Determining displacement between seismic images using optical flow

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

• (a) receive a plurality of seismic images acquired via a plurality of seismic sensors, wherein the plurality of seismic images represents a subsurface region of the Earth;
• (b) receive a number K of index images;
• (c) assign one of the plurality of seismic images as a pilot image;
• (d) determine a first respective relative shift volume between the pilot image and each seismic image of the plurality of seismic images within the number K of index images to the pilot image;
• (e) repeat blocks (c) and (d) for each remaining seismic image of the plurality of seismic images as the pilot image, thereby determining a plurality of relative shift volumes;
• (f) determine N number of shift volumes based on the plurality of relative shift volumes, wherein the N number corresponds to a number of the plurality of seismic images received, and wherein each respective shift volume of the N number of shift volumes corresponds to a respective seismic image of the plurality of seismic images;
• and
• (g) apply each respective shift volume of the N number of shift volumes to the respective seismic image of the plurality of seismic images, thereby generating a plurality of shifted seismic images, wherein each of the plurality of shifted seismic images are aligned with each other and indicate one or more properties of hydrocarbon deposits within the subsurface region of the Earth.

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

• analyzing a plurality of shifted seismic images associated with the subsurface region, wherein each of the plurality of shifted seismic images is aligned with each other;
• and
• performing one or more drilling operations or one or more production operations into the subsurface region based on an analysis of the plurality of shifted seismic images, wherein the plurality of shifted seismic images is determined by:
• receiving, via a processor, a plurality of seismic images acquired in one or more seismic surveys, wherein the plurality of seismic images represents the subsurface region of the Earth;
• determining, via the processor, a first respective relative shift volume between a first seismic image of the plurality of seismic images and a second seismic image of the plurality of seismic images, a second respective relative shift volume between the first seismic image and a third seismic image of the plurality of seismic images, and a third respective relative shift volume between the second seismic image of the plurality of seismic images and the third seismic image of the plurality of seismic images;
• determining a first shift volume associated with the first seismic image and a second shift volume associated with the second seismic image based on the first, second, and third respective relative shift volumes;
• and
• applying, via the processor, the first shift volume to the first seismic image and the second shift volume to the second seismic image to generate a first shifted seismic image and a second shifted seismic image, respectively, of the plurality of shifted seismic images.

A method (160) for aligning a plurality of seismic images associated with a subsurface region of the Earth, comprising:

• receiving (162), via a processor (64), the plurality of seismic images acquired via one or more seismic surveys, wherein the plurality of seismic images represents the subsurface region of the Earth;
• determining (168), via the processor (64), a first respective relative shift volume between a first seismic image of the plurality of seismic images and a second seismic image of the plurality of seismic images, a second respective relative shift volume between the first seismic image and a third seismic image of the plurality of seismic images, and a third respective relative shift volume between the second seismic image of the plurality of seismic images and the third seismic image of the plurality of seismic images;
• determining (174) a first shift volume associated with the first seismic image and a second shift volume associated with the second seismic image based on the first, second, and third respective relative shift volumes;
• and
• applying (176), via the processor (64), the first shift volume to the first seismic image and the second shift volume to the second seismic image to generate a first shifted seismic image and a second shifted seismic image, respectively, wherein the first and second shifted seismic images are aligned with each other and indicate one or more properties of hydrocarbon deposits within the subsurface region (26) of the Earth.

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

• (a) receive (162) a plurality of seismic images acquired via a plurality of seismic sensors, wherein the plurality of seismic images represents a subsurface region of the Earth;
• (b) receive (164) a number K of index images;
• (c) assign (166) one of the plurality of seismic images as a pilot image;
• (d) determine (168) a first respective relative shift volume between the pilot image and each seismic image of the plurality of seismic images within the number K of index images to the pilot image;
• (e) repeat (170) blocks (c) and (d) for each remaining seismic image of the plurality of seismic images as the pilot image, thereby determining a plurality of relative shift volumes;
• (f) determine (174) N number of shift volumes based on the plurality of relative shift volumes, wherein the N number corresponds to a number of the plurality of seismic images received, and wherein each respective shift volume of the N number of shift volumes corresponds to a respective seismic image of the plurality of seismic images;
• and
• (g) apply (176) each respective shift volume of the N number of shift volumes to the respective seismic image of the plurality of seismic images, thereby generating a plurality of shifted seismic images, wherein each of the plurality of shifted seismic images are aligned with each other and indicate one or more properties of hydrocarbon deposits within the subsurface region (26) of the Earth.