Patent ID: 8275551
Filing Date: 2012-09-25
Classification: G01V

Abstract:
1. A method of imaging seismic data recorded using at least one seismic source and a set of seismic receivers j, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a set of direction-sensitive responses, obtained with the set of seismic receivers, to a wave field in the subsurface formation that was excited by activating the at least one seismic source in a location i; (b) determining a virtual signal received by a selected receiver k, selected from the set of seismic receivers j, from a virtual source at the location of a selected receiver m, selected from the set of seismic receivers j and which is located at a predetermined distance from the selected receiver k, by performing processing steps comprising cross correlating at least part of the response of the selected receiver m with at least part of the response of the selected receiver k, wherein said cross-correlation is performed on a processor; (c) removing part of the virtual signal that contains a component of the wave field at receiver m traveling in a first direction and removing part of the direction-sensitive responses or part of the virtual signal that contains a component of the wave field at the receiver k traveling in a second direction, the second direction being opposite to the first direction; and (d) using the data remaining after step (c) to generate a seismic image of the subsurface formation.