Patent ID: 7689396

Claim:
A method for planning a seismic survey based on a model of a subsurface formation, comprising: generating a computer simulation of a seismic survey having sources and receivers positioned in selected locations with respect to said model; determining an area in at least one subsurface reflective target having low illumination from the computer simulation; performing ray tracing from said source locations to estimate propagation ray paths of seismic signals emanating from said source locations; determining locations of emergent points at which ray paths reach the earth's surface following reflection from at least the area of low illumination are concentrated; performing ray tracing from said locations in which emergent points are concentrated to determine source locations where ray paths reaching the earth's surface following reflection from at least the area of low illumination are concentrated; and designing the seismic survey such that receiver locations are concentrated at said locations where said emergent points are concentrated and source positions are concentrated at said source locations where said ray paths are concentrated.