
Most seismic data formats are similar, and include:
Text file header (comments for the user, line description);
Binary file header (number of traces, other vital formatting information);
‘Traces’, each including:
• Binary trace header (channel number, coordinate, offset, statics, mute times, filter
parameters, etc.). Some formats allow user-defined trace headers.
• Trace sample values (integer or floating-point).
SEG-Y (adopted by SEG as the standard data exchange format):
Text file header of 3200 bytes (40 80-character lines);
Binary file header of 400 bytes;
Traces include:
• 240-byte headers, fixed predefined format.
• Samples in any of the 2- or 4-byte formats (usually stored as 4-byte IBM REAL).
A moderate 2-D seismic line with 800 shots recorded by 96 channels at 1500 samples per
trace takes about 500 Mb of storage in SEG-Y format
 Field Geometry

• Assignment of source-receiver coordinates, offsets, geophones location, channel

number, filter parameters used, etc. of the field are given in trace headers.
• Survey information
X and Y coordinate of shot/geophone points.
Elevation of geophone/shot points
• Recording instrument
Record file numbers
Shot interval ,group interval, near offset and far offset
Layout, no. of channels.
• Processing information
Datum statics
Near surface model
Datum plane elevation
 Geometry
The area of mathematics relating to the study of space and
the relationships between points, lines, curves and surfaces

Geometry in Seismic means defining where everything is located

using the following -

• Coordinates of shot and receivers

• Relationship between ‘file’ numbers and shot

locations
• Relationship between shots and receivers

• Missing shots and/or receivers

• Attributes for shots/receivers e.g. elevations, depths

Geometry allows us to the determine cmp positions

Raw shot data

cmp
 Raw shot data

Geometry definition

CMP gather data

NMO correction

Stacked data
 Definitions
•Receiver - A geophone in land or a hydrophone in
marine. The part of the acquisition system that
receives the seismic signal.
•Channel
•Channel - A single series of interconnected devices •Near Field
through which data can flow. A channel can record Hydrophone
information from 1 single receiver or from a number
of receivers summed together to form a group. Or
from any other listening device.
•Group - A number of receivers summed together to
form a group, which gets recorded on a channel. •Group

•Source •Receiver •Trace

•Trace - A record of seismic data from one channel, ie
can come from one single receiver or a summed group
of receivers.
Definitions
•Channel no- The number assigned to each •Near Channel •Far channel
recording channel in the survey. In marine •Channel no •1 •2 •3 •4
the near channel is usually labeled 1.

•Channel no •1 •2 •3 •4

•Trace no- The number assigned to every trace

recorded in the survey
•Trace no 1 2 3 4
 Definitions
• Source/Shot- A device that releases
energy. In the marine case an air gun
or in the land case a vibrator or
dynamite
•Shotpoint
• Shotpoint- The location where we
want our energy release to occur

• Field File- A gather of information

recorded at each channel for a single
shot

•Field File record

 Definitions

• Record/Gather- A group of data handled by a computer as a

single block of data. In Seismic we have shot, receiver, cmp
and stack records/gathers.
• Station - A geophone in land or a hydrophone in marine. The
part of the acquisition system receives the seismic signal.
 Definitions
NEAR TRACE GROUP FAR TRACE
GROUP 1 / TRACE 1 INTERVAL GROUP n

Source

NEAR TRACE
OFFSET Total ‘active’ streamer length
(NTO) (centre near group------------------------------------------centre far group)

FAR TRACE OFFSET (FTO)

((Number of groups -1) x Group interval) + Near Trace Offset

• [TRACE/GROUP] OFFSET refers to distances relative to center of source

• OFFSETS of TRACES/GROUPS measured to the center of streamer sections

• OFFSETS important measurement derived from field geometry from a DP perspective

• Nearest group is normally GROUP 1

 Calculations GROUP
INTERVAL
NEAR TRACE FAR TRACE
25m
GROUP 1 GROUP 240

Source

NEAR TRACE
OFFSET Total ‘active’ streamer length
100m (centre near group------------------------------------------centre far group)

FAR TRACE OFFSET (FTO)

((Number of groups -1) x Group interval) + Near Trace Offset

• Given the above diagram calculate the following

•Total Active Streamer length

•Far Trace Offset
•Offset to receiver group 30
•Offset of CMP for receiver group 120 ( ie. How far from the source is the cmp
generated by group number 120) ?
 More Calculations

For Marine acquisition parameters :

Near trace offset 310m

Group interval 50m
Number of groups 120
Calculate the following :

1) Total active length of streamer ________

2) Offset to far receiver group ________
3) Offset to receiver group number 78 ________
4) Offset of CMP for receiver group number 60 ________
 Shot Gather
A collection of traces originating from
a single source, recorded by several
receivers, multiple offsets
Source
Receiver
Common Mid Point

