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Harmonic distortion in slip sweep records

Conference Paper · January 1999

DOI: 10.1190/1.1821095

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 Harmonic distortion in slip sweep records
P. Ras*, M. Daly and G. Baeten, Schlumberger
Summary
Slip sweep recording offers the potential for dramatic
improvements in vibroseis production rates with the trade-
off being inter-record harmonic contamination. This paper
attempts to quantify these harmonic effects. We have
modeled harmonic ghosting in f-t space and analyzed an
experimental (possibly worst case) slip sweep data set for
the effects of harmonics. A frequency dependent diversity
stacking technique has been applied to this data with some
success.
Introduction
Slip sweep vibroseis recording means that one vibrator
group starts sweeping without waiting for the previous
group’s sweep to terminate. The main benefits of slip
sweep are that significant gains in production can be
achieved with the potential to double or even triple the
acquisition rate. We can record surveys with a higher
shotpoint density, meaning higher fold and/or denser spatial
sampling for shots.
The main trade-off will be controlling the contamination
caused by harmonic distortion. Recording one long
continuous record containing several sweeps has an
obvious implication. Traditionally, the correlation process
would shift harmonics of up-sweeps to negative lag times
in the record. The harmonics are then eliminated by
truncating the sweep record at t=0s. For slip sweep
recording, harmonics will no longer be eliminated by
truncation but will contaminate preceding sweep records.
We have modeled the harmonics in slip sweep records and
analyzed an experimental slip sweep data set to assess the
effects of harmonic distortion on processed slip sweep
records.
Theory
Our theoretical analysis is based on the work of Seriff and
Kim (1970). We extend their theory by investigating the
effect of correlation on slip sweep data, in the presence of
harmonic distortion. We consider linear up-sweeps and
their kth harmonic and determine the signal relationships
after correlation. For an event with a travel time τ from
shot to geophone, the frequency-time relation for the kth
harmonic (note that k=1 denotes the fundamental) is given
by
SEG 1999 Expanded Abstracts
kW ( t − τ )
f = kf 0 + (1)
T
in which f is the instantaneous frequency, f0 is the start
frequency of the sweep, T is the sweep length and t is time.
W is the sweep bandwidth equal to fm - f0, in which fm
denotes the end frequency of the sweep.
After correlation, the fundamental sweep is transformed
into a zero-phase wavelet of short duration, whereas the
harmonic manifests itself as a reverse sweep appearing at
negative correlation lag times (see Figure 1). The start-
and end-frequency of the reverse sweep are kf0 and fm,
respectively. The location of the correlated harmonic for a
seismic event with two-way travel time τ is derived for the
general case where several sweep records are acquired.
Between every sweep i, a slip time Si (equal to or greater
than the listen time) is added in before the start of the next
sweep. The time origin (t=0) is located at the start of
sweep 1. We consider an event (with travel time τ) in
record n. First, we introduce the extended travel time τ,
which is simply the arrival time of the event counted from
the time origin (the start of sweep 1). This extended travel
time follows from
n −1
τ~ = ( n − 1) L + ∑ Si + τ
j =1
(2)
Next, we define the line in f-t that characterizes the
harmonic distortion generated by this event. The harmonic
line in f-t space is given by the equation
[τ c ( f m ) − τ c ( kf 0 )] =
[ f m − kf 0 ][τ~ − t ] − [ f mτ c ( kf 0 ) − kf 0τ c ( f m )]
(3)
where the frequency f is restricted via the condition
kf 0 ≤ f ≤ f m (4)
and in which
 Harmonic distortion in slip sweep records
( k −1) fT
τc ( f ) = (5)
kW
Equation (3) is the fundamental equation to assess the
impact of the harmonic of a certain event on all preceding
records. The first frequency in the harmonic noise that
contaminates the record directly preceding the active record
is of special interest. This frequency denotes the noise start
frequency fs and is given by
( S + τ )kW
fs =
( k − 1)T (6)
Then, it becomes clear how we can reduce the effect of
harmonic ghosting, namely by increasing the noise start
frequency fs. We can do this by either:
- increasing the slip S, or
- increasing the sweep bandwidth W, or
- decreasing the sweep time T.
The deeper reflections with which the harmonics interfere
most in general lack high frequencies. By increasing the
noise start frequency fs we achieve a separation in
frequency content between deep reflections and correlated
harmonics. This frequency separation can later be
exploited by processing algorithms. Increasing fs may also
help to suppress artifacts related to ground-roll. Ground-
roll will be predominantly low frequency and it would be
beneficial to exclude these low frequencies from the noise
frequency range.
Figure 1: An event in sweep record n (red area) creates a
harmonic ghost, which after correlation is represented by the blue
line. The harmonic can interfere with a number of preceding
records. An equation for the blue line is given by Equation 3.
From an operational point of view, as the sweep bandwidth
W is normally fixed and the arrival time τ not under
SEG 1999 Expanded Abstracts
control, to reduce the harmonic ghosting effect we have to
increase the slip S and/or reduce the sweep time T. From
these two alternatives, increasing the slip would be the
easiest solution, however this would consequently have a
negative impact in terms of shot acquisition rate.
Data Examples
In April 1998 in Rosharon, Texas, Schlumberger Geco-
Prakla acquired a short experimental 2D line in slip sweep
mode. Each slip sweep record consisted of 4 sweeps from
4 single vibrators. A 10s, 5-120Hz linear up-sweep was
used, slip time was 4s, equal to the listen time only with no
additional delay between the individual sweep records.
Short offset data only were recorded with a maximum
source-receiver offset of 800m, both receiver- and source
interval were 5m. Additionally, downhole measurements
were made for each VP at depths of 160-200m, in a
borehole located adjacent to the seismic line. The short slip
time between the records, combined with the short offset
range, made this small-scale survey a worst case scenario
for slip sweep recording. We have analyzed the harmonic
contamination in this data set.
3rd harmonic
75Hz
Vib 1
2nd harmonic
100Hz
Time ms
Vib 2
Vib 3
Vib 4
Frequency Hz
Figure 2: f-t display for downhole geophone at 190m depth, at
400m source-receiver offset. For the 2nd harmonic fs=100Hz
and for the 3rd harmonic fs=75Hz.
Figure 2 shows an f-t display for the downhole receiver at a
depth of 190m depth and 400m distance from the source.
Two harmonic ghosts, 2nd and 3rd harmonic, contaminate
the first three sweep records (belonging to vibrators 1,2,3)
while the fourth sweep record (vibrator 4) is clean. Using
Equation 6 to compute the noise start frequency fs for the
 Harmonic distortion in slip sweep records

