Paper Summary
There are many factors which affect the quality of a subsurface image: acquisition geometry, data quality, accuracy of the subsurface model, imaging algorithm, image post-processing steps, etc. Despite improvements in seismic acquisition, such as full azimuth (FAZ) surveys, and advanced imaging algorithms such as reverse time migration (RTM), focusing energy beneath a complex salt overburden remains a challenging problem. We propose a post-imaging workflow to mitigate migration artifacts, limited illumination problems, and velocity model inaccuracies that cause image distortion. RTM images derived with an inverse scattering imaging condition are decomposed into angle/azimuth domain gathers. The angles and azimuths which constructively interfere at each image point to produce the best image are chosen so as to remove both coherent and incoherent noise and produce an optimal stack. Finally, structure-conformable filtering is applied. We apply this workflow to an RTM image from Garden Banks in the Gulf of Mexico .