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12.3.5.8 Maximum Displacement Sweep (MD Sweep)

WesternGeco has developed a unique sweep technology that enhances low-frequency vibrator
response by tailoring the sweep to maximize hydraulic fluid flow rates.
In land acquisition, the lowest frequency that can be obtained by a vibrator is a function of the
vibrator design and the chosen sweep. Vibrators are physically limited at the low end of the sweep
by reaction mass displacement. The patented maximum displacement sweep (MD Sweep) is
designed to deliver a desired Power Spectral Density (PSD) output from a vibrator using the
performance characteristics of the vibrator. At the low-frequencies, this results in optimally
compensating for the reduced power output by adjusting the sweep rate (Fig. ).

Linear versus MD Sweep - same vibrators.. MD Sweep technology maximizes the power output of a vibrator,
without spending more time than is necessary to generate the critical low-frequencies.

Tests show that using this sweep design, we can add several Hertz of full-power low-frequency
bandwidth compared to what is possible using conventional sweep design. Such improvements are
significant; the "resolving power" of seismic wavelets can be characterized by the number of
octaves of their frequency bandwidth: 5-10 Hz contributes one full octave, just as 40-80 Hz.
The benefits realized from this approach include:
Improved inversion: Ideally, inversion requires seismic data with a bandwidth extending
down to 0Hz. The lowest frequencies (around 0 to 3HZ) can be supplied from well data, or in
the absence of well data from the velocity profile. By extending the bandwidth of the seismic
data as low as possible towards 3Hz the result of the inversion can be improved (Fig. ).
For increasing the 'standout' of wavelets: The main lobe to side lobe amplitude is related
to the bandwidth of the wavelet in terms of octaves.
For imaging deep targets: High frequencies are progressively absorbed by the Earth; in
order to achieve resolution at depth it is preferable to extend the bandwidth at the low end
of the spectrum.
12.3.5.8 Maximum Displacement Sweep (MD Sweep)
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WG-MENA-SLD 1452 Km2 in Reganne

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For imaging beneath high-velocity & absorbing formations: In similar manner to imaging
deep target, imaging beneath high-velocity and absorbing formations is better achieved by
increasing the low-frequency content of the source signature.

RAI with low frequencies

RAI without low frequencies

WesternGeco

Improved Wedge model with low frequencies.

The Maximum Displacement Sweep has a variable sweep rate and an optimally designed driving
force envelope that permits the transmission of the maximum energy to the ground in the
minimum time, whilst respecting the vibrator mechanical and hydraulic constraints, and vibratorearth coupling. Required inputs to the designs are the manufacturer's vibrator specifications and
the desired geophysical source wavelet characteristics, expressed as a target fundamental groundforce power spectral density function. The output of the sweep design is a vibrator sweep signal
file in a format suitable for loading into the vibrator control equipment.
This sweep is most effective when it is used with the Desert Explorer 80,000 lb vibrators and
Geophone Accelerometer (GAC) receivers (Fig. ).
The more energetic low-frequency can be achieved only if all the components of our acquisition
systems (source and receiver) are fit for the purpose. The good news is that the Q-Land system
has sensors that can faithfully record the seismic wavefield at frequencies as low as 3 Hz. Though

12.3.5.8 Maximum Displacement Sweep (MD Sweep)

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MD Sweep: Advantage of the Desert Explorer
vibrator
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Ground-force Power Spectral Density

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10 dB gain at low-frequencies
2 Hz gain in bandwidth

Combined benefit of MD Sweep and 80K lb Desert Explorer.. Linear versus MD Sweep using the 60K lb vibrator
for the linear and 80K lb Desert Explorer vibrator for the MD Sweep.

WesternGeco

conventional geophones used in onshore seismic operation can also acquire low-frequency data,
they have reduced response below 10 Hz and subsequent deterioration in signal-to-noise ratio (in
terms of internal system noise).
Generating and recording low-frequency data is not the full-story. Low frequency signal is often
masked by low-frequency high-amplitude noise (surface waves). Use of point receivers at a
targeted spatial sampling interval enables the noise to be suppressed pre-stack using Digital
Group Forming techniques developed by WesternGeco. This is particularly important for pre-stack
inversion applications where pre-stack data quality must be optimized (Fig. ).

Low Frequency
Coherent Noise suppression
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Unfiltered

Digital filtering within DGF

Noise suppression using digital group forming (DGF).. This data example is the raw trace data of Q-Land using
sensors at 5 m spacing.

12.3.5.8 Maximum Displacement Sweep (MD Sweep)

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Fig. and Fig. illustrate sections comparing the MD Sweep with a conventional linear sweep. Both
datasets were acquired on the same 2D line with the sweep type being the only difference. The
linear sweep is 16 seconds long from 6 - 80 Hz and with 500 ms tapers. The MD Sweep is also 16
second duration.Spectral analysis of these data are shown in Fig. .

Q-Land stack data - linear sweep.. This examples uses a linear sweep acquired with 80K lb vibrator.

Q-Land stack data - MD sweep.

12.3.5.8 Maximum Displacement Sweep (MD Sweep)

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GROUPEMENT REGGANE
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WG-MENA-SLD 1452 Km2 in Reganne

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Spectral analysis of the linear and MD Sweep Stacks.

We can see that the signal response of the image with the MD sweep starts at around -6 dB for 6
Hz frequency, while that of the linear sweep is at -21 dB for 6 Hz (very close to the noise level).
This clearly shows that the MD Sweep produces a better signal-to-noise ratio at low frequencies.

12.3.5.8 Maximum Displacement Sweep (MD Sweep)

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