Method of determining weathering corrections in seismic operations

Claim 2

In a seismic system having a linear array of source positions A, B, and receiver positions C, D, E, F down line from said source positions, the spacings AB, BC, CD, DE, EF, etc. being equal, the method of determining the differential static corrections by transmission two ways through the weathered layer between the records from adjacent closely-spaced source points A and B, comprising the steps of; (a) recording a first record from a first source point A to receiver positions C, D, and E; (b) recording a second record from a second source point B adjacent said first source point A to receiver positions D, E and F; (c) correlating selected initial short portions of a first trace AC of said first record with the equal initial short portion of the corresponding first trace BD of said second record whereby only refracted seismic waves at the base of weathering are correlated, and reflected waves from deep interfaces are excluded from the correlations; (d) determining the first timing difference K 1 , in travel times through the weathered layer at source points A and B for said first pair of traces AC and BD; (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) for at least a second pair of corresponding traces, such as AD and BE and determining a second timing difference K 2 in travel times through the weathered layer at source points A and B for said second pair of traces AD and BE; and (f) determining the average value K A of all of said plurality of timing differences K 1 and K 2 .

Claim 3

The method as in claim 1 including the additional steps of repeating steps (c) and (d) for all of the pairs of traces; and determining the average K A of all of said plurality of timing differences in travel times through the weathered layer.

Claim 4

The method as in claim 2 in which said number of traces is at least 100.

Claim 5

The method as in claim 1 in which said step (c) of correlating selected equal portions of a pair of corresponding traces on each of said two records, comprises the steps of: (a) multiplying said two corresponding traces; (b) varying the time phase of one of said pair of traces with respect to the other, and repeating said multiplying step; (c) integrating said products at each value of time phase; (d) displaying said integrals as a function of said time phase.

Claim 6

The method as in claim 1 in which said selected portion of said traces includes the portion from the first breaks to a selected time interval after said first breaks.

Claim 7

The method as in claim 5 in which said selected time interval is less than 100 milliseconds.

Claim 8

The method as in claim 5 in which said time interval is less than 250 milliseconds.

Claim 9

The method as in claim 1 in which said step of correlation comprises the steps of measuring the travel time for each trace from the time break to the first break and, subtracting one travel time from the other.

Claim 10

The method as in claim 8 in which the time difference is measured optically from a printed record.

Claim 11

The method as in claim 1 in which the source is impulsive.

Claim 12

The method as in claim 1 in which said source is vibratory, and including the step of correlating the record against the sweep before correlating said pair of traces.

Claim 13

The method as in claim 1 in which said sources are surface sources.

Claim 14

The method as in claim 1 in which there are as many source points as geophone positions.

Claim 15

The method as in claim 13 in which the spacing between source positions is the same as between geophone positions, and on successive source initiations, the source points coincide with the geophone positions, C,D,E,F, etc.

Claim 16

The method as in claim 1 in which the distance from said first source to the geophone recording said first trace of said first record is equal to the distance from said second source to the geophone recording said first trace of said second record.

Claim 17

The method as in claim 1 in which the distance between said first and second source points is equal to the distance between the geophones recording said first trace of said first record and said first trace of said second record.

Claim 18

The method as in claim 1 in which the direction from said first source to the geophone recording said first trace of said first record is the same as the direction from said second source to the geophone recording said first trace of said second record.

Claim 19

In seismic operations the method of determining the static corrections between traces from a plurality of source points to adjacent geophone points in a line of geophones, comprising the steps of: (a) recording a first record from a first source point A downline to at least a selected pair of spaced geophones X and Y; (b) recording a second record from a second source point B downline to at least said pair of spaced geophones X and Y; (c) correlating a selected initial short portion of length L of the first trace of said first record from said first source point A to said first geophone X, with a selected equal initial short portion of length L of the corresponding trace of said second record from said second source point B to said second geophone Y; whereby only refracted seismic waves at the base of weathering are correlated, and reflected waves from deep interfaces are excluded from the correlation; (d) determining the first timing difference in travel times through the weathered layer for said first pair of traces; (e) recording a third record at a third source point C to said at least pair of spaced geophones X and Y; (f) correlating a selected initial short portion of length L of the first trace of said second record from said second source B to said first geophone X with a selected equal initial short portion of length L of the corresponding trace of said third record from said third source point C to said second geophone Y; (g) determining the second timing difference in travel time through the weathered layer for said second pair of traces; (h) determining the average of said first and second timing differences, and wherein the spacing between source positions AB, BC, CD, equal the spacing XY between geophones X and Y.

Claim 20

In seismic operations the method of determining the static corrections between traces from a plurality of source points to adjacent geophone points in a line of geophones, comprising the steps of: (a) recording a first record from a first source point A downline to at least a selected pair of spaced geophones X and Y; (b) recording a second record from a second source point B downline to at least said pair of spaced geophones X and Y; (c) correlating a selected initial short portion of length L of the first trace of said first record from said first source point A to said first geophone X, with a selected equal initial short portion of length L of the corresponding trace of said second record from said second source point B to said second geophone Y; whereby only refracted seismic waves at the base of weathering are correlated, and reflected waves from deep interfaces are excluded from the correlation; (d) determining the first timing difference in travel times through the weathered layer for said first pair of traces; (e) recording a third record at a third source point C to said at least pair of spaced geophones X and Y; (f) correlating a selected initial short portion of length L of the first trace of said second record from said second source B to said first geophone X with a selected equal initial short portion of length L of the corresponding trace of said third record from said third source point C to said second geophone Y; (g) determining the second timing difference in travel time through the weathered layer for said second pair of traces; (h) determining the average of said first and second timing differences, and wherein the spacing between source positions AB, BC, CD, equal the spacing XY between geophones X and Y.

Claim 21

The method as in claim 18 including the steps of repeating steps (a), (f), and (g) for additional spaced source points D, E, . . . .N to said geophones X and Y, and determining the average of all of said plurality of timing differences in travel times through the weathered layer at said geophones X and Y.

Claim 22

The method as in claim 1 including the step of applying said timing difference K A to one of said first and second records with respect to the other.