Improved Geological Inference from Seismic Data Using Composite, Colour-blended Seismic Attributes

Combining seismic attributes, such as the outputs of frequency decomposition, with 3 channel (RGB/CMY/HSV) colour blending has become a standard tool in seismic interpretation for highlighting depositional geometries. The techniques are powerful because they convey information in a highly intuitive manner and therefore provide a very efficient mechanism for developing an enhanced understanding of the imaged geology. However, the interpretation of information presented in this way is highly subjective and the results are difficult to calibrate. This is linked with the non-uniqueness of the causes of amplitude variations in seismic reflectivity data. Currently, there is a lot of work being done to determine whether examination of the seismic amplitude frequency spectrum can help resolve some of the ambiguities associated with conventional amplitude analysis. In this paper we look at additional methods for increasing the understanding that can be gained from frequency decomposition and colour blending of seismic attributes and examine whether extensions to these methods have the potential to allow objective analysis of the images produced for differentiation of fluid and thickness effects from 3D seismic data.