4D Processing between Variable-depth and Conventional Streamer Data

Processing data with variable-depth streamer acquisition has recently become possible through a new advanced algorithm called joint deconvolution (Soubaras, 2010). In this particular acquisition, the receiver depth increases smoothly with offset and this allows for a wide diversity of receiver ghosts to be recorded. This acquisition and associated processing increases dramatically the possible frequency bandwidth. While most acquisitions in the future will certainly be realized with broadband techniques, the question of 4D matching between conventional and BroadSeis data must now be addressed during an intermediate period when the baseline data is a conventional acquisition. The case between BroadSeis and conventional data has one problem to solve: the difference in cable profiles. This paper considers this problem, addresses the following topics: wavelet processing, time de-striping, 4D binning, regularization, imaging, final matching and demonstrates that a relevant 4D response can be obtained.