Automatic tracking of faults by slope decomposition
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for automatically tracking faults in a 2-D imaged seismic cross-section or a 3D imaged seismic data volume, comprising:
- (a) decomposing, with a computer, the imaged seismic data into slopes, wherein the imaged seismic data has previously undergone depth migration; and
(b) forming, with a computer, a fault-highlighted data volume or cross-section from voxels corresponding to fault discontinuities in the imaged seismic data having slopes that span a broader range of slopes than other voxels in the imaged seismic data;
(c) selecting, with a computer, one or more initial seeds for fault surfaces or fault lines within the fault-highlighted data volume or cross-section;
(d) generating, with a computer, one or more fault contours in the fault-highlighted data volume or cross-section starting from the initial seeds;
(e) displaying, with a computer, a connected, smooth fault surface or line based on the one or more fault contours and(f) exploring for hydrocarbons based at least in part upon the generated fault contours and/or the displayed smooth fault surface or line.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method for locating fault lines or surfaces in 2-D or 3-D seismic data based on the fact that fault discontinuities in the space domain span a wide range in a local slowness (slope) domain, whereas other dipping events in the space domain data, such as noise, tend to be coherent, and hence will appear focused in the slowness dimension. Therefore, the method comprises decomposing the seismic data (102) by a transformation to the local slowness domain, preferably using Gaussian slowness period packets as the local slowness or slope decomposition technique, thereby avoiding problems with the data stationary assumption. In the local slowness domain, faults may be identified (104) using the principle mentioned above, i.e. that faults are represented as a truncation in the space domain data, hence they will appear broadband in the slowness dimension.
-
Citations
12 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method for automatically tracking faults in a 2-D imaged seismic cross-section or a 3D imaged seismic data volume, comprising:
-
(a) decomposing, with a computer, the imaged seismic data into slopes, wherein the imaged seismic data has previously undergone depth migration; and (b) forming, with a computer, a fault-highlighted data volume or cross-section from voxels corresponding to fault discontinuities in the imaged seismic data having slopes that span a broader range of slopes than other voxels in the imaged seismic data; (c) selecting, with a computer, one or more initial seeds for fault surfaces or fault lines within the fault-highlighted data volume or cross-section; (d) generating, with a computer, one or more fault contours in the fault-highlighted data volume or cross-section starting from the initial seeds; (e) displaying, with a computer, a connected, smooth fault surface or line based on the one or more fault contours and (f) exploring for hydrocarbons based at least in part upon the generated fault contours and/or the displayed smooth fault surface or line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
Specification