Patent ID: 11940585
Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 6:
7. A system, comprising:
a seismic source to emit radiated seismic P-waves;
a plurality of seismic receivers for detecting and recording a seismic data set generated by the radiated seismic P-waves;
a seismic processor, configured to:
receive a seismic data set and a multi-dimensional seismic wave propagation velocity model,
approximate the seismic wave propagation velocity model as a plurality of layers each bounded by a first bounding depth and a second bounding depth,
for each of the plurality of layers:
simulate propagation of a seismic wave from the first bounding depth to the second bounding depth using a two-way seismic wave propagation simulator;
form an over-determined system of linear equations relating at least one mono-frequency component of the seismic wave at the first bounding depth to at least one mono-frequency component of the seismic wave at the second bounding depth; and
determine a plurality of one-way seismic wave propagation operators by inverting the over-determined system of linear equations;

verify that the plurality of one-way seismic wave propagation operators has been determined for each layer of the plurality of layers, and
process the seismic data set using at least one of the one-way seismic wave propagation operators for at least one of layers;

a computer processor, configured to:
determine a presence and a location of a hydrocarbon reservoir based, at least in part, on the processed seismic data set, and
determine a borehole trajectory through a subterranean region of interest based, at least in part, on the presence of the hydrocarbon reservoir; and

a drilling system, configured to drill a borehole guided by-the borehole trajectory.