Least-squares multiple imaging constrained jointly by OBN and towed-streamer data

Marine seismic surveys in shallow water regions typically suffer from acquisition striping and poor shallow resolution. Multiple imaging has been discussed in the literature for several years as a processing-based approach to this problem. We compare least-squares wave-equation multiple migration (LS-WEMM) results for towed-streamer and ocean bottom node (OBN) data sets co-located in the Central North Sea. With either data type, LS-WEMM results reduce acquisition striping and improve spatial resolution, when compared with primary imaging. Further, we observe that the towed-streamer LS-WEMM result provides better lateral resolution than the OBN LS-WEMM result, whereas the OBN LS-WEMM result provides better image illumination overall. We propose a LS-WEMM method constrained jointly by towed-streamer and OBN data, which is shown to combine the benefits offered by both data types.