Patent ID: 7529151

Claim:
A method for seismic imaging using tube-waves, the method comprising the steps of: a) transmitting an input tube-wave waveform down a transmitter borehole; b) coupling the input tube-wave waveform out of the transmitter borehole and into a geological reservoir portion of a volume of a geological mass substantially lateral to the borehole outside the transmitter borehole as a converted laterally propagating signal tube-wave waveform that propagates as a guided wave along the geological reservoir portion of the geological mass; c) receiving the convened laterally propagating signal tube-wave waveform that propagates through the geological mass as a guided wave along the geological reservoir portion of the geological mass at a receiver borehole positioned through the geological reservoir portion of a volume of geological mass, and coupling the received converted laterally propagating signal tube-wave waveform into the receiver borehole as a received tube-wave waveform; d) providing the receiving and coupling steps to produce the received tube-wave waveform after arrival of an initial P wave, said P wave traveling substantially directly through said volume of said geological mass in traditional seismic imaging; and e) digitally processing the received tube-wave waveform to produce a seismic image of said geological reservoir portion of geological mass disposed between said transmitter and receiver boreholes.