IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,724,162
Granted Patent B2
US 12,724,162 · App. 18/587,380 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Drill bit source focusing

Inventors: Ali Aldawood (Safwa, SA); Ali Al Zayer (Dhahran, SA)
Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
G01V1/302G01V1/362G01V1/366G01V2210/1216G01V2210/1425
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,724,162
App. No.
18/587,380
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computer implemented method that enables drill bit source focusing is described. The method includes obtaining, using at least one hardware processor, correlated drill bit gathers comprising a direct arrival from a downhole source to surface receivers; identifying, using the at least one hardware processor, at least one window around first breaks in the correlated drill bit gathers captured by the surface receivers, wherein the first breaks are isolated/bounded the at least one window; redatuming, using the at least one hardware processor, seismic data within the at least one window captured by respective surface receivers to generate source images; and generating, using the at least one hardware processor, a seismic migration image by multiplying the generated source images.

Claims (29)

1 . A computer-implemented method that enables drill bit source focusing, comprising:

obtaining, using at least one hardware processor, correlated drill bit gathers comprising a direct arrival from a downhole source to surface receivers;

identifying, using the at least one hardware processor, at least one window around first breaks in the correlated drill bit gathers captured by the surface receivers, wherein the first breaks are isolated/bounded the at least one window;

redatuming, using the at least one hardware processor, seismic data within the at least one window captured by respective surface receivers to generate source images; and

generating, using the at least one hardware processor, a seismic migration image by multiplying the generated source images.

2 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , comprising applying stacking, linear noise removal, and band pass filtering to the correlated drill bit gathers to increase a signal to noise ratio of the correlated drill bit gathers.

3 . The computer implemented method of claim 2 , comprising applying a median filter to the correlated drill bit gathers to enhance a down-going direct wavefield of the correlated drill bit gathers.

4 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the window that isolates the first breaks is generated using a velocity profile.

5 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the window that isolates the first breaks is determined using a rough mute function.

6 . An apparatus comprising a non-transitory, computer readable, storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining correlated drill bit gathers comprising a direct arrival from a downhole source to surface receivers;

identifying at least one window around first breaks in the correlated drill bit gathers captured by the surface receivers, wherein the first breaks are isolated/bounded the at least one window;

redatuming seismic data within the at least one window captured by respective surface receivers to generate source images; and

generating a seismic migration image by multiplying the generated source images.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , the operations comprising applying stacking, linear noise removal, and band pass filtering to the correlated drill bit gathers to increase a signal to noise ratio of the correlated drill bit gathers.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , the operations comprising applying a median filter to the correlated drill bit gathers to enhance a down-going direct wavefield of the correlated drill bit gathers.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the window that isolates the first breaks is generated using a velocity profile.

10 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the window that isolates the first breaks is determined using a rough mute function.

11 . A system, comprising:

one or more memory modules;

one or more hardware processors communicably coupled to the one or more memory modules, the one or more hardware processors configured to execute instructions stored on the one or more memory models to perform operations comprising:

obtaining correlated drill bit gathers comprising a direct arrival from a downhole source to surface receivers;

identifying at least one window around first breaks in the correlated drill bit gathers captured by the surface receivers, wherein the first breaks are isolated/bounded the at least one window;

redatuming seismic data within the at least one window captured by respective surface receivers to generate source images; and

generating a seismic migration image by multiplying the generated source images.

12 . The system of claim 11 , the operations comprising applying stacking, linear noise removal, and band pass filtering to the correlated drill bit gathers to increase a signal to noise ratio of the correlated drill bit gathers.

13 . The system of claim 12 , the operations comprising applying a median filter to the correlated drill bit gathers to enhance a down-going direct wavefield of the correlated drill bit gathers.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the window that isolates the first breaks is generated using a velocity profile.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the window that isolates the first breaks is determined using a rough mute function.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2024
From: ALDAWOOD, ALI; ZAYER, ALI AL
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 066829/0551 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250271585A1 · Aug 28, 2025
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