Patent Document ID: 9214041
Application ID: 14420267
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for enhancing the determination, from a seismic image, of at least a portion of a seismic horizon in a three-dimensional domain comprising axes {right arrow over (X)}, {right arrow over (Y)}, {right arrow over (Z)}, said seismic horizon being a function of coordinates along axes {right arrow over (X)}, {right arrow over (Y)} in said three-dimensional domain, wherein said method comprises: receiving the seismic image, the seismic image having points associated with coordinates along axes {right arrow over (X)}, {right arrow over (Y)}, {right arrow over (Z)}; receiving a plurality of related control points associated with coordinates on axes {right arrow over (X)}, {right arrow over (Y)}, {right arrow over (Z)}; in a reference plane defined by axes {right arrow over (X)} and {right arrow over (Y)}, defining, for at least one related control point among the plurality of related control points, an associated reference point with coordinates along axes {right arrow over (X)}, {right arrow over (Y)}, among a plurality of reference points, the reference point having coordinates on axes {right arrow over (X)} and {right arrow over (Y)} identical to coordinates on axes {right arrow over (X)} and {right arrow over (Y)} of the related control point, defining pseudo-rectangles in said reference plane, each pseudo-rectangle comprising a reference point among a plurality of reference points; for each current pseudo-rectangle among the defined pseudo-rectangles: applying a diffeomorphic transformation F, said diffeomorphic transformation F: being a function of coordinates along {right arrow over (X)}, {right arrow over (Y)} and defining a new domain comprising axes {right arrow over (X′)}, {right arrow over (Y′)}, {right arrow over (Z)}; transforming points of the seismic image having coordinates along axes {right arrow over (X)}, {right arrow over (Y)} identical to coordinates along axes {right arrow over (X)}, {right arrow over (Y)} of points in said current pseudo-rectangle, said points of the seismic image including the related control point associated with the current pseudo-rectangle; transforming said current pseudo-rectangle into a corresponding rectangle; applying a horizon reconstruction algorithm to the transformed points, to determine a part of a transformed horizon, said part of a transformed horizon comprising the transformed related control point, the reconstruction of the seismic horizon comprising solving the Poisson equation Δ(δτ)=−div(r), where δτ is an unknown function of coordinates along axes {right arrow over (X′)}, {right arrow over (Y′)}, Δ denotes the Laplace operator in the new domain, div denotes the divergence vector operator in the new domain and r is a fixed function of coordinates along axes {right arrow over (X′)}, {right arrow over (Y′)}; computing a part of the horizon, said computing of a part of the horizon comprising applying an inverse diffeomorphic transformation F −1 to the determined part of a transformed horizon.