Method of vertical seismic profiling and exploration

Patent · Tue Nov 10 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5753713

Alford, R M

A method of vertical seismic profile exploration for extracting the shear and compressional components of the earth's response to seismic energy imparted into the earth with a horizontally directed swept frequency vibrator is described comprising the steps of: (a) periodically imparting seismic energy into the earth's subterranean formations at or near a well borehole with a horizontally directed swept frequency vibrator, wherein the swept frequency vibrator sweeps a band of frequencies according to a pilot sweep signal f(t); (b) concurrently, traversing a region of interest in the well borehole with a multicomponent sonde having three geophones with orthogonal axes (V/sub z/H/sub x/H/sub y/) to develop raw response signals V/sub z/(t,z), H/sub x/(t,z), and H/sub y/(t,z) representative of the earth's response to the periodically imparted seismic energy; (c) cross-correlating the raw response signals V/sub z/(t,z) H/sub x/(t,z) and H/sub y/(t,z) of the three geophones with the pilot sweep signal f(t) to obtain shear component response signals T/sub z/(t,z), T/sub x/(t,z), and T/sub y/(t,z) representative of the shear measures of the earth's response to the imparted seismic energy; (d) forming a second harmonic of the pilot sweep signal f(t); and (e) cross-correlating the raw response signals V/sub z/(t,z), H/sub x/(t,z), H/sub y/(t,z) with the second harmonic of the pilot sweep signal f(t) to obtain compressional component response signals L/sub z/(t,z), L/sub x/(t,z), and L/sub y/(t,z) representative of the compressional measures of the earth's response to the imparted seismic energy.

• Assignee: Amco Corp., Chicago, IL
• Patent Number(s): US 4706224
• OSTI ID: 5753713
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
COMPRESSION
DETECTION
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
HARMONICS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
OPERATION
OSCILLATIONS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PROBES
RESOURCES
SEISMIC DETECTION
SEISMIC SOURCES
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SHEAR
SONIC PROBES
SURVEYS