The Leading Edge; April 2001; v. 20; no. 4;
p. 386-395; DOI: 10.1190/1.1438956
© 2001 Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Rapid 3-D screening with seismic terrain
deepwater Gulf of Mexico examples
Larry R. Beyer
Burlington Resources, Houston, Texas, U.S.
Corresponding author: L. R. Beyer, lbeyer@br-inc.com
| The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.
|
What is a seismic terrain? A spectacular aerial view of surface outcrop terrain (Figure 1) shows the plunge of an anticline rimmed with flatirons. The field geologist can ascertain, at a glance, the dip and frequency of bedding and can gain an immediate sense of underlying structure. This experience is very similar to that gained by viewing a 3-D seismic terrain generated from time-slice instantaneous phase (Figure 2). Creating a seismic terrain map or 3-D visualization is a simple technique done with little or no interpretation other than extracting phase data and transforming them into two-way time. This technique allows geologists and geophysicists to routinely view the seismic volume in a realistic terrainlike display. This shortens the evaluation time for large 3-D surveys by quickly drawing attention to structurally prospective areas.
View larger version (159K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 1. Outcrop in Wyoming exhibits similar physiology to seismic terrain generated from instantaneous phase of 3-D time slice.
|
|
View larger version (134K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 2. The blue cloud of gas-filled turbidite channel amplitudes winds its way along the axis of a plunging salt wing. Screening for prospects is eased when seismic attributes are set in the structural context of an outcroplike time-slice seismic terrain. This example is from the Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico.
|
|
Moreover, strong amplitude data viewed in combination with 3-D seismic terrain can indicate hydrocarbons. In fact, the blue "cloud" of amplitude in this example is the producing zone of a large gas accumulation in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. A close-in view (Figure 3) shows that detail is preserved and adds valuable information about reservoir continuity. The essence of a potential prospect can be illuminated or the nature of previous success understood and clearly conveyed to others with little or no interpretation up to that point.
View larger version (121K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 3. A close-in view of part of Figure 2. . . . [Full Text of this Article] |
|
Copyright © 2009 by Society of Exploration Geophysicists
