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Removing surface-related multiples just got better

Multiple reflections of seismic waves off of the seafloor have been keeping processing experts busy for years. To get a clear image of the subsurface, the true or primary seismic reflection must be preserved while the multiple reflections are removed - no easy task. Removing surface-related diffracted multiples in 3D seismic data is a challenging but necessary process to ensure accurate event placement. One solution that has seen substantial progress is the use of predicted multiples to subtract the surface-related multiples. There have been some excellent techniques developed for predicting multiples, such as convolution-based or wavefield-extrapolation-based approaches. However, difficulty stems from the fact that many existing techniques try to match the predicted multiples to the multiples in the data by either adaptation or pattern matching. The issue with these prediction techniques is that they change the waveform of the predicted multiples, and this makes it very difficult to perfectly match the