US 2015/0316670 A1Published application

Method of Creating and Interpreting Animated Mosaics of Multiple Seismic Surveys

AssigneeChevron U.S.A. Inc.

InventorsWilliam S. Kowalik, Antony Marsh

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Abstract

Embodiments of methods of creating and interpreting animated mosaics of multiple seismic surveys are disclosed herein. Volumes from individual seismic surveys may be flattened in each seismic cube. Animations/movies may then be produced by capturing a series of z-slice movie frames through each of the flattened volumes. The individual sets of movie frames are geo-referenced to a basemap image of well locations using appropriate composition software. Where overlap exists between surveys, the surveys are prioritized and lower priority volumes are masked by higher priority volumes. This technique provides a matched, unbroken image across overlapping volumes at each stratigraphic layer. As the movie or animation plays, a moving arrow pointer shows the vertical position of the current movie frame on a stratigraphic section consisting of a seismic reference section that is optionally labelled with suitable regional sequence names and other stratigraphic zonation data.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of creating a mosaic from a plurality of different seismic surveys, the method comprising:

(a) selecting a plurality of seismic input volumes, wherein each seismic input volume is a result of a different seismic survey and the seismic input volumes are representative of one or more subterranean regions of interest which are at least partially adjacent to one another, and wherein each seismic input volume comprises one or more horizons;
(b) aligning the horizons of each seismic input volume to the horizons of the other seismic input volumes;
(c) performing a flattening operation for each seismic input volume to create a plurality of flattened seismic input volumes;
(d) rendering each flattened seismic volume to create a stack of digital images representing at least a portion of the horizons in each flattened seismic volume;
and
(e) aligning each stack of digital images representing each flattened seismic volume geographically on to a basemap;
and
(f) digitally compositing the stacks of digital images to create an animated mosaic of the plurality of seismic input volumes, the animated mosaic comprising an animated progression through the one or more horizons of all the seismic input volumes, wherein at least one of (a) through (f) is performed on a computer.

5 more elements

A computer system, comprising:

an interface for receiving a plurality of seismic input volumes, the seismic input volumes comprising a plurality of seismic traces and one or more horizons;
a memory resource;
input and output functions for presenting and receiving communication signals to and from a human user;
one or more central processing units for executing program instructions;
and program memory, coupled to the central processing unit, for storing a computer program including program instructions that, when executed by the one or more central processing units, cause the computer system to perform a plurality of operations comprising:
(a) selecting the seismic input volumes, wherein each seismic input volume is a result of a different seismic survey and the seismic input volumes are representative of one or more subterranean regions of interest which are at least partially adjacent to one another;
(b) aligning the horizons of each seismic input volume to the horizons of the other seismic input volumes;
(c) performing a flattening operation for each seismic input volume to create a plurality of flattened seismic input volumes;
(d) rendering the flattened seismic volumes to create a stack of digital images representing at least a portion of the horizons in each flattened seismic volume;
and
(e) aligning each stack of digital images representing each flattened seismic volume geographically on to a basemap;
and
(f) digitally compositing the stacks of digital images to create an animated mosaic of the plurality of seismic input volumes, the animated mosaic comprises an animated progression of the one or more horizons of all the seismic input volumes.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.