Patent Document ID: 20120029827
Application ID: 12845958
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for performing seismic interpretation of a subterranean formation, comprising: displaying seismic data in a structural domain representing an interaction of seismic wave propagation with a plurality of geological layers in the subterranean formation, wherein the plurality of geological layers comprises deformations caused by a plurality of structural events; performing, in response to displaying the seismic data, a seismic interpretation to identify a first portion of the seismic data relating to a first geological layer of the plurality of geological layers, wherein the first portion of the seismic data is designated as a first interpreted layer; performing, using a processor of a computer system, a first structural restoration by: determining a first layer mapping based on an effect of the deformations on the first interpreted layer; generating a first restored layer by applying the first layer mapping to the first interpreted layer for removing the effect of the deformations on the first interpreted layer; determining a first de-compaction mapping based on a compaction effect of the first geological layer on a first remaining portion of the seismic data corresponding to geological layers beneath the first geological layer in the plurality of geological layers; and generating first de-compacted seismic data by applying the first de-compaction mapping to the first remaining portion of the seismic data for removing the compaction effect of the first geological layer; generating a first structurally restored domain by applying the first layer mapping and the first de-compaction mapping to the structural domain; and displaying first converted seismic data in the first structurally restored domain representing the subterranean formation at a first geologic time corresponding to a time of deposition of the first geological layer, wherein the first converted seismic data comprises the first restored layer and the first de-compacted seismic data.