Automatic fault tracking across seismic volumes via tracking vectors

Abstract

The identification of reservoir regions has a close relationship with the detection of faults in seismic volumes. However, only relying on human intervention, most fault detection algorithms are inefficient. In this paper, we present a new technique that automatically tracks faults across a 3D seismic volume. To implement automation, we propose a two-way fault line projection based on estimated tracking vectors. In the tracking process, projected fault lines are integrated into a synthesized line as the tracked fault line, through an optimization process with local geological constraints. The tracking algorithm is evaluated using real-world seismic data sets with promising results. The proposed method provides comparable accuracy to the detection of faults explicitly in every seismic section, and it also reduces computational complexity.