US3671929A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Conversion of seismic depth sections to seismic time sections
Assignee: Mobil Oil AS
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Filing: 1970-01-20
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Granted: 1972-06-20
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Expires: 1990-01-20
Abstract
Abstract In seismic exploration, a seismic time section is generated in a form which can be compared to the original seismic traces. In the preliminary processing, a seismic depth section is generated to specify the velocity, thickness and depth of each reflecting zone of the subsurface formation. For a particular reflecting zone, the coordinates of sampling points along the interface are generated. The ray path, normal to a sampling point and extending through successive layers to a surface coordinate point, is determined. From the velocity and thickness of each zone, the travel time of seismic energy between the sampling point and the surface coordinates is computed. Travel times are plotted as a function of the surface coordinates to generate a travel time curve. The foregoing procedure is repeated for succeeding reflecting zones to generate a time section which can be compared to the original seismic traces.
Inventors
- 👤 William H Ruehle
- 👤 John D Hodge Jr
- 👤 William C Gray
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 21:01
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01V; G01V1/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
In seismic exploration wherein seismic traces represent the arrival time of seismic reflections, the method of utilizing an automatic computing system and plotting means comprising: converting said seismic traces to a seismic depth section representing the interval velocity, depth, and dip of the reflecting zones of a subsurface formation, and converting said seismic depth section to a seismic time section representing the travel times to the reflecting zones as functions of the subsurface coordinates along the line of exploration.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
In seismic exploration wherein seismic traces represent the arrival time of seismic reflections, the method of utilizing an automatic computing system and plotting means comprising: converting said seismic traces to a seismic depth section representing the interval velocity, depth, and dip of the reflecting zones of a subsurface formation, and converting said seismic depth section to a seismic time section representing the travel times to the reflecting zones as functions of the subsurface coordinates along the line of exploration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
204 words
In seismic exploration wherein the interval velocity, depth and dip of each reflecting zone of a subsurface formation are automatically determined from seismic traces representing the arrival time of seismic reflections, the method of utilizing an automatic computing system and plotting means to generate a seismic time section in a form which can be compared to the original seismic traces comprising: a. for a particular reflecting zone, generating, in said computing system, the coordinates of sampling points along the interface of said reflecting zone, b. generating, in said computing system, the ray path at each of said sampling points extending through successive layers to a surface coordinate point representing the surface of the earth, c. computing, in said computing system, from the velocity and thickness of each zone, the travel time for seismic energy to travel between the sampling point and the surface coordinate, d. plotting, with said plotting means, said time as a function of said surface coordinates to generate a travel time curve for the particular reflecting zone, and e. repeating the foregoing steps for succeeding reflecting zones to generate a time section representing a travel time to the reflecting zones as functions of the surface coordinates along a line of exploration.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
204 words
In seismic exploration wherein the interval velocity, depth and dip of each reflecting zone of a subsurface formation are automatically determined from seismic traces representing the arrival time of seismic reflections, the method of utilizing an automatic computing system and plotting means to generate a seismic time section in a form which can be compared to the original seismic traces comprising: a. for a particular reflecting zone, generating, in said computing system, the coordinates of sampling points along the interface of said reflecting zone, b. generating, in said computing system, the ray path at each of said sampling points extending through successive layers to a surface coordinate point representing the surface of the earth, c. computing, in said computing system, from the velocity and thickness of each zone, the travel time for seismic energy to travel between the sampling point and the surface coordinate, d. plotting, with said plotting means, said time as a function of said surface coordinates to generate a travel time curve for the particular reflecting zone, and e. repeating the foregoing steps for succeeding reflecting zones to generate a time section representing a travel time to the reflecting zones as functions of the surface coordinates along a line of exploration.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
129 words
The method recited in claim 2 wherein said reflecting zones are displayed in the form of a seismic depth section on a display device in a computer graphics system, said method further comprising: generating, in said computing system, in response to the selection of a point on said seismic depth section by the use of an interactive device, the coordinates of said point on said seismic depth section, performing the aforementioned steps of generating the ray path and computing the travel time between said point and the corresponding surface coordinate point, and displaying on a display device said seismic time section with an indication of the travel time computed in the preceding step, said indication corresponding to the point on the seismic depth section selected by said interactive device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method recited in claim 2 wherein said subsurface formation includes a fault, said method further comprising: generating the coordinates of sample points around said fault, repeating steps (b) and (c) of claim 3 for each sampling point around said fault, and plotting the travel times computed in the preceding step to generate a travel time curve for said fault.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
97 words
The method recited in claim 2 performed on a computer graphics system in which said reflecting zones are displayed in the form of a seismic depth model on a display device and wherein a fault has been indicated on said seismic depth section by tracing said fault on said display device with an interactive device, said method further comprising: generating the coordinates of sample points around said fault, and repeating steps (b) and (c) of claim 2 to generate the arrival time of seismic energy reflected from said fault and received at the surface of the earth.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method recited in claim 2 wherein the step of generating the ray path includes: generating a ray path from said sampling point normal to the interface and at an angle specified by the dip of thE reflecting zone, and at successive layers generating a ray path specified by Snell''s Law at each interface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method recited in claim 2 wherein the step of plotting is performed on an automatic plotter producing a hard copy output of said time section.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method recited in claim 2 wherein the step of plotting is performed on a cathode ray tube type of display device producing a visible display of the time section on the face of said display device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-06-20 | 1975-12-20 | 1976-06-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-06-20 | 1979-12-20 | 1980-06-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-06-20 | 1983-12-20 | 1984-06-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |