Patent ID: 7894299

Claim:
A method for converted mode seismic surveying of a subsurface region, comprising: (a) obtaining a design for a converted mode seismic survey of the subsurface region, said design having been made to accomplish selected vertical and lateral seismic resolutions at a target depth by: (i) determining a minimum source frequency bandwidth required to achieve the selected vertical seismic resolution at target depth, said determination of minimum bandwidth requiring P-wave and S-wave velocities at the target depth and a selected scattering angle ψ between incident and reflected seismic waves or one or more quantities relatable thereto, then selecting a bandwidth≧the minimum bandwidth; (ii) determining a migration acceptance angle and corresponding source and receiver apertures required to achieve the specified lateral seismic resolution at the target depth; (iii) determining a maximum bin size required to avoid aliasing a seismic wave returned from the target depth, said determination of maximum bin size requiring P-wave and S-wave velocities at the target depth and the selected scattering angle ψ between incident and reflected seismic waves or one or more quantities relatable thereto, a largest frequency required to achieve the selected bandwidth, and the migration acceptance angle from determined previously, then selecting a bin size≦said maximum bin size; and (iv) determining source and receiver spacings for the survey, using the selected bin size, and determining areas to be covered by source and receiver locations using the source and receiver apertures determined previously; and (b) conducting a converted mode seismic survey of the subterranean region according to the obtained survey design.