Nonstretching NMO correction of prestack time-migrated gathers using a matching-pursuit algorithm

Wide-azimuth, long-offset surveys are becoming increasingly common in unconventional exploration plays where one of the key routine processes is maintaining data fidelity at far offsets. The conventional NMO correction that processes the data sample-by-sample results in the well-known decrease of frequency content and amplitude distortion through stretch, which lowers the seismic resolution and hinders λρ-μρ and amplitude variation with offset and azimuth (AVAz) analysis of the long-offset signal. To mitigate the stretch typically associated with large offsets, we use a matching-pursuit-based normal moveout correction (MPNMO) to reduce NMO-stretch effects in long-offset data. MPNMO corrects the data wavelet-by-wavelet rather than sample-by-sample, thereby avoiding stretch. We apply our technique (1) to aset of synthetic gathers and (2) as part of a residual velocity analysis workflow to a prestack time-migrated data volume acquired over the Northern Chicontepec Basin, Mexico. Test results show that MPNMO can produce relatively nonstretched events and generate higher temporal resolution prestack gathers. © 2012 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.