Vertical seismic profiling migration method

1 . A method comprising:

seismic wave field continuation, imaging and data analysis steps that are applied in a near well region.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein

a. Wave fields are selected (p, s, transmitted, reflected) and selectively extrapolated using wave equation methods on optimized numerical grids

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein wave fields are imaged using a backward extrapolated wave field and computed reference times computed by reverse extrapolating picked travel times in the seismic gathers, thus providing high-resolution images, angle gathers and other data attributes.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the extrapolated or imaged seismic data are used to perform a high-resolution velocity analysis by means of one of angle gather analysis or stacking analysis using semblance or coherence measures of thus derived data attributes.

5 . The method of claim 3 wherein the extrapolated or imaged seismic data are used to extract true-amplitude reflectivities in images within the near well trust region.

6 . The method of claim 3 wherein extrapolated data or imaged wave field data are used to extract AVO/AVA curves to determine subterranean properties with high-resolution and with high confidence.

7 . The method of claim 4 wherein well log data is used to calibrate the formed wave field and images with a near well trust region, enabling to project the highly detailed nature of the well log information out to an appreciable distance away from the well bore or receiver array.

8 . The method of claim 4 wherein well log data and other information measured in the borehole and thus extrapolated and imaged wave fields are used to invert directly for rock properties and used to produce a high-resolution inverted seismic section for conventional interpretation.