System and method for perturbing an initial horizon-picking solution to follow local features of a volume
A horizon-picking solution for a geological volume of interest is determined. To determine the horizon-picking solution, a plurality of horizons through the geological volume of interest included in an initial horizon-picking solution are perturbed to more closely follow the local character of measured data related to the geological volume of interest. In particular, the horizons may be perturbed simultaneously by blending the initial solution with a secondary horizon-picking solution that automatically identifies a plurality of horizons through the geological volume of interest that follow the measured data related to the geological volume of interest.
1. A method of determining a horizon-picking solution within a geological volume of interest, the method comprising:
obtaining volume information representing a geological volume of interest;
obtaining an initial horizon-picking solution for the geological volume of interest derived from the volume information, wherein the initial horizon-picking solution includes an initial set of horizons through the geological volume of interest; and
determining a final horizon-picking solution for the geological volume of interest to obtain a final set of horizons through the geological volume of interest by perturbing the horizons in the initial set of horizons simultaneously to follow local features of the geological volume of interest represented in the volume information using the following equation:
E
=
[
[
ɛ
W
s
(
τ
)
S
W
d
(
τ
)
W
d
(
τ
)
]
[
I
▽
x
▽
y
]
τ
-
[
τ
0
p
x
(
τ
)
p
y
(
τ
)
]
]
2
where S is a smoothing operator, ε is a smoothing parameter, W d is a diagonal weight applied to a dip fitting goal, W s is a diagonal weight applied to a stratal slicing goal, I is an identity matrix, τ is the final horizon-picking solution, and τ 0 is the initial horizon-picking solution.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein perturbing the horizons in the initial set of horizons comprises fitting the initial horizon-picking solution to a secondary horizon-picking solution that is configured to simultaneously determine horizons through the geological volume of interest that correspond to local features represented in the volume information.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the secondary horizon-picking solution simultaneously determines horizons through the geological volume of interest by identifying horizons such that, if the individual horizons are considered to correspond to different geologic times, a ratio of the change of geologic time over the change in position in the horizontal plane is fit to horizon dip.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volume information includes a model of the geological volume of interest derived from seismic data acquired at or near the geological volume of interest.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining one or more perturbation parameters that impact the perturbation of the initial solution.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more perturbation parameters comprise one or more of a smoothing parameter, a weighting parameter, or a discontinuity information specifying the spatial location of a horizon discontinuity within the geological volume of interest.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial solution comprises a strata slicing solution in which one or more horizons have been interpolated or extrapolated from one or more reference horizons included in the initial solution.
8. Machine-readable, non-transient, electronic storage storing processor-executable instructions for performing a method of determining a horizon-picking solution within a geological volume of interest, the method comprising:
obtaining volume information representing a geological volume of interest;
obtaining an initial horizon-picking solution for the geological volume of interest derived from the volume information, wherein the initial horizon-picking solution includes an initial set of horizons through the geological volume of interest; and
determining a final horizon-picking solution for the geological volume of interest to obtain a final set of horizons through the geological volume of interest by perturbing the horizons in the initial set of horizons simultaneously to follow local features of the geological volume of interest represented in the volume information using the following equation:
E
=
[
[
ɛ
W
s
(
τ
)
S
W
d
(
τ
)
W
d
(
τ
)
]
[
I
▽
x
▽
y
]
τ
-
[
τ
0
p
x
(
τ
)
p
y
(
τ
)
]
]
2
where S is a smoothing operator, ε is a smoothing parameter, W d is a diagonal weight applied to a dip fitting goal, W s is a diagonal weight applied to a stratal slicing goal, I is an identity matrix, τ is the final horizon picking solution, and τ 0 is the initial horizon solution.
9. The electronic storage of claim 8 , wherein perturbing the horizons in the initial set of horizons comprises fitting the initial horizon-picking solution to a secondary horizon-picking solution that is configured to simultaneously determine horizons through the geological volume of interest that correspond to local features represented in the volume information.
10. The electronic storage of claim 9 , wherein the secondary horizon-picking solution simultaneously determines horizons through the geological volume of interest by identifying horizons such that, if the individual horizons are considered to correspond to different geologic times, a ratio of the change of geologic time over the change in position in the horizontal plane is fit to horizon dip.
11. The electronic storage of claim 8 , wherein the volume information includes a model of the geological volume of interest derived from seismic data acquired at or near the geological volume of interest.
12. The electronic storage of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises obtaining one or more perturbation parameters that impact the perturbation of the initial solution.
13. The electronic storage of claim 12 , wherein the one or more perturbation parameters comprise one or more of a smoothing parameter, a weighting parameter, or a discontinuity information specifying the spatial location of a horizon discontinuity within the geological volume of interest.
14. The electronic storage of claim 8 , wherein the initial solution includes one or more horizons that have been interpolated or extrapolated from one or more reference horizons included in the initial solution.
15. A system configured to determine a horizon-picking solution within a geological volume of interest, the system comprising:
one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising:
a volume information module configured to obtain volume information representing a geological volume of interest;
an initial solution module configured to obtain an initial horizon-picking solution for the geological volume of interest derived from the volume information, wherein the initial horizon-picking solution includes an initial set of horizons through the geological volume of interest; and
a perturbation module configured to determine a final horizon-picking solution for the geological volume of interest by perturbing the horizons in the initial set of horizons simultaneously to follow local features of the geological volume of interest represented in the volume information using the following equation:
E
=
[
[
ɛ
W
s
(
τ
)
S
W
d
(
τ
)
W
d
(
τ
)
]
[
I
▽
x
▽
y
]
τ
-
[
τ
0
p
x
(
τ
)
p
y
(
τ
)
]
]
2
where S is a smoothing operator, ε is a smoothing parameter, W d is a diagonal weight applied to a dip fitting goal, W s is a diagonal weight applied to a stratal slicing goal, I is an identity matrix, τ is the final horizon picking solution, and τ 0 is the initial horizon solution.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the perturbation module is configured such that perturbing the horizons in the initial set of horizons comprises fitting the initial horizon-picking solution to a secondary horizon-picking solution that is configured to simultaneously determine horizons through the geological volume of interest that correspond to local features represented in the volume information.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the perturbation module is configured such that the secondary horizon-picking solution simultaneously determines horizons through the geological volume of interest by identifying horizons such that, if the individual horizons are considered to correspond to different geologic times, a ratio of the change of geologic time over the change in position in the horizontal plane is fit to horizon dip.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the volume information module is configured such that the volume information includes a model of the geological volume of interest derived from seismic data acquired at or near the geological volume of interest.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the computer program modules further comprise a parameter module configured to obtain one or more perturbation parameters that impact the perturbation of the initial solution by the perturbation module.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the parameter module is configured such that the one or more perturbation parameters comprise one or more of a smoothing parameter, a weighting parameter, or a discontinuity information specifying the spatial location of a horizon discontinuity within the geological volume of interest.
21. The system of claim 15 , wherein the initial solution module is configured such that the initial solution includes one or more horizons that have been interpolated or extrapolated from one or more reference horizons included in the initial solution.