Patent ID: 7024021
Filing Date: 2006-04-04
Classification: G01V

Abstract:
1. A method for seed detection of seismic objects in a 3-D seismic data volume, said 3-D seismic data volume comprising a plurality of vertical seismic data traces, said method comprising the steps of: (a) determining the value of a preselected seismic attribute at a plurality of data points along each seismic data trace; (b) selecting a first set of criteria for classifying each seismic data trace based on said attribute values into trace segments that are either acceptable or unacceptable for inclusion in a seismic object; (c) selecting a second set of criteria for allowing or preventing lateral propagation of a seismic object from one seismic data trace to an adjacent seismic data trace, wherein the second set of criteria comprises at least one of multi-voxel structure, trace shape, vertical offset, trace-to-trace statistical correlation, a constraint on self-overlapping object growth and any combination thereof; (d) selecting an initial data point in said 3-D seismic data volume as a seed point and attempting to grow a seismic object around said seed point based on said first and second sets of criteria; (e) repeating step (d) for each other data point in said 3-D seismic data volume; and (f) outputting seismic objects that satisfy pre-selected criteria for minimum and maximum size.