Least-squares extended imaging with surface-related multiples

Common image gathers are used in building velocity models, inverting anisotropy parameters, and analyzing reservoir attributes. Often primary reflections are used to form image gathers and multiples are typically attenuated in processing to remove strong coherent artifacts generated by multiples that interfere with the imaged reflectors. However, researchers have shown that, if correctly used, multiples can actually provide extra illumination of the subsurface in seismic imaging, especially for delineating the near-surface features. In this work, we borrow ideas from literatures on imaging with surface-related multiples, and apply these ideas to extended imaging. This way we save the massive computation cost in separating multiples from the data before using them during the formation of image gathers. Also, we mitigate the strong coherent artifacts generated by multiples which can send the migration velocity analysis type algorithms in wrong direction. Synthetic examples on a three-layer model show the efficacy of the proposed formulation.