Apparatus and method for trend analysis in graphical...

Image analysis – Applications – Seismic or geological sample measuring

Reexamination Certificate

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Reexamination Certificate

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06201884

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of data interpretation. In particular the invention relates to an apparatus and method for determining trends in recorded spatial data. More particularly, this invention relates to an automated method of plotting individual seismic events in a three-dimensional volume of seismic data with extreme accuracy to provide petroleum exploration professionals more detailed understanding of subsurface geology and geometry.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Faulting of stratigraphic subterranean formations creates hydrocarbon traps and flow channels. As a result, accurate identification of the fault curves and fault surfaces is essential to the interpretation of most seismic data volumes. Those persons involved in exploration to locate such hydrocarbon traps and flow channels in the formations use an interactive workstation on which is displayed sections of seismic data. The seismic data includes a plurality of fault curves or fault cuts, each fault cut representing the intersection of a fault surface with a horizontal “horizon” inherent in the seismic data. However, when using most existing workstation tools that include interactive computer programs, the interpretation of fault cuts on horizons in the seismic data is tedious and time consuming; that is, the workstation operator must view the seismic data volume on the workstation display, manually determine by viewing the seismic data where a plurality of horizons are located in the seismic data, and manually determine by viewing the plurality of horizons where a plurality of fault cuts are located in each of the plurality of horizons in the seismic data volume. For a particular vertical section, the workstation operator must carefully move a cursor over the entire length of an observed fault curve, pausing to click at points along the curve enough times so that connecting the points by straight line segments satisfactorily represents the entire curve. Then, this process must be repeated for each section on which the fault curve is desired, perhaps hundreds of sections. In map view, the intersection points of the fault curve and the horizon create a pair of points, called fault contact points. These points must be connected to render the trace of the fault. This manual method for determining the fault cuts in the horizons on the seismic data, aside from being very tedious and time consuming, produced an inconsistent set of results in terms of accuracy because the accuracy of the results depended upon the mental awareness of the workstation operator.
To automate this process various approaches have been proposed. For example, one such method and apparatus for automatically determining where a plurality of faults are located in the plurality of horizons in seismic data, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,320 to Simpson et al. In the Simpson et al patent, a seed fault is placed by a user in the seismic data, and a plurality of fault curves are determined, by a computer program executing in a workstation, in response to the seed fault placed by the user in the seismic data. The Simpson patent does not teach using the technique and apparatus for automatically determining where a plurality of horizons are located in seismic data.
Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for a more accurate method and apparatus adapted to be disposed in a computer workstation for automatically identifying fault cuts and horizons in seismic data from an input seismic data volume that contains a plurality of horizons and faults, in particular, an accurate method to connect fault contact points between adjacent seismic lines, where one or more fault cuts and horizons are located in the seismic data. In addition, there is also a need for a more accurate method and apparatus for identifying fault cuts and horizons in seismic data that gives the user finer control over the parameters used by the computer workstation and program operating therein to automatically identify fault cuts and horizons.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing needs of the prior art are satisfied by the present invention. The present invention is a workstation based apparatus and associated method for automatically identifying the fault and horizon contact points in a base map view of a seismic data volume and to draw fault lines on the seismic data displayed on the workstation to be analyzed by the user of the system. In addition, the user of the novel system described and claimed herein has the improved ability to interactively interface with the workstation apparatus and program operating therein to automatically identify the fault trace associated with the intersection of a fault and horizon in the base map view of a seismic data volume.
The improved ability to interactively interface with the workstation apparatus and program operating therein is provided by giving the user of the workstation the ability to define parameters to the program which are used in automatically searching for, identifying and displaying fault cuts and horizons within a seismic data volume displayed on the workstation monitor. More particularly, using a graphical tool called a widget herein that is displayed on the workstation monitor, the user can define to the program: (a) a point in the displayed seismic data volume which is to be used in automatically searching for, identifying, and displaying a particular fault trace within the seismic data volume; (b) the direction(s) in which the search, identification, and display of a particular fault trace within the seismic data volume should be performed; (c) the distance within which the search for adjacent fault contact points in the seismic data volume; and (d) the angle about the chosen search direction in which the search, identification, and display of a particular fault trace within the seismic data volume should be performed.
It is a feature of the present invention that an on-screen graphical tool (called a widget) be provided that permits a user to interactively set search parameters used for analysis of a seismic data volume to identify fault and horizon lines, and for the user to be able to quickly and easily change those parameters on the screen of a workstation display. The parameters are used by the novel software of the present invention in searching a seismic data volume that is displayed on the screen of a workstation to identify faults and horizons in the data.
It is another feature of the present invention that the on-screen graphical tool (widget) show the trend search parameters in a simple to understand graphical manner so that the user can quickly and easily see on-screen, and manually set using a workstation mouse, what data point of the seismic data volume will be used as the starting point for a trend search to identify faults and horizons in the seismic data volume.
It is another feature of the present invention that the on-screen graphical tool show the trend search parameters in a simple to understand graphical manner so that the user can quickly and easily see on-screen, and manually set, search parameters indicating the direction of a search from a user selected starting point, how far each step of a search will be performed for adjacent data points in a fault trace, within what angle the search will be performed on either side of the user indicated search direction, and to indicate whether a trend search is to be performed in one or both directions from the user selected starting point in the seismic data volume.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4713775 (1987-12-01), Scott et al.
patent: 5339392 (1994-08-01), Risberg et al.
patent: 5528735 (1996-06-01), Strasnick et al.
patent: 5537320 (1996-07-01), Simpson et al.
patent: 5798752 (1998-07-01), Buxton et al.
patent: 5861889 (1999-01-01), Wallace et al.
patent: 5873051 (1999-02-01), Van Bemmel et al.
patent: 5917486 (1999-06-01), Rylander
patent: 5995907 (1999-11-01), Van Bemmel et al.
patent: 6070125 (2000-05-01), Murphy et al.

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