Are broad band, wide and multi-azimuth the new normals for 3D marine seismic?

Abstract

In the last decade the seismic industry has seen ever increasing application of wide, multi-azimuth, and rich azimuth surveys. Additionally, in last half decade the industry has seen a much greater emphasis on broadband acquisition and processing methods with the goal of achieving a seismic spectrum that spans both low and high frequencies. But are these technologies used only in specialized cases or are they the new normals in acquisition and processing? There are significant costs associated with these acquisitions styles. So, value must be achieved by the use of technologies that provide improved subsurface images. The paper discusses some of the issues and highlights key technologies. This includes: imaging and velocity inversion in complex regimes, preservation of bandwidth for reservoir characterization, and estimation of the anisotropic and azimuthal properties of the subsurface.