Virtual resolution enhancement: A new enhancement tool for seismic data

Abstract

Virtual resolution enhancement (VRE) is a new poststack cosmetic tool that can be applied to different types of seismic data. VRE emphasizes major reflections, enhances temporal resolution of seismic events, and suppresses reverberation noise, leading to better visualization of the entire seismic data. VRE is based on simple mathematical rule, and its parameters can be tweaked to suite the vast variety of seismic data available today. Although VRE does not reveal new or hidden features on seismic section, it significantly enhances the existing ones, which improves the interpretation and assists automatic horizon picking process. The only disadvantage of VRE is the long computational time. However, given the giant advances in the computational power and speed expected in the near future, this problem should be negligible. Tests conducted on seismic sections, collected from different regions in the world and went through different data acquisition and processing routines, prove the effectiveness of the VRE procedure.