Interpolating Sparse Seismic Data via Horizon-Guided Inverse Distance Weighting

SUMMARY

In frontier areas, 3D seismic surveys are sometimes unavailable due to their high operational costs, necessitating the use of 2D seismic surveys. However, 2D seismic surveys are generally not ideal for accurate interpretation because of their limited spatial coverage, leading to a growing need to interpolate 2D seismic surveys to generate 3D data volumes. Interpolating 2D seismic data to 3D is challenging due to large spatial gaps between seismic lines, which can span up to several kilometres.

This study presents a method that combines inverse distance weighting (IDW) with pre-defined horizons to guide the interpolation process and ensure geological consistency. By leveraging horizon information, the proposed method effectively fills large gaps in 2D seismic data and generates a 3D seismic data volume, preserving structural continuity across the seismic volume. The method was successfully applied to a real dataset from the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), demonstrating its effectiveness in interpolating sparse seismic data from 2D seismic surveys.