Method for processing three-dimensional seismic data to select and plot said data on a two-dimensional display surface

Claim 3

THe method of claim 1 wherein said visible display of said seismic event is an orthographic projection to said display plane of said coordinate positions within said computation plane.

Claim 4

In the method of claim 1 the additional step of causing said automatic machine to produce a visible display of said subsurface seismic reflector on said display plane with visible information representing an indication of the orthographic projection distance from each identified event common to said compared event selected directional traces by modifying the coordinate position of each displayed event in accordance with the angle between said computation plane and said display plane.

Claim 5

In the method of claim 1 the additional step of causing said automatic machine to produce a visible display of said subsurface seismic reflector on said display plane with visible information representing an indication of the azimuthal direction from said intersection of said surface spreads and the dip angle of said reflector within said subsurface with respect to the surface of said earth formation for each identified event common to said compared event selected traces, said azimuthal direction being determined by the angle between said computation plane and the vertical plane including one of said pair of spreads, and said dip angle being determined by time along one of said compared traces.

Claim 6

The method of claim 2 with the additional step of causing said automatic machine to display the projection direction with said visible display.

Claim 7

Apparatus for plotting on a display plane representing a cross section through an earth formation data representing subsurface seismic reflectors within said earth formation and derived from original reflection seismic data in the form of locational traces in a reproducible seismic record of amplitude-versus-arrival-time signals and detected at the surface of said earth formation with a surface spread configuration of geophone detectors arranged in a pair of spreads, said display plane having a known relationship with respect to said spreads, said spreads being generally aligned perpendicular to and intersecting each other, and said reflections being in response to seismic energy generated at said earth''s surface at a predetermined position with respect to said spread configuration, comprising an automatic machine having in combination: a. means for separately recording reproducible records in the form of said locational seismic traces of amplitude-versus-arrival-time signals, a separate record of side-by-side individual time-referenced traces being recorded for each of said pair of spreads; b. means for repeatedly reproducing said signals along all traces of a first of said records of locational seismic traces produced by a first spread of said pair of geophone spreads, each means including means operable in each repeated reproduction of said first record for systematically shifting the time reference of each trace with respect to its neighbor trace a predetermined incremental different amount of time shift, said means operable being adjustable so that each reproduction is at a different fixed incremental time shift and represents an alignment across said record of side-by-side traces for directionally distinct reflections; c. means for algebraically summing the instantaneous amplitude of said reproduced signals along said locational traces of said first record with each repeated reproduction so as to produce a plurality of different time-related summations, and means for recording said summations as a first set of side-by-side directional seismic traces of amplitude-versus-arrival-time signals, one directional trace being produced for each different time-related summation of said repeatedly reproduced locational traces, adjacent directional traces being identified by and representing adjacent directions for subsurface reflections to said first of said pair of spreads; d. means for separately processing each trace of said first set of diRectional seismic traces by separately comparing signals along each trace with signals occurring at the same time along traces representing adjacent directions and correlating similarities in compared signals as representations of seismic events, said processing means including means for selecting by said comparison and correlation those traces within said first set that contain reproducible signals representing seismic events identifying subsurface seismic reflectors in both time and direction with respect to said first of said pair of spreads, and further means energized by said selecting means in said processing means for reproducibly recording only said event-selected traces of said first set, including time and direction identification signals for said traces; e. means repeatedly reproducing said signals along all traces of the other of said records of locational seismic traces produced by the other spread of said pair of geophone spreads, said means including means operable in each repeated reproduction of said other of said records for systematically shifting the time reference of each trace with respect to its neighbor trace the same predetermined incremental different amount of time shift as employed in producing said first set of directional traces; f. means for algebraically summing the instantaneous amplitude of said reproduced signals along said locational traces of said other record with each repeated reproduction so as to produce a plurality of different time-related summations, a second set of directional seismic traces of amplitude-versus-arrival-time signals, one directional trace being produced for each different time-related summation of said repeatedly reproduced other locational traces, adjacent directional traces being identified by and representing adjacent directions for subsurface reflections to said other of said pair of spreads; g. means for separately processing each trace of said second set of directional seismic traces in sequence by separately comparing signals along each trace with signals occurring at the same time along traces representing adjacent directions and by correlating similarities in compared signals as representations of seismic events, said processing means including means for identifying by said comparison and correlation along each trace within said second set, as each trace is being separately processed, the presence of at least one reproducible signal representing a selected seismic event identifying a subsurface seismic reflector by both time and direction identification signals with respect to said other of said pair of spreads; h. means operable by said means for identifying a selectable event in said second set of directional seismic traces for repeatedly reproducing said trace containing a selected seismic event of said second set and, in sequence, each trace of said event-selected traces of said first set, and means for sequentially comparing signals along said repeatedly reproduced trace of said second set with signals along each of said reproducibly recorded event-selected traces of said first set to identify signal coincidence in compared signals along said compared traces, said means being operable to generate a coincidence pulse in response to said comparison for identifying electrical signals representing the same seismic event in two directional traces, one trace from each set; i. and means for resolving a computation plane, said means being energized by said directional identification signal of said repeatedly reproduced, event-selected trace of said second set and said directional identification signal of each of said sequentially reproduced, event-selected traces of said first set, said computation plane being that plane with respect to said first spread and said other spread that includes said compared event-selected directional trace of said first and second set, said computation plane thereby being resolved with respect to said display plane; j. means for generating representations oF coordinate positions within said computation plane from said arrival time and direction identification signals of events along said event-selected traces; and k. a plotting means for producing a visible display with respect to said display plane in accordance with said representations of coordinate positions within said computation plane including means for energizing said plotting means with said coincidence pulse so as to produce visible representations of said signals representing said same seismic event in said two event-selected directional traces on said display plane.

