f Near surface modelling in Saudi Arabia

Processing and interpretation of seismic land data in Saudi Arabia has always been hampered by the presence of a near surface weathering layer that varies significantly in both thickness and velocity. When the uphole drilling program was cancelled in 1994, it was imperative that a 3D near surface model for the whole of Saudi Arabia be developed from existing uphole data, in order to compute surface to datum static at any chosen location. In this paper we will briefly discuss our experience with near surface model construction in Saudi Arabia, its limitations and how these limitations were addressed.