3D prediction of surface-related and interbed multiples

Multiple attenuation during data processing does not guarantee a multiple-free final section. Multiple identification plays an important role in seismic interpretation. A target-oriented method for predicting 3D multiples on stacked or migrated cubes in the time domain is presented. The method does not require detailed knowledge of the subsurface geological model or access to prestack data and is valid for both surface-related and interbed multiples. The computational procedure is based on kinematic properties of the data and uses Fermat's principle to define the multiples. Since no prestack data are required, the method can calculate 3D multiples even when only multi-2D survey data are available. The accuracy and possible use of the method are demonstrated on synthetic and real data examples.