Patents by Inventor Yiu-Wa A. Lau

Yiu-Wa A. Lau has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5629905
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of datuming seismic trace data from a first horizon to a lower second subsurface horizon, both located above a target horizon. A seismic source and receiver are positioned along the first horizon and each assigned a coordinate representing a position along the first horizon. The seismic trace data includes both header information and seismic data. The header information includes the coordinates assigned to the source and receiver. The seismic data is a record of reflection amplitude versus travel time of a seismic signal traveling from the source, downward through and intersecting the second horizon at a downward intersection point, reflecting upward from the target horizon, upward through and intersecting the second horizon at an upward intersection point, and upward to the receiver. The method generally includes determining for both the downward upward intersection points, coordinates along the second horizon corresponding to positions along the second horizon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventor: Yiu-Wa A. Lau
  • Patent number: 5521881
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of processing seismic data containing multiples, which method generally includes as a step, determining the two-way travel time to a suspected multiple generating event. This method includes the application of a normal moveout operation to the recorded seismic trace utilizing the primary event velocities. Once the normal moveout has been applied to the data, all of the events in the trace are shifted downward in time by an amount of time equal to the two-way travel time to the suspected multiple generating event as previously determined. Once the normal moveout operation and the two-way travel time shift have been applied to the trace, a reverse normal moveout operation is applied to the trace utilizing an extended velocity function, which is a function of the original primary and the velocity within the suspected multiple generating layer. The resulting trace is now a trace containing only multiples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventors: Yiu-Wa A. Lau, Long D. Pham
  • Patent number: H1693
    Abstract: A method for removing non-geologic amplitude variations from seismic data. The method is based on the premise that lateral amplitude variations with spatial wavelengths shorter than the width of the Fresnel zone, a known wave propagation effect, for the target cannot be caused by changes in the reflectivity of the target and must, therefore, be due to non-geologic causes. The method permits these non-geologic amplitude effects to be identified and removed from the seismic data. The method may be implemented either manually or automatically by a computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventors: Michael P. Thornton, Yiu-Wa A. Lau