Exploration method and system for detection of hydrocarbons from the water column

1. A method for detecting hydrocarbon seepage locations comprising:

obtaining seismic data associated with a body of water in a survey region;

applying a filter to at least a portion of the water column portion of the seismic data to enhance diffraction anomaly signals with respect to horizontal or nearly horizontal signals associated with the water-column to form filtered seismic data, wherein applying the filter removes flat-lying energy from the seismic data and retains dip characteristics of plumes from hydrocarbon seepage locations;

determining hydrocarbon seepage locations from the seafloor based on the filtered seismic data.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying diffraction anomalies in the filtered seismic data as the hydrocarbon seepage locations.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising validating diffraction anomalies in the filtered seismic data as the hydrocarbon seepage locations.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein validating diffraction anomalies comprises:

identifying one or more clusters of diffraction anomalies; and

comparing the one or more clusters with an expected seepage plume pattern to determine the hydrocarbon seepage locations.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein validating diffraction anomalies comprises:

identifying one or more clusters of diffraction anomalies;

identifying one or more subsurface structural features in the survey region;

comparing the one or more clusters with subsurface structural features to determine the hydrocarbon seepage locations.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein validating diffraction anomalies comprises:

obtaining the unstacked seismic data collocated with the anomalies;

examining the unstacked data to determine the origin of the high-amplitude anomalies;

determining that the anomaly origin is consistent with a hyperbolic diffraction anomaly source.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein validating diffraction anomalies comprises:

performing one or more of ocean survey, magnetic and gravity surveys, optical sensing survey, synthetic aperture radar slick detection survey, and thermal anomalies detection survey to obtain measurement data; and

comparing the measurement data with the filtered seismic data to determine the hydrocarbon seepage locations.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein validating diffraction anomalies comprises:

obtaining samples of one or more fluids, gases, and sediments in the survey region;

analyzing the samples to determine chemical information or biological information about the samples;

identifying one or more clusters of diffraction anomalies from the filtered seismic data;

comparing the one or more clusters of diffraction anomalies with the chemical information or biological information to determine the hydrocarbon seepage locations.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating a satellite imagery of the survey region.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising stacking the seismic data prior to applying the filter on the seismic data.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising masking at least a portion of seismic data below the surface prior to applying the filter on the seismic data.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein masking at least a portion of seismic data comprises masking the seismic data from the surface of the body of water to 700 meters below the surface of the body of water.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising masking a portion of the seismic data in the body of water between the surface and a specific depth below the surface.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein masking at least a portion of seismic data comprises masking the seismic data from the surface of the body of water to 500 meters below the surface of the body of water.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the filter removes horizontal signals and noises based on dip.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the filter comprises applying a weighted trace mix filter, wherein the trace weights sum to zero to ensure removal of flat energy.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the filter comprises applying a filter to process data in the range between about 50% and about 5% of the maximum dip of the diffraction and discard data outside the range.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the filter to at least a portion of the seismic data further comprises applying the filter to at least a portion of the seismic data to enhance diffraction anomaly signals with respect to random signals associated with the water-column to form filtered seismic data.

19. A computer system for detecting hydrocarbon seepage locations comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor; and

a set of instructions, stored in the memory and when executed, are configured to:

obtain seismic data associated with a body of water in a survey region;

apply a filter to at least a portion of the water column portion of the seismic data to enhance diffraction anomaly signals with respect to horizontal or nearly horizontal signals associated with the water-column to form filtered seismic data, wherein applying the filter removes flat-lying energy from the seismic data and retains dip characteristics of plumes from seepage locations; and

determine hydrocarbon seepage locations based on the filtered seismic data.

20. The computer system of claim 19 , wherein the set of instructions are configured to apply the filter to the seismic data to maintain seismic data in the range between about 50% and about 5% of the maximum dip of a diffraction and discard data outside the range.

21. The computer system of claim 19 , wherein the set of instructions are further configured to mask the seismic data from the surface of the body of water to 700 meters below the surface of the body of water.