Determining displacement between seismic images using optical flow

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising computer-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to:

• receive a first seismic image and a second seismic image, wherein the first seismic image and the second seismic image are representative of one or more geological formations within a subsurface region of the Earth;
• determine an displacement volume between the first seismic image and the second seismic image using an optical flow algorithm;
• iteratively refine the displacement volume between the first seismic image and the second seismic image based on the optical flow algorithm;
• and
• generate a third seismic image by applying the iteratively refined displacement volume to the second seismic image, wherein one or more seismic events depicted in the third seismic image are aligned with one or more seismic events depicted in the first seismic image.

A method for drilling into a subsurface region of the Earth, comprising:

• analyzing a displacement volume between a first seismic image and a second seismic image associated with the subsurface region;
• and
• performing one or more drilling operations or one or more production operations into the subsurface region based on an analysis of a displacement seismic image, wherein the displacement seismic image is determined by:
• receiving, via a processor, the first seismic image and the second seismic image;
• generating, via the processor, a first scaled image based on the first seismic image and a second scaled image based on the second seismic image;
• obtaining, via the processor, a scaled displacement volume between the first scaled seismic image and the second scaled image;
• determining, via the processor, a displacement volume based on the scaled displacement volume and a scaling function used to generate the first and second scaled images based on the first and second seismic images;
• iteratively refining, via the processor, the displacement volume between the first and second images based on an optical flow algorithm;
• generating, via the processor, a third seismic image by applying the iteratively refined displacement volume to the second seismic image, wherein one or more seismic events depicted in the third seismic image are aligned with one or more seismic events depicted in the first seismic image;
• and
• determining, via the processor, the image of the difference volume based on the first seismic image and the third seismic image.

A method (90) for determining a displacement seismic image between a first seismic image and a second seismic image, comprising:

• receiving (92), via a processor (64), the first seismic image and the second seismic image, wherein the first seismic image and the second seismic image are representative of one or more geological formations within a subsurface region (26) of the Earth;
• generating (96), via the processor (64), a first scaled image based on the first seismic image and a second scaled image based on the second seismic image;
• obtaining (98), via the processor (64), a scaled displacement volume between the first scaled seismic image and the second scaled image;
• determining (99), via the processor (64), a displacement volume based on the scaled displacement volume and a scaling function used to generate the first and second scaled images based on the first and second seismic images;
• generating (104), via the processor (64), a third seismic image by applying the displacement volume to the second seismic image, wherein one or more seismic events depicted in the third seismic image are aligned with one or more seismic events depicted in the first seismic image;
• and
• determining (106), via the processor (64), an image of a difference volume between the first seismic image and the third seismic image for display on a display or other tangible element, wherein the image represents how production of hydrocarbons in the subsurface region (26) of the Earth has affected the subsurface region of the Earth over time.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium (66), comprising computer-executable instructions configured to cause a processor (64) to:

• receive (92) a first seismic image and a second seismic image, wherein the first seismic image and the second seismic image are representative of one or more geological formations within a subsurface region (26) of the Earth;
• determine (98) an displacement volume between the first seismic image and the second seismic image using an optical flow algorithm;
• iteratively (99) refine the displacement volume between the first seismic image and the second seismic image based on the optical flow algorithm;
• and
• generate (104) a third seismic image by applying the iteratively refined displacement volume to the second seismic image, wherein one or more seismic events depicted in the third seismic image are aligned with one or more seismic events depicted in the first seismic image.