different sweeps (1,2 and 3) at start times t=0, 4, 8s, using a

time delay τ of 0.35s (surface velocity ~ 1700m/s). The
computed values - 75Hz for the 2nd harmonic and 100Hz
for the 3rd harmonic - match the observed values. Another
feature we observe is the separation in f-t between the
fundamental data and harmonics.

For surface data, short offset harmonics are low frequency

and mainly ground-roll related. At longer offsets
harmonics contain more high frequencies and are related to
the direct wave. Investigation of the harmonics isolated
from the data may be done by including the negative
correlation-lag times. For ground-roll related ghosts at
short offsets the correlated harmonics were generally
between 12dB and 20dB down from the fundamental. For
downhole data the first breaks are by far the strongest
events and the correlated harmonics were around 32-36dB Figure 3: Harmonics in modeled f-t diagram of slip sweep record.
down in amplitude from the fundamental. Increased travel time (e.g. deeper seismic event) is equivalent to
increased slip. A shorter sweep changes the slope of the harmonics.
Equation 3 (or 6) can be used to model the location of the
correlated harmonic energy in f-t space. Figure 3 shows a
modeled f-t diagram for a slip sweep record with increasing
slip, S1=4s, S2=6s, S3=8s, for both 2nd and 3rd harmonic. Conclusions
Using a longer slip will effectively shift the harmonics
outside the data bandwidth (indicated by the green line, Contamination of correlated vibroseis shot records by
assume Fmax=70Hz) and this frequency separation may be harmonic energy generated by subsequent sweeps is an
exploited by processing algorithms. It is evident from observed effect of the slip sweep recording technique. This
Equation 6 that an increased travel-time τ (due either to effect may be largely overcome either by selecting a slip
increased source-receiver offset or a deeper seismic event) time so as to move the harmonic noise outside the data
will have the same effect as an additional slip. Decreasing bandwidth at a given TWT, or by exploiting the separation
the sweep length from 10s to 6s, however, will change the in time and frequency between the harmonic noise and the
slope of the harmonics. data in processes such as time-frequency domain diversity
stacking.
What is the effect on a brute stack? Separate stacks were
made for vibrators 1,2,3 and 4. Analysis in f-t showed that Acknowledgements
high frequency harmonics generated one or two sweeps
later were made worse after gain and spherical divergence The authors would like to thank Bob Vincent, Gerrit
corrections. Figure 4 shows four quarter-fold brute stacks Smeets and Ben Jeffryes for many helpful discussions and
for vibrators 1,2,3 and 4. The detrimental effect of the comments and Schlumberger for permission to publish this
correlated harmonics on the brute stacks is obvious. The work.
stacks for vibrators 1 and 2 show severe harmonic noise
below 2s TWT, which is similar in character. The stack for References
vibrator 3 is less contaminated and the stack for vibrator 4
clearly shows the best signal-to-noise ratio. H.J. Rozemond, 1996, Slip sweep acquisition, Petroleum
Development Oman, Paper presented at the 66th SEG
The harmonic effects are predictable, and should therefore Annual Meeting.
be amenable to filtering techniques. We have a good
chance if we employ the separation in frequency between A.J. Seriff and W.H. Kim, 1970, The effect of harmonic
the harmonics and the data. Figure 5 shows the full fold distortion in the use of vibratory surface sources,
stack including Vibrators 1, 2, 3 and 4, before and after Geophysics Vol. 35, p234-246.
application of a time-frequency domain diversity stack in
the CMP domain. By applying a time-frequency transform
to the data and subsequently applying a diversity stack
(weighting inversely proportional to the energy of the
noise), we achieve a considerable attenuation of the
harmonic noise below 2s TWT.

SEG 1999 Expanded Abstracts

 Harmonic distortion in slip sweep records

Figure 4: Brute stacks for vibrators 1,2,3, and 4

Figure 5: Panel 1 is a stack for TWT > 2s for vibrators 1,2,3, and 4
combined and Panel 2 is the resulting stack after applying time-
frequency domain diversity stacking in the CMP domain.

SEG 1999 Expanded Abstracts

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