Method for geophysical and geological interpretation of seismic volumes using chronological panning

A computer-implemented method of searching and analyzing a seismic data volume acquired in a seismic survey to determine potential for hydrocarbon accumulations in an associated subsurface region, comprising:

• obtaining surfaces describing the seismic data volume;
• enumerating the surfaces;
• defining one or more intervals in a volume in which the surfaces are enumerated;
• selecting at least one surface associated with each of the one or more intervals;
• for each interval, augmenting, b a computer processor, the at least one surface when the surface does not substantially cover an area associated with the seismic data volume, said augmenting being performed until all selected surfaces in each selected interval substantially cover the area, wherein substantially is judged against a pre-selected criterion;
• and
• for each interval, displaying the surface, with geologic or geophysical data associated therewith, for visual inspection or interpretation, or saving digital representations thereof to computer memory or data storage.

A non-transitory machine readable medium containing computer instructions or code stored therein for causing a computer processor to perform a method comprising:

• obtaining surfaces describing a seismic data volume that represents a subsurface region;
• enumerating the surfaces;
• selecting at least one enumerated surface;
• augmenting the at least one selected surface when the selected surface does not substantially cover an area associated with the seismic data volume, said augmenting being performed until all selected surfaces substantially cover the area, wherein substantially is judged against a pre-selected criterion;
• and
• displaying the at least one selected surface, with geologic or geophysical data associated therewith, for visual inspection or interpretation, or saving digital representations thereof to computer memory or data storage.