Patent Document ID: 9798027
Application ID: 14353743
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. An automated method for identifying subsurface locations with hydrocarbon potential from a seismic data volume, comprising: obtaining a seismic data volume, wherein a plurality of voxels form an entirety of the seismic data volume; dividing, with a computer, the seismic data volume into two or more groupings that collectively span every one of the plurality of voxels, each grouping representing a different subsurface location and including regions other than those predefined as being hydrocarbon opportunities; using the computer to apply, to each of the two or more groupings that collectively span every one of the plurality of voxels and include regions other than those predefined as being hydrocarbon opportunities, one or more algorithms that define, in a quantitative way, and compute at least two direct hydrocarbon indicators from the seismic data volume; using the computer to evaluate the two or more groupings for hydrocarbon potential based on applying one or more selected criteria to the computed direct hydrocarbon indicators; and generating, with the computer, one or more images or volumes identifying regions corresponding to the computed direct hydrocarbon indicators.