Multicomponent near-surface correction for land VSP data

Abstract

Multicomponent seismic data collected using directional sources are degraded by the wave excitation process due to inaccurate control of the ground motion, unequal activation strengths or ground couplings between differently oriented sources, and misalignment of the pad. These acquisition uncertainties are exacerbated by the complicated near-surface scattering present in most seismic areas. Neither group of effects should be neglected in multicomponent analyses that make use of relative wavefield attributes derived from compressional and shear waves. These effects prevent analysis of the direct and reflected waves using procedures based on standard scalar techniques or a prima facia interpretation of the vector wavefield properties, even for the seemingly straightforward case of a near-offset vertical seismic profile (VSP). Near-surface correction, using a simple matrix operator designed from the shallowest recordings, alleviates many of these interpretational difficulties in near-offset VSP data. Results from application of this technique to direct waves from a nine-component VSP shot at the Conoco test-site facility, Oklahoma, are encouraging. The technique corrects for unexpected compressional-wave energy from shear-wave vibrators and collapses near-surface multiples, thus facilitating further processing for the upgoing wavefield. The method provides a simple and effective processing step for routine application to near-offset VSP analyses.