Abstract: Processing of Nonstraight Seismic Lines Using "SLALOM-LINE" Method

D. Paturet, C. Dikoff

Processing of nonstraight lines did not pose serious problems with single-fold-coverage seismic techniques. The interpretation was little more arduous. With the advent of multifold-coverage, almost perfectly straight lines became necessary for a correct stack of the subsurface points. In many instances the cost of data gathering increased dramatically because of the constraint of lining up emitting and receiving stations, as in mountainous, jungle, or densely populated areas.

"SLALOM LINE" is a processing method which allows processors to take into account most of the multifold data recorded with the worst terrain conditions. A strip of subsurface points is considered instead of a line. The width can be 500 to 600 m and changes of direction are acceptable. This strip is divided into three to five parallel lanes and all data pertaining to a lane are stacked so that three to five seismic sections are produced.

Wide-line profiling programs then are applied to the sections. Lateral dips between parallel lines are taken into account before stacking the data. The final WLP stack section is a subsurface representation of the central line. A location map is produced which is a plot of the weighted location of traces making up this partial stack.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90976©1976 AAPG-SEPM-SEG Pacific Section Meeting, San Francisco, California