CPC G01V 1/302 (2013.01) [G01N 33/241 (2013.01); G01V 1/307 (2013.01); G01V 2210/1234 (2013.01); G01V 2210/512 (2013.01); G01V 2210/632 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |
1. A method of prospecting for hydrocarbons, the method comprising:
analysing seismic data to determine a possible location of hydrocarbons by determining a set of data tiles from a seismic data cube of seismic data; and
testing each data tile in the set of data tiles to determine whether it corresponds to a possible fluid contact;
wherein determining a set of data tiles from a seismic data cube of seismic data comprises:
(i) defining a sub-cube with a lateral size of a tile and comprising a plurality of traces;
(ii) selecting a tile candidate in the sub-cube, the tile candidate having an associated depth and dip;
(iii) summing all of the traces in the sub-cube into a single trace along the dip;
(iv) repeating steps (ii) and (iii) for all tile candidates in the sub-cube;
(v) confirming a tile candidate as a tile if the summed single trace shows a local amplitude maximum with respect to depth and dips; and
(vi) if a tile candidate is confirmed as a tile, storing the tile in a memory;
the method further comprising:
outputting a set of possible locations of hydrocarbons corresponding to one or more locations of fluid contacts; and
drilling for hydrocarbons at at least one of, or at a location within, the output set of locations.
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