1997-1998 RESEARCH GOALS

The 1997/1998 goals of the UTAM consortium are listed below. A major effort will be to incorporate many forward modeling codes into GOCAD, a 3-D model builder. The idea is to build a 3-D model in GOCAD and execute 2-D or 3-D UTAM modeling codes for this model. NORANDA is helping us in this endeavor by providing us with some of their GOCAD parallel tree structures.

1. Quasi-Monte Carlo Migration and DMO.
   • Goal: More tests on different field data sets and point scatterer responses. What are the limitations and strengths of the QM for the Alberta and W. Texas data sets? Are the alternative QM methods feasible?

2. PROMAX Modules.
   • Goal: 2-D Kirchhoff migration, 2-D TI modeling, 2-D refraction statics as PROMAX modules. Chengjun Wu will be hired as a consultant to develop these modules.

3. GOCAD
   • Goal: Blend GOCAD and UTAM modeling codes. NORANDA has given us some of their parallel tree structures for inputting and outputting SEGY data. These will be used to incorporate UTAM forward modeling codes with GOCAD models.

4. Recording Footprint Noise Analysis.
   • Goal: Develop means to automatically design regular recording array that minimizes recording footprint. We have developed the Seismic Array Theorem which provides means for analytically computing Recording Footprint. We hope to use this theorem to suppress recording footprint.

5. Recording Footprint Noise Suppression.
   • Goal: Develop means to suppress footprint noise in 3-D migration sections. Two strategies are being explored: 3-D least squares migration and spatial deconvolution.

6. 3-D Imaging Field Experiment.
   • Goal: 3-D Tomography and 3-D Prestack migration of 3-D Oquirrh Fault data field. Our experience with this data set is giving us valuable experience with the limitations and possibilities of 3-D tomography.

7. Migration Filtering of Coherent Noise.
   • Goal: Continue analysis of PS separation, tube wave and surface wave filtering. We have had good success in separating P waves from S waves in complex geologies. We hope to achieve similar success for surface wave filtering.

8. 3-D Adaptive Grid Viscoelastic Modeling of Single Well Environment.
   • Goal: Simulate 3-D single well data and establish feasibility of single well imaging. We have developed a new adaptive grid algorithm that allows very fine grids to neighbor coarse grids.

9. Crosswell Imaging with Surface Sources.
   • Goal: Further verify concept for other data sets. We have developed a new idea where surface sources can be used to generate tube waves, and such tube waves can be used as inexpensive crosswell sources. The feasibility of this idea is verified with a field data set.

10. Viscoelastic Crosswell Imaging.
    • Goal: Reconstruct P- and S-velocity from crosswell data. Perhaps extend to CDP data.

11. Continue CDP Multiple Elimination Research.
    • Goal: Is migration filtering of multiples feasible? Can least squares migrated autocorrelograms be used to extinguish the multiples? We have established a multiple elimination method that works on simple synthetic data. We hope to extend this method to more complicated models.

12. Analytical Migration Green's Function.
    • Goal: Can the analytical migration Green's function be used for inversion and remigration? We have developed analytical space-time Green's functions for 3-D prestack migration. We hope to find many practical uses of this method.