Amoco Corporation

Bp Amoco Corporation

Steven L Farmer

Michael S Bahorich

Michael Stephen Bahorich

Kurt J Marfurt

R Lynn Kirlin

An apparatus and method for the exploration of hydrocarbons by obtaining a set of seismic signal traces distributed over a pre-determined three-dimensional volume of the earth and using a computer to: divide the three-dimensional volume into a plurality of vertically stacked and generally spaced apart horizontal slices; divide each of the slices into a plurality of cells having portions of at least three seismic traces located therein; measure the cross-correlation between one pair of traces lying in one vertical plane to obtain an in-line value and the cross-correlation between another pair of traces lying in another vertical plane to obtain a cross-line value; and combine the in-line value and the cross-line value to obtain one coherency value for each of the cells; and display the coherency values.

Seismic signal processing and exploration

A method, a map and an article of manufacture for the exploration of hydrocarbons. In one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the steps of: accessing 3D seismic data; dividing the data into an array of relatively small three-dimensional cells; determining in each cell the semblance/similarity, the dip and dip azimuth of the seismic traces contained therein; and displaying dip, dip azimuth and the semblance/similarity of each cell in the form a two-dimensional map. In one embodiment, semblance/similarity is a function of time, the number of seismic traces within the cell, and the apparent dip and apparent dip azimuth of the traces within the cell; the semblance/similarity of a cell is determined by making a plurality of measurements of the semblance/similarity of the traces within the cell and selecting the largest of the measurements. In addition, the apparent dip and apparent dip azimuth, corresponding to the largest measurement of semblance/similarity in the cell, are deemed to be estimates of the true dip and true dip azimuth of the traces therein. A color map, characterized by hue, saturation and lightness, is used to depict semblance/similarity, true dip azimuth and true dip of each cell; true dip azimuth is mapped onto the hue scale, true dip is mapped onto the saturation scale, and the largest measurement of semblance/similarity is mapped onto the lightness scale of the color map.

Method and apparatus for seismic signal processing and exploration

An apparatus for the exploration of hydrocarbons by obtaining a set of seismic signal traces distributed over a pre-determined three-dimensional volume of the earth and using a computer to: divide the three-dimensional volume into a plurality of vertically stacked and generally spaced apart horizontal slices; divide each of the slices into a plurality of cells having portions of at least three seismic traces located therein; measure the cross-correlation between one pair of traces lying in one vertical plane to obtain an in-line value and the cross-correlation between another pair of traces lying in another vertical plane to obtain a cross-line value; and combine the in-line value and the cross-line value to obtain one coherency value for each of the cells; and display the coherency values.

Apparatus for seismic signal processing and exploration

A method for the exploration of hydrocarbons, comprising the steps of: obtaining a set of seismic signal traces distributed over a pre-determined three-dimensional volume of the earth; dividing the three-dimensional volume into a plurality of vertically stacked and generally spaced apart horizontal slices; dividing each of the slices into a plurality of cells having portions of at least three seismic traces located therein; measuring the cross-correlation between one pair of traces lying in one vertical plane to obtain an in-line value and the cross-correlation between another pair of traces lying in another vertical plane to obtain a cross-line value; combining the in-line value and the cross-line value to obtain one coherency value for each of the cells; and displaying the coherency values.

Growing community of inventors

Tulsa, OK, United States of America

Steven L Farmer