US 12,072,460 B2
System and method for determining a set of first breaks of a seismic dataset
Jewoo Yoo, Delft (NL); and Roald van Borselen, Voorschoten (NL)
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Dec. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/644,397.
Prior Publication US 2023/0184977 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. G01V 1/34 (2006.01); E21B 49/00 (2006.01); G01V 1/00 (2006.01); G01V 1/30 (2006.01)
CPC G01V 1/345 (2013.01) [E21B 49/00 (2013.01); G01V 1/003 (2013.01); G01V 1/303 (2013.01); G01V 2210/1295 (2013.01); G01V 2210/1425 (2013.01); G01V 2210/6222 (2013.01); G01V 2210/74 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of determining a set of first breaks of a seismic dataset generated by a seismic source, comprising:
obtaining the seismic dataset, wherein the seismic dataset comprises a plurality of seismic traces and a provisional first break for each of the plurality of seismic traces;
selecting, using a computer processor, a plurality of proximal picks for each seismic trace, wherein each proximal pick lies within a time window enclosing the provisional first break;
determining, using the computer processor, a near-offset pick for a seismic trace with a shortest offset and sequentially selecting, in order of increasing offset, a first selected trace and determining the near-offset pick for the first selected trace based on proximal picks of the first selected trace and the near-offset pick for at least one seismic trace with a shorter offset than the first selected trace;
determining, using the computer processor, a far-offset pick for a seismic trace with a farthest offset and sequentially selecting, in order of decreasing offset, a second selected trace and determining a far-offset pick for the second selected trace based on the proximal picks of the second selected trace and the far-offset pick for at least one seismic trace with a farther offset than the second selected trace;
determining, using the computer processor, a set of coincident picks based on the near-offset pick and the far-offset pick for each seismic trace;
fitting, using the computer processor, a first break curve to the set of coincident picks;
determining, using the computer processor, the set of first breaks of the seismic dataset based, at least in part, on the first break curve;
determining, using the computer processor, a seismic velocity model based, at least in part, on the set of first breaks of the seismic dataset;
determining, using the computer processor, a seismic image of a subsurface region of interest based, at least in part, on the seismic velocity model;
planning a wellbore trajectory based, at least in part, on the seismic image, and
drilling the wellbore trajectory.