Automated Data-based Relative Bearing Estimation for 3-Component Borehole Seismic Sensors

This abstract describes an automated way of estimating the relative bearing angles of 3C sensors in a borehole seismic array. The method is based on deriving a weighted global azimuth error function that describes the mismatch between calculated polarization angles and the survey geometry. The relative bearing angle that minimises this azimuth error function is considered to be the optimal one. The use of the method is demonstrated on both synthetic and real data examples, including multi-azimuth, multi-offset VSP and Walkaway VSP datasets. The method may be used on both vertical and deviated wells and is highly automated, requiring minimal user intervention.