Automatic detection of karstic sinkholes in seismic 3D images using circular Hough transform

More than 30% of hydrocarbon reservoirs are reported in carbonates that mostly include evidence of fractures and karstification. Generally, the detection of karstic sinkholes prognosticate good quality hydrocarbon reservoirs where looser sediments fill the holes penetrating hard limestone and the overburden pressure on infill sediments is mostly tolerated by their sturdier surrounding structure. They are also useful for the detection of erosional surfaces in seismic stratigraphic studies and imply possible relative sea level fall at the time of establishment. Karstic sinkholes are identified straightforwardly by using seismic geometric attributes (e.g. coherency, curvature) in which lateral variations are much more emphasized with respect to the original 3D seismic image. Then, seismic interpreters rely on their visual skills and experience in detecting roughly round objects in seismic attribute maps. In this paper, we introduce an image processing workflow to enhance selective edges in seismic attribute volumes stemming from karstic sinkholes and finally locate them in a high quality 3D seismic image by using circular Hough transform. Afterwards, we present a case study from an on-shore oilfield in southwest Iran, in which the proposed algorithm is applied and karstic sinkholes are traced.