Patent ID: 7197399

Claim:
A method of attenuating multiply reflected energy in a seismic data set, comprising the steps of: (a) selecting at least a portion of said seismic data set, wherein said selected portion of said seismic data set has at least two 2-D seismic lines contained therein; (b) obtaining a first subsurface velocity function over at least said selected portion of said seismic data set; (c) obtaining a second subsurface velocity function over at least said selected portion of said seismic data set; (d) calculating a SRME prediction for each of said plurality of 2-D seismic lines, thereby producing a plurality of 2-D predicted seismic lines; (e) using at least said first subsurface velocity function to calculate a 3-D DMO of each of said 2-D predicted seismic lines, thereby producing a plurality of DMO'ed predictions; (f) only after performing at least steps (d) and (e), (f1) selecting a crossline offset, (f2) using said second subsurface velocity function to calculate an inverse DMO of said DMO'ed predictions assuming said selected crossline offset; and, (f3) performing steps (f1) and (f2) at least twice for at least two different crossline offsets and combining together any of said inverse DMOs so calculated in step (f2), thereby forming a 3-D multiple prediction; (g) using said 3-D multiple prediction to attenuate multiply reflected energy in the seismic data set, thereby creating a multiple-attenuated seismic data set; and, (h) storing at least a portion of said multiple-attenuated seismic data set in a computer readable medium for subsequent use in seismic exploration within a predetermined portion of the subsurface of the earth.