Inverse-vector method for smoothing dips and azimuths
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsYuchun Eugene Wang, Yi Luo, Mohammed N. Alfaraj
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method using inverse-vector processing to iterate through a loop of three steps: set a guide direction, invert opposite vectors, and average vectors to update the guide direction, for smoothing seismic amplitude data. The inverse-vector method can overcome instabilities where the traditional structure-tensor approach fails. The inverse-vector smoothing is simple to implement and more computational efficient. The resultant dips and azimuths are spatially consistent and thus more interpretable and suitable for calculation of curvature and other dip based attributes.
Claims14
A method using a computer-based system having a processor and a memory for determining an average direction of a plurality of vectors corresponding to seismic data stored in the memory, where the seismic data can be noisy or scattered, comprising the steps of:
- a) determining an initial guide direction of the plurality of vectors to be a current guide direction using the processor;
- b) obtaining an inverse-vector of the plurality of vectors opposite to the current guide direction;
- c) computing a current average direction within a neighborhood of the plurality of vectors using the inverse-vector;
- d) setting the current average direction as the current guide direction;
- e) repeating the steps b-d until the current average direction leads to convergence within a predetermined threshold, with the convergent being the determined average direction, thereby smoothing the seismic data to obtain a smoothed vector corresponding to a dip and an azimuth;
- and
- f) outputting the smoothed seismic data.
A computer-based system having a processor for determining an average direction of a plurality of vectors corresponding to seismic data where the seismic data can be noisy or scattered, comprising:
- a memory for storing the seismic data;
- a processor including:
- means for determining an initial guide direction of the plurality of vectors to be a current guide direction;
- means for obtaining an inverse-vector of the plurality of vectors opposite to the current guide direction;
- means for computing a current average direction within a neighborhood of the plurality of vectors using the inverse-vector;
- means for setting the current average direction as the current guide direction;
- and
- means for repeating the application of the means for obtaining an inverse, means for computing a current average direction, and means for setting the current average direction until the current average direction leads to convergence within a predetermined threshold, with the convergent being the determined average direction, thereby smoothing the seismic data to obtain a smoothed vector corresponding to a dip and an azimuth;
- and
- means for outputting the smoothed seismic data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.