Analysis and elimination of acquisition footprints in processing marine seismic data

In the processing of marine seismic data,acquisition footprints resulted from uneven spatial distribution of geophone stations not only influence the quality of seismic image of subsurface structures,but also severely impact AVO attribute analysis and interval velocity modeling.Therefore,effective elimination of acquisition footprints is necessary to both structural interpretation and reservoir prediction.Based on a thorough analysis of the origin and features of acquisition footprints in seismic data in a marine seismic survey area,we performed an experimental study and finally selected the SkyFix positioning system for tidal correction of the 3D seismic data.The bin centralization technique was also used to standardize the bins of the seismic data and reduce the differences between traces,thus eliminating acquisition footprints.In addition,residual static correction is another effective way to eliminate acquisition footprints during the processing of 3D seismic data.The application of these techniques greatly enhanced the S/N ratio and significantly eliminated footprints on both time slices and sections.Maximum preservation of amplitude was realized and seismic attributes such as amplitude and energy were in better match with geologic understandings.This study provides more reliable basic data for further exploration and development plan adjustment of the producing oil/gas fields in this marine area.