Multitrace first-break picking using an integrated seismic and machine learning method

Abstract

Picking the first breaks from seismic data is often a challenging problem and still requires significant human effort. We have developed an iterative process that applies a traditional seismic automated picking method to obtain preliminary first breaks and then uses a machine learning (ML) method to identify, remove, and fix poor picks based on a multitrace analysis. The ML method involves constructing a convolutional neural network architecture to help identify poor picks across multiple traces and eliminate them. We then further refill the picks on empty traces with the help of the trained model. To allow training samples applicable to various regions and different data sets, we apply moveout correction with preliminary picks and address the picks in the flattened input. We collect 11,239,800 labeled seismic traces. During the training process, the model’s classification accuracy on the training and validation data sets reaches 98.2% and 97.3%, respectively. We also evaluate the precision and recall rate, both of which exceed 94%. For prediction, the results of 2D and 3D data sets that differ from the training data sets are used to demonstrate the feasibility of our method.