THREE‐DIMENSIONAL SEISMIC METHOD

The three‐dimensional seismic method is a different way of gathering and presenting seismic data. Instead of showing the subsurface beneath a profile line, 3-D displays give an, areal picture from the shallowest reflector to the deepest one that can be found seismically. Data are collected in the field with cross‐spreads that provide over 2000 evenly spaced depth points on each reflecting interface. Several variations of the cross‐spread technique give the same subsurface coverage while providing flexibility in data gathering. Because of the dense coverage, the method is best suited for problems requiring great detail, such as production problems. The usual presentation of 3-D data is a visual, moving display of emerging wavefronts covering four sq mi of surface. From this dynamic display, average velocity to each reflector and the dip direction and magnitude can be computed. The method has proved especially useful for the recognition of faults and determination of fault directions.