S R

C
 CMP Gather
A collection of traces recorded at
several receivers, originating from
Source
several sources, multiple Receiver
offsets,having common trace mid- Common Mid Point
points

S R

C
 Receiver Gather
Land -
A collection of traces recorded at a Source
single receiver, originating from Receiver
Common Mid Point
several sources, multiple offsets

S R

C
 Common offset Gather
A collection of traces recorded at
several receivers, originating from
several sources but having a common
source-receiver offset value Source
Receiver
Common Mid Point

S R

C
2D Marine layout
Source
Receiver
Common Mid Point

S R
 2D Land Field Layouts
Symmetric split spread

Asymmetric split spread

End on
 Land Field Layouts -- End-on shooting
Receiver
Station No. 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112

What is the Cmp interval? HALF the receiver interval

If the next SP is at receiver station 100, how many ‘new cmps’ will there be? TWO
The rest of the traces contribute to existing cmps and build up the FOLD

What do we mean by ‘trace offset’?

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SOURCE AND RECEIVER FOR THE TRACE

 Multiple Coverage
Seismic arrangement whereby the same portion of the subsurface is imaged
several times.

Source
Receiver
Common Mid Point

S R

C
 Multiple Coverage
The use of multiple coverage in seismic data acquisition can effectively:
1. Reduce random noise
2. Reduce coherent noise
3. Enable us to study the data in both shot order and CMP order.
4. Reduces the effect of missing shots
5. Attenuate multiple path signals
6. Provide the information needed to work out the velocities from the
subsurface signals.
 Calculations
NB. True where G.I and Shot interval are
integer multiples of each other and ‘end-on’
CMP INT = (Groupint/2) shooting.
For other configurations, you may have to
Number of NEW cmps / Shot = (Shot int / CMP int) draw to confirm fold.

Fold = (Groupint/Shot int) * (No.channels/2)

IN OMEGA THE FIRST LIVE CMP IS
First live CMP = [( FTO/2 ) / CMP int] + 1 USER DEFINED - IT DEFAULTS TO 1!
THIS FORMULA IS APPLICABLE TO
SOME OLDER SOFTWARE SYSTEMS
First full fold CMP = first live CMP + [(fold - 1) * (no. new cmps per shot) ]

Last CMP with maximum fold = first live CMP + [((no.shots - 1) * (no. new cmps per shot)) + (no. new cmps per shot - 1)]

Last CMP = last full fold CMP + [(fold - 1) * (no. new cmps per shot) ]
 Stacking Diagram Construction example
4 Channels SPINT 25m Source
5 Shots GRPINT 50m Receiver
NTO 100m Common Mid Point
100 m 50 m
Shot 1
Shot 2
Shot 3
Shot 4
Shot 5

FIRST LIVE
CMP
FIRST
FULL FOLD

CMP number 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CMP FOLD 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1
Exercises in building stacking diagram
 Practical Exercise
Line UK-AJ-34a

Shot point range : 101-110 From the information supplied

(left) for a 2D seismic line ,
Data Length : 4000ms
construct a stacking diagram to
Number of channels : 8 derive
Sample interval : 4ms

Shot point interval : 50m

a) the maximum fold
b) the last CMP number on the
Group Interval : 25m
line.
Near trace offset : 125m

Average source depth: 6m Note: The number of the first cmp

defaults to 1 in Omega
Average cable depth: 10m
Also calculate the following
Far Trace Offset
Active Streamer Length
 Calculations
NB. True where G.I and Shot Interval are
CMP INT = (Groupint/2) integer multiples of each other.
For other configurations, you may have to
draw to confirm fold.
Number of NEW cmps / Shot = (Shot int / CMP int) In this case, the configuration is ‘regular’.

Fold = (Groupint/Shot int) * (No.channels/2) = (25/50) * (8/2) = 2

First live CMP = 1 because we used the Omega default

First full fold CMP = first live CMP + [(fold - 1) * (no. new cmps per shot) ]
= 1 + [ (2 - 1) * 4 ]
= 5

Last CMP with maximum fold = first live CMP + [((no.shots - 1) * (no. new cmps per shot)) + (no. new cmps per shot - 1)]
= 1 + [((10 - 1) * (4)) + (4 - 1)]
= 40

Last CMP = last full fold CMP + [(fold - 1) * (no. new cmps per shot) ]
= 40 + [(2 - 1) * 4]
= 44
 Practical Exercise
Line UK-AJ-34a

Shot point range : 101-120 From the information supplied

(left) for a 2D seismic line ,
Data Length : 4000ms
construct a stacking diagram to
Number of channels : 10
derive
Sample interval : 4ms

Shot point interval : 25m

a) the maximum fold
b) the last CMP number on the line.
Group Interval : 25m

Near trace offset : 125m Note: The number of the first cmp
Average source depth: 6m defaults to 1 in Omega
Average cable depth: 10m
 Calculations
NB. True where G.I and Shot Interval are
CMP INT = (Groupint/2) integer multiples of each other.
For other configurations, you may have to
draw to confirm fold.
Number of NEW cmps / Shot = (Shot int / CMP int) In this case, the configuration is ‘regular’.

