Patent ID: 7769545
Filing Date: 2010-08-03
Classification: G01V

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method of determining information related to the formation of strata within a subsurface volume, the method comprising: obtaining computer-readable seismic information related to a subsurface volume that represents geological formations within the subsurface volume, wherein the parameters of the obtained seismic information include (i) a two-dimensional position in a surface plane, and (ii) a seismic time; analyzing, with a computer, obtained seismic information to automatically identify a set of horizons present within the subsurface volume that are represented by the obtained seismic information; determining, with the computer, a horizon volume from the seismic information, wherein the horizon volume maps the obtained seismic information into a flattened volume such that in the flattened volume, each of the identified horizons are shifted to be substantially coplanar with a surface defined by the horizon volume as an estimate of a single chronostratigraphic time, wherein the coordinates of the flattened volume are (i) a two-dimensional position in the surface plane, and (ii) a metric related to chronostratigraphic time; and determining, with the computer, and within the horizon volume, the derivative of seismic time with respect to chronostratigraphic time for a given chronostratigraphic time, thereby providing a strata formation metric related to a rate at which strata present at a surface in the flattened volume that corresponds to the given chronostratigraphic time was being formed at the given chronostratigraphic time.