• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.315-322
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• 2010

The phase-screen and the split-step Fourier migrations, which are implemented in both the frequency-wavenumber and frequency-space domains by using one-way scalar wave equation, allow imaging in laterally heterogeneous media with less computing time and efficiency. The generalized-screen migration employs the series expansion of the exponential, unlike the phase-screen and the split-step Fourier migrations which assume the vertical propagation in frequency-wavenumber domain. In addition, since the generalized-screen migration generalizes the series expansion of the vertical slowness, it can utilize higher-order terms of that series expansion. As a result, the generalized-screen migration has higher accuracy in computing the propagation with wide angles than the phase-screen and split-step Fourier migrations for media with large and rapid lateral velocity variations. In this study, we developed a 2D prestack generalized-screen migration module for imaging a complex subsurface efficiently, which includes various dips and large lateral variations. We compared the generalized-screen propagator with the phase-screen propagator for a constant perturbation model and the SEG/EAGE salt dome model. The generalized-screen propagator was more accurate than the phase-screen propagator in computing the propagation with wide angles. Furthermore, the more the higher-order terms were added for the generalized-screen propagator, the more the accuracy was increased. Finally, we compared the results of the generalizedscreen migration with those of the phase-screen migration for a model which included various dips and large lateral velocity variations and the synthetic data of the SEG/EAGE salt dome model. In the generalized-screen migration section, reflectors were positioned more accurately than in the phase-screen migration section.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.234-241
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• 2011

Recently, exploration and development of oil sands are thriving due to high oil price. Because oil sands reservoir usually exists as a thin layer, multicomponent VSP, which has the advantage of the high-resolution around the borehole, is more effective than surface seismic survey in exploring oil sand reservoir. In addition, prestack phase-screen migration is effective for multicomponent seismic data because it is based on an one-way wave equation. In this study, we examined the applicability of the prestack phase-screen migration for multicomponent RVSP data to image the thin oil sand reservoir. As a preprocessing tool, we presented a method for separating P-wave and PS-wave from multicomponent RVSP data by using incidence angle and rotation matrix. To verify it, we have applied the developed wavefield separation method to synthetic data obtained from the velocity model including a horizontal layer and dipping layers. Also, we compared the migrated image by using P-wave with that by using PS-wave. As a result, the PS-wave migrated image has higher resolution and wide coverage than P-wave migrated image. Finally, we have applied the prestack phase-screen migration to the synthetic data from the velocity model simulating oil sand reservoir in Canada. The results show that the PS-wave migrated image describe the top and bottom boundaries of the thin oil sand reservoir more clearly than the P-wave migrated image.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2013

The one-way wave equation migration is much more computationally efficient comparing with reverse time migration and it can provide better image than the migration algorithm based on the ray theory. We have developed the prestack depth migration module adopting (GS) propagator designed for vertical transverse isotropic media. Since GS propagator considers the higher-order term by expanding the Taylor series of the vertical slowness in the thin slab of the phase-screen propagator, the GS migration can offer more correct image for the complex subsurface with large lateral velocity variation or steep dip. To verify the validity of the developed GS migration module, we analyzed the accuracy with the order of the GS propagator for VTI media (GSVTI propagator) and confirmed that the accuracy of the wavefield propagation with the wide angles increases as the order of the GS propagator increases. Using the synthetic seismic data, we compared the migration results obtained from the isotropic GS migration module with the anisotropic GS migration module. The results show that the anisotropic GS migration provides better images and the improvement is more evident on steeply dipping structures and in a strongly anisotropic medium.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.227-233
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• 2011

Attention has been focused on geothermal energy as an alternative energy because it is continuously operable without external supply. Most of geothermal anomalies in Korea are related to deep circulation of groundwater through a fracture system in granite area. Therefore it is very important to understand the distribution of the fracture system which is the main channel of ground water. In this research, we constructed the velocity models with a fracture system and the layered sediments, respectively, and generated synthetic data sets with them to verify the presented vertical seismic profiling (VSP) preprocessing scheme. We compared the results from conventional VSP preprocessing flow to those from VSP preprocessing flow considering fracture system. We noticed that the preprocessing flow considering fracture system retains more sufficient signal including down-going wave than conventional preprocessing. In addition, we applied 3D VSP prestack phase screen migration to the preprocessed reversed VSP (RVSP) data from Seokmo Island so that we were able to image fracture structure of the geothermal site in Seokmo Island.