Fold = (Groupint/Shot int) * (No.channels/2) = (25/25) * (10/2) = 5

First live CMP = 1 because we used the Omega default

First full fold CMP = first live CMP + [(fold - 1) * (no. new cmps per shot) ]
= 1 + [ (5 - 1) * 2 ]
= 9

Last CMP with maximum fold = first live CMP + [((no.shots - 1) * (no. new cmps per shot)) + (no. new cmps per shot - 1)]
= 1 + [((20 - 1) * (2)) + (2 - 1)]
= 40

Last CMP = last full fold CMP + [(fold - 1) * (no. new cmps per shot) ]
= 40 + [(5 - 1) * 2]
= 48
 Typical Land Subsurface Diagram

Also known as a
Stacking
Diagram/Chart
 3D Geometry
Source

Inline Receiver
CMP

streamer 3

source2
sub-surface lines
PORT

streamer 2
SAIL LINE
STARBOARD
sub-surface lines
source1

streamer 1

Multiple subsurface lines are recorded each pass of the boat

Data forms a finely sampled volume of information.
A Grid of bins is overlaid, each cmp position falling at the centre of a bin
 3D Geometry
•100 receivers

• 25m

streamer 3
• 50m

•100m source2

streamer 2 •50m

source1
•100m

streamer 1

How many Near Trace and Far Trace Offset values will occur here?

Calculate their values

 General

Receiver Info.
P1/90 UKOOA Header

General
example

Streamer offsets.

Projection and spheroid.

Navigation processing Info

 P1/90 UKOOA Header - Data area
1
2
3

1) ‘V’ is the vessel position.

2) ‘S’ is active firing source.

3) ‘Z’ is all source positions.

4) ‘T’ is tailbuoy positions.

5) ‘R’ is receiver positions.

 H
H
H
Source of Geodetic Data=
Origin: Latitude=
Origin: Longitude=
Advance Positioning's SEISURV System
27-50
99-00
SPS
H Origin: False Easting(ft)= 2000000.00 General Header
Shell Processing Support (SPS) Shot/Receiver

H Origin: False Northing(ft)= 0.00

H Parallel (Latitude)= 29-20 Information
H Scale Ratio= 1: 7300
H R (reduction in ft/1000)= 0.136800
H Standard Parallels (deg-min)= 28-23 & 30-17
H Origin of Longitude= Greenwich
H FEET are the units used for the following grid coordinates and elevations.
H26 SPS HEADER
H26 DEFINITION OF FIELD COLS FORMAT UNITS
H26
file example

H26 LINE NAME 2-17 4A4 -

H26 POINT NUMBER 18-25 2A4 - Location of information in
H26 POINT INDEX 26-26 I1 -
H26 POINT CODE 27-28 A2 - the data block
H26 STATIC CORRECTION 29-32 I4 MSEC referenced by column
H26 POINT DEPTH 33-36 F4.1 METRE
numbers
H26 SEISMIC DATUM 37-40 I4 METRE
H26 UPHOLE TIME 41-42 I2 MSEC
H26 WATER DEPTH 43-46 F4.1 METRE
H26 MAP GRID EASTING 47-55 F9.1 -
H26 MAP GRID NORTHING 56-65 F10.1 -
H26 SURFACE ELEVATION 66-71 F6.1 METRE
H26 DAY OF YEAR 72-74 I3 -
H26 TIME hhmmss 75-80 3I2 -
H26
H26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
H2645678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
Rhollow 10011R1 2646429.0 471024.0 133.0326090000
Rhollow 10021R1 2646272.0 471178.0 134.0326090000
Rhollow 10031R1 2646115.0 471332.0 135.0326090000 Data Block
Rhollow 10041R1 2645958.0 471486.0 137.0326090000
Rhollow 10051R1 2645801.0 471640.0 139.0326090000
 H26 SPS-HEADER
H26 DEFINITION OF FIELD COLS FORMAT
SPS
H26 Field File No.
H26 FIELD TAPE NUMBER 2-7 3A2
H26 FIELD RECORD NUMBER 8-11 I4 corresponds to -
H26 FIELD RECORD INCREMENT 12-12 I1
SPS Relationship file
H26 INSTRUMENT CODE 13-13 A1
H26 LINE NAME (SOURCE) 14-29 4A4 Source station no.
H26 POINT NUMBER (SOURCE) 30-37 2A4
H26 POINT INDEX (SOURCE) 38-38 I1
H26 FROM CHANNEL 39-42 I4 This channel range comes
H26 TO CHANNEL 43-46 I4
H26 CHANNEL INCREMENT 47-47 I1 from
H26 LINE NAME (RECEIVER) 48-63 4A4
this set of receivers
example

