Diffraction imaging recognition methods and applications in 3D seismic migration data

Abstract As seismic exploration advances into deeper subsurface layers, the demand for high imaging accuracy continues to grow. The effective identification of diffraction points has become a significant focus in petroleum exploration. We applied a wavenumber-domain-based diffraction point identification technique in migrated data to detect diffracted images that exist independently or are concealed beneath reflective interfaces. The core concept of this technique lies in the different distribution characteristics of diffraction points and continuous reflectors in the wavenumber domain: diffraction points are globally distributed, while continuous reflections exhibit specific energy concentrations. After filtering in the wavenumber domain, different energy types are separated to produce positive and negative wavenumber images. By inverse-transforming these images, positive and negative structural images in the spatial domain are obtained. Finally, by applying a multiplication imaging condition, the diffraction images are constructed. This method has been proved effective for analysing three-dimensional migrated data, thereby enhancing imaging accuracy in seismic exploration.