Claim 8

Apparatus for plotting on a display plane representing a cross section through an earth formation data representing subsurface seismic reflectors within said earth formation and derived from original reflection seismic data in the form of locational traces in a reproducible seismic record of amplitude-versus-arrival-time signals and detected at the surface of said earth formation with a surface spread configuration of geophone detectors arranged in a pair of spreads, said display plane having a known relationship with respect to said spreads, said spreads being generally aligned perpendicular to and intersecting each other, and said reflections being in response to seismic energy generated at said earth''s surface at a predetermined position with respect to said spread configuration, comprising an automatic machine having in combination: a. means for separately recording reproducible records in the form of said locational seismic traces of amplitude-versus-arrival-time signals, a separate record of side-by-side individual time-referenced traces being recorded for each of said pair of spreads; b. means for repeatedly reproducing said signals along all traces of a first of said records of locational seismic traces produced by a first spread of said pair of geophone spreads, each means including means operable in each repeated reproduction of said first record for systematically shifting the time reference of each trace with respect to its neighbor trace a predetermined incremental different amount of time shift, said means operable being adjustable so that each reproduction is at a different fixed incremental time shift and represents an alignment across said record of side-by-side traces for directionally distinct reflections; c. means for algebraically summing the instantaneous amplitude of said reproduced signals along said locational traces of said first record with each repeated reproduction so as to produce a plurality of different time-related summations, and means for recording said summations as a first set of side-by-side directional seismic traces of amplitude-versus-arrival-time signals, one directional trace being produced for each different time-related summation of said repeatedly reproduced locational traces, adjacent directional traces being identified by and representing adjacent directions for subsurface reflections to said first of said pair of spreads; d. means for separately processing each trace of said first set of diRectional seismic traces by separately comparing signals along each trace with signals occurring at the same time along traces representing adjacent directions and correlating similarities in compared signals as representations of seismic events, said processing means including means for selecting by said comparison and correlation those traces within said first set that contain reproducible signals representing seismic events identifying subsurface seismic reflectors in both time and direction with respect to said first of said pair of spreads, and further means energized by said selecting means in said processing means for reproducibly recording only said event-selected traces of said first set, including time and direction identification signals for said traces; e. means repeatedly reproducing said signals along all traces of the other of said records of locational seismic traces produced by the other spread of said pair of geophone spreads, said means including means operable in each repeated reproduction of said other of said records for systematically shifting the time reference of each trace with respect to its neighbor trace the same predetermined incremental different amount of time shift as employed in producing said first set of directional traces; f. means for algebraically summing the instantaneous amplitude of said reproduced signals along said locational traces of said other record with each repeated reproduction so as to produce a plurality of different time-related summations, a second set of directional seismic traces of amplitude-versus-arrival-time signals, one directional trace being produced for each different time-related summation of said repeatedly reproduced other locational traces, adjacent directional traces being identified by and representing adjacent directions for subsurface reflections to said other of said pair of spreads; g. means for separately processing each trace of said second set of directional seismic traces in sequence by separately comparing signals along each trace with signals occurring at the same time along traces representing adjacent directions and by correlating similarities in compared signals as representations of seismic events, said processing means including means for identifying by said comparison and correlation along each trace within said second set, as each trace is being separately processed, the presence of at least one reproducible signal representing a selected seismic event identifying a subsurface seismic reflector by both time and direction identification signals with respect to said other of said pair of spreads; h. means operable by said means for identifying a selectable event in said second set of directional seismic traces for repeatedly reproducing said trace containing a selected seismic event of said second set and, in sequence, each trace of said event-selected traces of said first set, and means for sequentially comparing signals along said repeatedly reproduced trace of said second set with signals along each of said reproducibly recorded event-selected traces of said first set to identify signal coincidence in compared signals along said compared traces, said means being operable to generate a coincidence pulse in response to said comparison for identifying electrical signals representing the same seismic event in two directional traces, one trace from each set; i. and means for resolving a computation plane, said means being energized by said directional identification signal of said repeatedly reproduced, event-selected trace of said second set and said directional identification signal of each of said sequentially reproduced, event-selected traces of said first set, said computation plane being that plane with respect to said first spread and said other spread that includes said compared event-selected directional trace of said first and second set, said computation plane thereby being resolved with respect to said display plane; j. means for generating representations oF coordinate positions within said computation plane from said arrival time and direction identification signals of events along said event-selected traces; and k. a plotting means for producing a visible display with respect to said display plane in accordance with said representations of coordinate positions within said computation plane including means for energizing said plotting means with said coincidence pulse so as to produce visible representations of said signals representing said same seismic event in said two event-selected directional traces on said display plane.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 with the additional means for producing a visible display of said subsurface seismic reflector on said display plane with visible information representing an indication of the orthographic projection direction and distance from each identified event common to said compared event-selected directional traces, said means being means energized by said means for resolving a computation plane and being operable to modify the coordinate position of each displayed event in accordance with the angle between said computation plane and said display plane.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 with the additional means for producing a visible display of said subsurface seismic reflector on said display plane with visible information representing an indication of the azimutha1 direction from said intersection of said surface spreads and the dip angle of said reflector within said subsurface with respect to the surface of said earth formation for each identified event common to said compared event-selected traces, said means being energized by said means for resolving a computation plane and being operable to produce a numerical representation of said azimuthal direction of said computation plane and the dip of said identified event within said computation plane being determined from said identification of time along one of said compared traces.