H26 FROM RECEIVER 64-71 2A4

H26 TO RECEIVER 72-79 2A4
H26 RECEIVER INCREMENT 80-80 I1
H26
H26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
H2645678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
X 1 111 hollow 7051 1 601 hollow 1001 10601
X 1 111 hollow 7051 61 1201 hollow 2001 20601
X 1 111 hollow 7051 121 1801 hollow 3001 30601
X 1 111 hollow 7051 181 2401 hollow 4001 40601
X 1 111 hollow 7051 241 3001 hollow 5001 50601
X 1 111 hollow 7051 301 3601 hollow 6001 60601
X 1 111 hollow 7051 361 4201 hollow 7001 70601
X 1 111 hollow 7051 421 4801 hollow 8001 80601
X 1 611 hollow 7101 1 601 hollow 1001 10601
X 1 611 hollow 7101 61 1201 hollow 2001 20601 Data Block
X 1 611 hollow 7101 121 1801 hollow 3001 30601
X 1 611 hollow 7101 181 2401 hollow 4001 40601
X 1 611 hollow 7101 241 3001 hollow 5001 50601
X 1 611 hollow 7101 301 3601 hollow 6001 60601
X 1 611 hollow 7101 361 4201 hollow 7001 70601
X 1 611 hollow 7101 421 4801 hollow 8001 80601
X 1 711 hollow 7111 1 601 hollow 1001 10601
X 1 711 hollow 7111 61 1201 hollow 2001 20601
X 1 711 hollow 7111 121 1801 hollow 3001 30601
 Definitions Trace no 1 2 3 45 67 89

Trace Decimation- This process

involves reducing the data volume by
dropping or discarding traces.
Typically every second trace in a shot
record is discarded.

Trace Summation- This process

involves reducing the data volume by
summing adjacent traces.
Trace no 1 2 3 4 5
 What happens to our geometry
Trace Decimation

NEAR TRACE FAR TRACE

GROUP 1 / TRACE 1 GROUP n

new group interval

unchanged new cmp interval new FTO
new group no.
** fold of coverage unchanged!

NTO FTO
What happens to our geometry
Trace Summation

NEAR TRACE FAR TRACE

GROUP 1 / TRACE 1 GROUP n

new group interval

new NTO new cmp interval new FTO
new group n
** fold of coverage unchanged!

NTO

FTO
 Editing
• Data quality is affected by : No signals, very high noise level, interference with
mono-frequency signals, spiky signals, wrong polarity.
 EDITING
MUTING is a form of editing which involves setting the amplitudes to zero in any undesirable
part of a trace and leaving the rest trace as it is.
It can be used to exclude direct arrivals, first break noise, etc.
 MUTING
• In the early part of the record, long-offset
traces may be muted or excluded from
the stack because they are dominated by
refraction arrivals.
• Muting may be either abrupt or gradual
• Muting may be done over certain time
intervals to keep ground roll, air waves, or
noise bursts out of the stack.
MUTING
 SPHERICAL DIVERGENCE
CORRECTION
• Seismic Amplitude decays as a function of
time due to spherical spreading and inelastic
attenuation.
• Compensation is done using a gain function
that is inverse of the decay curve.
• Objective is to see that nearly same amount
of energy is reaching at every layer of the
subsurface.
 TRUE AMPLITUDE RECOVERY OR GAIN
o The factors contributing to the amplitude decay of a seismic signal are:
 FIELD STATICS
• Corrections applied to seismic data to compensate
for the effects of variations in elevation, near-
surface low-velocity-layer weathering thickness,
weathering velocity, and/or reference to a datum.
• The objective is to determine the reflection arrival
times which would have been observed if all
measurements had been made on a usually flat
plane with no weathering or low-velocity material
present.
FIELD STATICS
 FIELD STATICS OR STATIC CORRECTION:
• There are two major sources of irregularities:
1) Elevation differences between individual source and receivers.
2) The presence of a weathered layer, which is a heterogeneous surface layer
having thickness from a few meters to several tens of meters and is of abnormally
low seismic velocity.
• Statics correction is a combination of the weathering and elevation corrections.
• Travel time corrections account for the irregular topography and near-surface
weathering layer are commonly known as ‘Field Statics Corrections’.