An integrated broadband preprocessing method for towed-streamer seismic data

Abstract

Broadband preprocessing has become widely used for marine towed-streamer seismic data. In the standard workflow, far-field source designature, receiver and source-side deghosting, and redatuming to mean sea level are applied in sequence, with amplitude compensation for background [Formula: see text] delayed until the imaging or postmigration stages. Thus, each step is likely to generate its own artifacts, quality checking can be time-consuming, and broadband data are only obtained late in this chained workflow. We have developed a unified method for broadband preprocessing — called integrated broadband preprocessing (IBP) — which enables the joint application of all the above listed steps early in the processing sequence. The amplitude, phase, and amplitude-variation-with-offset fidelity of IBP are demonstrated on pressure data from the shallow, deep, and slanted streamers. The integration allows greater sparsity to emerge in the representation of seismic data, conferring clear benefits over the sequential application. Moreover, time sparsity, full dimensionality, and early amplitude [Formula: see text] compensation all have an impact on broadband data quality, in terms of reduced ringing artifacts, improved wavelet integrity at large crossline angles, and fewer residual high-frequency multiples.