Claim 15

In the method of claim 10 the additional step of automatically machine-plotting a representation of said subsurface seismic reflector on a display surface along an orthographic projection of said machine-generated seismic ray path.

Claim 16

In the method of claim 10 the additional step of automatically machine-plotting a machine-generated representation of said subsurface seismic reflector on a display surface with machine-generated visible information representing an indication of the orthographic projection distance to said display surface from each correlated event along said machine-compared first and second directional seismic traces and along said machine-generated common ray path.

Claim 17

In the method of claim 10 the additional step of automatically machine-plotting a machine-generated representation of said subsurface seismic reflector on a display surface with machine-generated visible information representing an indication of dip angle for each correlated event along said machine-generated common ray path.

Claim 18

In the method of claim 10 the additional step of automatically machine-plotting a machine-generated representation of said subsurface seismic reflector on a display surface with machine-generated visible information representing an indication of strike angle for each correlated event along said machine-generated common ray path.

Claim 19

In the method of claim 10 the additional step of automatically machine-plotting a machine-generated representation of said subsurface seismic reflector on a display surface with visible information representing an indication of dip angle, strike angle and of the Orthographic projection distance to said display surface from each correlated event along said machine-generated common ray path.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15 with the additional step of automatically machine-generating and displaying the projection direction with said machine-plotted representations.

