Patent ID: 8082106

Claim:
A method of geophysical exploration, comprising the steps of: a. selecting a plurality of seismic traces acquired over a subsurface exploration target, wherein each of said plurality of seismic traces has a location associated therewith, and, wherein said plurality of seismic traces has at least one or more multiple reflected events therein; b. calculating a Fourier transform of said plurality of seismic traces, thereby creating a plurality of transformed seismic traces; c. selecting an output trace location; d. accessing a shot record comprised of a first plurality of said transformed seismic traces, wherein at least one of said transformed seismic traces within said shot record has a location that is proximate to said output trace location; e. accessing a receiver record comprised of a second plurality of said transformed seismic traces, wherein at least one of said transformed seismic traces within said receiver record has a receiver location that is proximate to said output trace location; f. selecting a frequency slice within said shot record at least approximately corresponding to a selected frequency value, thereby selecting a shot slice; g. selecting a frequency slice within said receiver record at least approximately corresponding to said selected frequency value, thereby selecting a receiver slice; h. calculating a 2D Fourier transform of said shot slice, thereby obtaining a transformed shot slice; i. calculating a 2D Fourier transform of said receiver slice, thereby obtaining a transformed receiver slice; j. using at least said transformed shot slice and said transformed receiver slice to obtain an estimate of a Fourier coefficient of at least one of said one or more multiple reflected events at said output trace location; k. performing at least steps (f) though (j) at least twice for at least two different selected frequency values, thereby obtaining a plurality of estimates of Fourier coefficients of at least one of said one or more multiple reflected events at said output location; l. performing an inverse transform of said plurality of estimates of Fourier coefficients, thereby obtaining an estimate of at least one of said one or more multiple reflected events at said output location; and, m. using said estimate of at least one of said one or more multiple reflected events at said output location to explore for hydrocarbons within said subsurface exploration target, and wherein at least one of b, h, i, j, k, or l is performed on one or more computers.