The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 25, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 02, 1998
Dennis B Neff, Bartlesville, OK (US);
John Richard Grismore, Bartlesville, OK (US);
William Allen Lucas, Bartlesville, OK (US);
Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, OK (US);
Abstract
A computer implemented method and apparatus is disclosed for automatically picking faults in a recorded 3D seismic trace data volume. The method employs test planes, which are mathematically inserted into the seismic data volume to approximate dip and azimuth of a potential fault plane surface. A large number of data points, which are selected points on the seismic traces, are defined within the seismic volume, such that each test plane positioned in the seismic volume contains data points corresponding to at least a significant portion of a trace. The method then determines a factor for each data point which is representative of the probability that the data point resides on a fault plane. This probability is based on planar discontinuity and average amplitude difference between corresponding traces in adjacent parallel test planes, and the method selects locations, in an x, y grid, of a strip of locations having high probability of residing on a fault surface. The strip of the selected locations is smoothed to a line and used to construct fault lineaments displays in seismic sections or time slices. The fault lineaments are stored in a computer data file, and conventional, stratigraphically enhanced, or other seismic data enhanced for seismic attributes is merged with the fault lineament files to create consolidated displays to aid interpretation of the data volume.