Horizon autopicking

Abstract

The fundamental value of horizon autopicking is that it quickly and accurately performs straightforward event correlations (in the words of C. Hewitt Dix, those correlations that “almost anyone can understand”), thereby allowing an interpreter to devote greater attention to more difficult and complex problems. In “Modern 3-D seismic interpretation” (TLE, 1998), Dorn thoroughly describes autopicking (also known as autotracking) as one of the most important tools available to an interpreter for efficient and accurate interpretation of a 3-D volume. He remarks on the importance of knowing the type of autopicker being used (feature versus correlation tracking) and the path it follows through the data. An interpreter's lack of attention to either of these elements of autopicking, or failure to assess the suitability of a data set for autopicking, can give rise to serious interpretation pitfalls. The pitfalls discussed in this paper are proper selection of the input control grid for autopicking, the “directional” behavior of autopickers, autopicking in areas with low signal/noise, and recognition of elements of geology that are not suitable for interpretation by auto-picking.