Ministry of Higher Education and

Scientific Research
University of Technology
Petroleum Technology Department
Scientific
Report

Structural Interpretation from

Geophysical Data

Homam Mohammad Radhy

‫همام محمد راضي علوان‬
3rd Stage Morning
Geophysics
4/September/2020
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Structural Interpretation from Geophysical Data

The interpreter of structure needs to be able to judge when to use
and when to use vertical ones in the course of an horizontal sections
overall interpretive project.

Figure 1 demonstrates the conceptual relationship between a volume of

subsurface rock and a volume of seismic data. Consider the diagram first
to represent subsurface rocks and the gray surface to be a bedding plane.
The two visible vertical faces of the rectangular solid show the two dip
components of the plane; the horizontal face shows the strike of the
plane. Now consider the rectangular solid of Figure 1 to be the equivalent
volume of seismic data. The gray plane is now a dipping reflection and its
intersections with the three orthogonal faces of the solid show the two
components of dip and the strike as before. Hence the attitude of a
reflection on a horizontal section indicates directly the strike of the
reflecting surface.

Fig. 1. Relation between dip and strike of a seismic reflector within a data
volume.

Contours follow strike and indicate a particular level in time or depth.

When an interpreter picks a reflection on a horizontal section, it is
directly a contour on some horizon at the time (or depth) at which the
horizontal section was sliced through the data volume.

Figure 2 shows three horizontal sections, four milliseconds apart. By

following the semicircular black event (peak) from level to level and
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drawing contours at an appropriate interval, the structural contour map at

the bottom of Figure 2 was generated. In the central panel the peaks from
1352 ms are printed in black and the peaks from 1360 ms in blue/green.
This clearly demonstrates the way in which the events have moved with
depth.

Fig. 2. Dual polarity horizontal sections from offshore Holland; two level
single polarity horizontal section, showing movement of events
from 1352 ms to 1360 ms; interpreted contour map on horizon seen as
strongest event on horizontal sections.

References:

1. Blake, B. A., J. B. Jennings, M. P. Curtis, and R. M. Phillipson,

1982, Three-dimensional seismic data reveals the finer structural
details of a piercement salt dome: Offshore Technology
Conference Paper 4258, p. 403-406.
2. French, W. S., 1990, Practical seismic imaging: The Leading Edge,
v. 9, no. 8, p. 13-20. Johnson, J. P., and M. R. Bone, 1980,
Understanding field development history utilizing 3-D seismic:
Offshore Technology Conference Paper 3849, p. 473-475.
3. Stark, T. J., 1996, Surface slice generation and interpretation — a
review: The Leading Edge, v. 15, p. 818-819.