An acoustic logging system includes a first transducer in contact with or in close proximity to a sound barrier configured to emit a beam of acoustic energy according to a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation. The system also includes one or more second transducers in contact with or in close proximity to the sound barrier, positioned axially away from the first transducer, configured to receive acoustic energy from a wellbore environment responsive to the beam. The first mode of operation is a transmit-receive mode of operation where the beam is steerable to interact with one or more wellbore components at a first angle and the second mode of operation is a pulse echo mode of operation where the beam interacts with the one or more wellbore components at a second angle different from the first angle.

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.

The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for using head waves to greatly improve microseismic event localization accuracy, particularly in the depth dimension, by analyzing them in addition to direct path arrivals whenever they are observed. Embodiments of the invention also include techniques known as multipath analysis.

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 method for seismic data acquisition can include near-continuously recording seismic data received from a number of seismic receivers and triggering a plurality of source elements, based upon time and not based upon position, at a predefined sequence of times relative to a start of a near-continuous recording.

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.

An acoustic logging system includes a first transducer in contact with or in close proximity to a sound barrier configured to emit a beam of acoustic energy according to a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation. The system also includes one or more second transducers in contact with or in close proximity to the sound barrier, positioned axially away from the first transducer, configured to receive acoustic energy from a wellbore environment responsive to the beam. The first mode of operation is a transmit-receive mode of operation where the beam is steerable to interact with one or more wellbore components at a first angle and the second mode of operation is a pulse echo mode of operation where the beam interacts with the one or more wellbore components at a second angle different from the first angle.

An acoustic logging system includes a first transducer in contact with or in close proximity to a sound barrier configured to emit a beam of acoustic energy according to a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation. The system also includes one or more second transducers in contact with or in close proximity to the sound barrier, positioned axially away from the first transducer, configured to receive acoustic energy from a wellbore environment responsive to the beam. The first mode of operation is a transmit-receive mode of operation where the beam is steerable to interact with one or more wellbore components at a first angle and the second mode of operation is a pulse echo mode of operation where the beam interacts with the one or more wellbore components at a second angle different from the first angle.