Method for finding horizons in 3d seismic data

Abstract

A method of rapidly generating horizon maps from a three dimensional volume of seismic traces is disclosed. During batch processing of the digital data representing trace wavelets, '1''s or '0''s are determined for each seismic trace of the volume. A '1' at a depth of a trace indicates that a horizon exists at that depth and at other depths of '1''s of adjacent traces which are within a predetermined depth. In a real time mode, an explorationist selects a seed point thereby identifying a '1' on a particular trace at a particular depth. An automatic scanning procedure finds all other '1''s at depths of adjacent traces. Each found '1' of adjacent traces is redesignated a seed point and the process is continued until no more '1''s can be found. A horizon map is created from the depths of each found '1'. A record is maintained of parent and child bits whereby seed bits are designated as parent bits and each found bit is designated a child bit. Such parent-child information is useful in editing of horizon maps created by the method. Numerical attributes of the wavelets at the depths of the 1 bits are stored as a function of the depths of the bits, thereby reducing required storage space.