Claim 21

Apparatus for plotting a seismic cross section display of data representing subsurface seismic reflections within an earth formation from original reflection seismic data in the form of locational traces in a reproducible seismic record of time-varying information and detected at the surface of said earth formation with a surface spread configuration of geophone detectors arranged in a pair of spreads, said spreads being generally aligned perpendicular to each other, said reflections being in response to seismic energy generated at said earth''s surface at a predetermined position with respect to said spread configuration, comprising in combination: a. automatic means for separately recording reproducible records in the form of locational seismic traces for each of said pair of spreads; b. automatic means for repeatedly reproducing a first of said records of locat1onal seismic traces; c. automatic means for combining said repeatedly reproduced locational traces of said first record in a predetermined plurality of different time-related combinations to produce a first set of directional seismic traces from said combined locational traces; d. automatic event-selecting means for processing each of said first set of directional seismic traces to select traces within said first set containing seismic events identifying subsurface seismic reflectors and including means for separately recording and reproducing said selected traces of said first set; e. automatic means for repeatedly reproducing the other of said records of locational seismic traces; f. automatic means for combining said repeatedly reproduced locational traces of said other record in a predetermined plurality of different time-related combinations to produce a second set of directional seismic traces from said combined locational traces; g. automatic event-selecting means for processing each of said second set of directional seismic traces to identify traces within said second set containing at least one selected seismic event identifying subsurface seismic reflectors; h. automatic means for comparing each identified trace of said traces of said second set containing selected events with each of said separate reproducibly recorded selected traces of said first set; i. automatic ray path coordinate data generating means controlled by said means for processing said second set of directional seismic traces and by said means for recording and reproducing said selected directional traces of said first set and operable to generate time-related sequential coordinate data identifying consecutive positions along a simulated ray path followed by said seismic energy generated at the earth''s surface to said subsurface reflector and back to said spread configuration, said generated data representing a ray path for seismic energy capable of containing a selected event common to both a directional seismic trace of said first set and said identified directional seismic traces of said second set; j. automatic coincidence detector means for comparing said selected events on each identified trace of said second set of directional seismic traces controlling said ray path generating means and each of said stored traces containing selected events from said first set of directional seismic traces and simultaneously controlling said ray path generating means, and means in said automatic coincidence detector for producing a coincidence signal upon the occurrence of coincidence between a selected event on said first and second compared directional seismic traces; and k. an automatic plotter and means for energizing said plotter by said ray path coordinate data and said coincidencE signal from said coincidence detector to produce said seismic cross section display.

Claim 22

Apparatus for plotting a seismic cross section display of data representing subsurface seismic reflections within an earth formation from original reflection seismic data in the form of locational traces in a reproducible seismic record of time-varying information and detected at the surface of said earth formation with a surface spread configuration of geophone detectors arranged in a pair of spreads, said spreads being generally aligned perpendicular to each other, said reflections being in response to seismic energy generated at said earth''s surface at a predetermined position with respect to said spread configuration, comprising in combination: a. automatic means for separately recording reproducible records in the form of locational seismic traces for each of said pair of spreads; b. automatic means for repeatedly reproducing a first of said records of locat1onal seismic traces; c. automatic means for combining said repeatedly reproduced locational traces of said first record in a predetermined plurality of different time-related combinations to produce a first set of directional seismic traces from said combined locational traces; d. automatic event-selecting means for processing each of said first set of directional seismic traces to select traces within said first set containing seismic events identifying subsurface seismic reflectors and including means for separately recording and reproducing said selected traces of said first set; e. automatic means for repeatedly reproducing the other of said records of locational seismic traces; f. automatic means for combining said repeatedly reproduced locational traces of said other record in a predetermined plurality of different time-related combinations to produce a second set of directional seismic traces from said combined locational traces; g. automatic event-selecting means for processing each of said second set of directional seismic traces to identify traces within said second set containing at least one selected seismic event identifying subsurface seismic reflectors; h. automatic means for comparing each identified trace of said traces of said second set containing selected events with each of said separate reproducibly recorded selected traces of said first set; i. automatic ray path coordinate data generating means controlled by said means for processing said second set of directional seismic traces and by said means for recording and reproducing said selected directional traces of said first set and operable to generate time-related sequential coordinate data identifying consecutive positions along a simulated ray path followed by said seismic energy generated at the earth''s surface to said subsurface reflector and back to said spread configuration, said generated data representing a ray path for seismic energy capable of containing a selected event common to both a directional seismic trace of said first set and said identified directional seismic traces of said second set; j. automatic coincidence detector means for comparing said selected events on each identified trace of said second set of directional seismic traces controlling said ray path generating means and each of said stored traces containing selected events from said first set of directional seismic traces and simultaneously controlling said ray path generating means, and means in said automatic coincidence detector for producing a coincidence signal upon the occurrence of coincidence between a selected event on said first and second compared directional seismic traces; and k. an automatic plotter and means for energizing said plotter by said ray path coordinate data and said coincidencE signal from said coincidence detector to produce said seismic cross section display.

