Processes and systems are described for generating an image of a subterranean formation from seismic data recorded during a marine survey that employed a moving vibrational source. Processes and systems compute an up-going pressure wavefield from pressure data and vertical velocity data recorded in the marine survey. A direct incident downgoing vertical velocity wavefield that includes Doppler effects created by the moving vibrational source and characterizes a source wavefield and source ghost of the moving vibrational source is computed and deconvolved from the upgoing pressure wavefield to generate a subsurface reflectivity wavefield. The subsurface reflectivity wavefield is effectively free of contamination from the source wavefield, the source ghost, and the Doppler related effects. Processes and systems generate an image of the subterranean formation based on the subsurface reflectivity wavefield, thereby enhancing resolution of the image by attenuating the source-motion effects, source signature, and source ghost of the moving vibration source.

A system for seismic imaging of a subterranean geological formation uses a two-way imaging condition. A seismic signal is emitted into a subterranean formation and recorded at receiver(s). Source and receiver wavefields are decomposed into respective right-down/left-up and left-down/right-up propagating waves. The right-down/left-up and left-down/right-up direction can be defined along the direction emitted from the source or receiver to corresponding direction in two dimensional (2D) case. An imaging condition for generating both a positive-dip structure image and a negative-dip structure image is the inner product of the wavefields. Applying the sample-by-sample multiplication imaging condition to the opposite dip images, the diffraction energy is retained while the reflection energy is significantly attenuated. The diffraction image can be used to detect faults and fractures in subsurface regions.

A method for performing a seismic survey of an earthen subterranean formation includes deploying a node patch including a plurality of seismic receivers to an offshore seabed in a survey area, deploying a surface vessel towing an array of seismic sources to the survey area located, and activating the array of seismic sources to generate seismic waves as the array of seismic sources are transported in an inline direction through the survey area whereby an imaging activation pattern and a velocity activation pattern are formed, wherein a lateral offset between the velocity activation pattern and the node patch is greater than a lateral offset between the imaging activation pattern and the node patch.

Systems, computer readable, and methods concern receiving seismic data representing a subsurface volume. The method also includes determining, for the seismic data, analysis coordinates as a function of time. One or more of the analysis coordinates may vary in position over time. The method includes performing at least one of an interpolation or regularization process on the seismic data based at least partially on the analysis coordinates. The method also includes outputting a result of the at least one of the interpolation or regularization process.

A method for estimating a far field seismic energy source signature includes using detected near field seismic signals corresponding to actuation of each one of a plurality of seismic energy sources in an array of seismic energy sources. The near field seismic signals are detected at two spaced apart locations in the near field of each seismic energy source, the at least two spaced apart locations being arranged such that a direction of propagation of the detected near field seismic signals is determinable from the detected near field signals. A notional source signature for each seismic energy source and a notional ghost for each seismic energy source using the detected near field seismic signals. A far field signature is determined for the plurality of seismic energy sources using the determined notional source signature and notional ghost signature from each seismic energy source.

A method for seismic data processing can include obtaining seismic data acquired based upon trigger times and not based upon positions of triggered source elements. The seismic data can include near-continuously recorded seismic data in split records. The split records can be spliced together into a single near-continuous record to produce a trace with seismic data from a single acquired line. The seismic data can be processed by performing a spatial shift for each of a number of time samples to correct for motion of a number of seismic receivers.

A system for seismic imaging of a subterranean geological formation uses a two-way imaging condition. A seismic signal is emitted into a subterranean formation and recorded at receiver(s). Source and receiver wavefields are decomposed into respective right-down/left-up and left-down/right-up propagating waves. The right-down/left-up and left-down/right-up direction can be defined along the direction emitted from the source or receiver to corresponding direction in two dimensional (2D) case. An imaging condition for generating both a positive-dip structure image and a negative-dip structure image is the inner product of the wavefields. Applying the sample-by-sample multiplication imaging condition to the opposite dip images, the diffraction energy is retained while the reflection energy is significantly attenuated. The diffraction image can be used to detect faults and fractures in subsurface regions.

A method for refraction-based surface-consistent amplitude compensation and deconvolution includes receiving seismic traces, the seismic traces generated using at least one source and at least one receiver; calculating an amplitude residual for each seismic trace; determining surface-consistent amplitude residuals for the at least one source and the at least one receiver based on the amplitude residual for each seismic trace; and performing surface-consistent amplitude correction to each seismic trace by applying the determined surface-consistent amplitude residuals for the at least one source and the at least one receiver.

Methods and systems, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium can be used for identifying primary-wave (P-wave) and secondary-wave (S-wave) characteristics of an underground formation by separating P-wave and S-wave modes of seismic data generated by applying a seismic source to a subterranean region of a geological area. Particle motion vectors of a P-wave are parallel to a propagation vector of the P-wave, whereas particle motion vectors of an S-wave are perpendicular to a propagation vector of the S-wave. The parallel and perpendicular relationship between the motion and propagation vectors of the respective P- and S-waves provide a basis for separating P- and S-wave components from a wavefield. The separation methodology extracts P-wave components and S-wave components from the wavefield based on an estimated angle between propagation vectors and wave motion vectors for the wavefield.

A method of performing single trace inversion to characterize changes in a subsurface region includes obtaining a base seismic trace and a monitor seismic trace of the subsurface region at different respective times. The method includes generating a predicted monitor seismic trace from the base seismic trace by a process including applying a time shift to the base seismic trace, the time shift being derived from estimated velocity perturbations occurring between the base seismic trace and the monitor seismic trace, compensating for amplitude changes between the base seismic trace and the monitor seismic trace, wherein the time shift is applied to the amplitude changes, and minimizing a difference between the predicted monitor seismic trace and the monitor seismic trace by iteratively estimating the velocity perturbations to obtain final estimated velocity perturbations. Changes of at least part of the subsurface region may be characterized using the final estimated velocity perturbations.