Practical aspects of curvature computations from seismic horizons

Abstract

Identifying subtle faults at or below the limits of seismic resolution and predicting fractures associated with folds and flexures is one of the major objectives of careful seismic interpretation. With the common use of 3D seismic in the late 1980s, 1 derivative based horizon dip magnitude and dip azimuth were found to enhance faults that were otherwise difficult to see. More recently, 2 derivative based curvature maps have carried this process a step further. Recently, horizon-based curvature computation has become available in the commercial workstation environment, putting these tools in the hands of geoscientists who do not have access to processing software and do not have time or inclination to program. While more interpretationally intensive, horizonbased curvature workflows can be modified such that they can approximate some of the more important aspects of volumetric estimates of curvature, including improved accuracy and estimation of long wavelength curvature. Equally important, workstation scaling and display workflows need to be modified in order to reflect the dual polarity nature of most of the curvature measures.