Claim 23

Apparatus for plotting a seismic cross section display of data representing subsurface seismic reflections within an earth formation from original reflection seismic data in the form of locational traces in a reproducible seismic record of time-varying information and detected at the surface of said earth formation with a surface spread configuration of geophone detectors arranged in a pair of spreads, said spreads being generally aligned perpendicular to each other, said reflections being in response to seismic energy generated at said earth''s surface at a predetermined position with respect to said spread configuration, comprising in combination: a. means for separately recording reproducible records in the form of locational seismic traces for each of said pair of spreads; b. means for repeatedly reproducing a first of said records of locational seismic traces; c. means for combining said repeatedly reproduced locational traces of said first record in a plurality of different time-related combinations to produce a first set of directional seismic traces from said combined locational traces; d. means for processing each of said first set of directional seismic traces to select traces within said first set containing seismic events identifying subsurface seismic reflectors and including means for recording and reproducing said selected traces of said first set; e. means for repeatedly reproducing the other of said records of locational seismic traces; f. means for combining said repeatedly reproduced locational traces of said other record in a plurality of different time-related combinations to produce a second set of directional seismic traces from said combined locational traces; g. means for processing each of said second set of directional seismic traces to identify traces within said second set containing at least one selected seismic event identifying subsurface seismic reflectors; h. means for comparing each identified trace of said traces of said second set containing selected events with each of said reproducibly recorded selected traces of said first set; i. ray path coordinate data generating means controlled by said means for processing said second set of directional seismic traces and by said means for recording and reproducing said selected directional traces of said first set and operable to generate time-related coordinate data identifying consecutive positions along a simulated ray path followed by said seismic energy from the earth''s surface to said subsurface reflector and back to said spread configuration, said generated data representing a ray path for seismic energy capable of containing a selected event common to both a directional seismic trace of said first set and said identified directional seismic traces of said second set; j. coincidence detector means for comparing said selected events on each identified trace of said second set of directional seismic traces controlling said ray path generating means and each of said stored traces containing selected events from said first set of directional seismic traces and simultaneously controlling said ray path generating means, and means in said coincidence detector for producing a coincidence signal upon the occurrence of coincidence between a selected event on said first and second compared directional seismic traces; and k. a plotter and means for energizing said plotter by said ray path coordinate data and said coincidence signal from said coincidence detector to produce said seismic cross section display.

Claim 24

Apparatus for plotting a seismic cross section display of data representing subsurface seismic reflections within an earth formation from original reflection seismic data in the form of locational traces in a reproducible seismic record of time-varying information and detected at the surface of said earth formation with a surface spread configuration of geophone detectors arranged in a pair of spreads, said spreads being generally aligned perpendicular to each other, said reflections being in response to seismic energy generated at said earth''s surface at a predetermined position with respect to said spread configuration, comprising in combination: a. means for separately recording reproducible records in the form of locational seismic traces for each of said pair of spreads; b. means for repeatedly reproducing a first of said records of locational seismic traces; c. means for combining said repeatedly reproduced locational traces of said first record in a plurality of different time-related combinations to produce a first set of directional seismic traces from said combined locational traces; d. means for processing each of said first set of directional seismic traces to select traces within said first set containing seismic events identifying subsurface seismic reflectors and including means for recording and reproducing said selected traces of said first set; e. means for repeatedly reproducing the other of said records of locational seismic traces; f. means for combining said repeatedly reproduced locational traces of said other record in a plurality of different time-related combinations to produce a second set of directional seismic traces from said combined locational traces; g. means for processing each of said second set of directional seismic traces to identify traces within said second set containing at least one selected seismic event identifying subsurface seismic reflectors; h. means for comparing each identified trace of said traces of said second set containing selected events with each of said reproducibly recorded selected traces of said first set; i. ray path coordinate data generating means controlled by said means for processing said second set of directional seismic traces and by said means for recording and reproducing said selected directional traces of said first set and operable to generate time-related coordinate data identifying consecutive positions along a simulated ray path followed by said seismic energy from the earth''s surface to said subsurface reflector and back to said spread configuration, said generated data representing a ray path for seismic energy capable of containing a selected event common to both a directional seismic trace of said first set and said identified directional seismic traces of said second set; j. coincidence detector means for comparing said selected events on each identified trace of said second set of directional seismic traces controlling said ray path generating means and each of said stored traces containing selected events from said first set of directional seismic traces and simultaneously controlling said ray path generating means, and means in said coincidence detector for producing a coincidence signal upon the occurrence of coincidence between a selected event on said first and second compared directional seismic traces; and k. a plotter and means for energizing said plotter by said ray path coordinate data and said coincidence signal from said coincidence detector to produce said seismic cross section display.