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Seismic FAQ

The following are common questions about working with seismic.

How do I display the Tie Diagnostics window on a seismic section?

You must first create a fence display of line segments.

When I make a pick on a seismic section or try to modify an existing horizon, a message opens saying “Couldn't write to pick file!”

This message indicates that either the project directory has files with read-only attributes applied to them, or there is a problem with modify/write permission on the project folder.

In Windows Explorer, remove read-only attributes from all files and sub-folders within the project. You can only change the attributes after the project is copied to your hard drive from the CD.

When I display my seismic section, why don't the well symbols intersections appear across the top of the section?

By default, WinPICS only displays well intersections on the seismic to the nearest 3D bin location. Follow these steps to change that default:

1. From the Application toolbar, select Preference | Project Preferences to open the Project Preferences dialog box.
2. Select the Map & Units tab.
3. Clear the Only Project to 3D’s Nearest Bin check box. WinPICS will now use the value in the Radius field above to display the intersections.

I can post my horizon and see it on the map, but why doesn't it appear on the seismic section?

There are two possible explanations:

• The horizon is hidden - Use the Layer Manager bar to select and view the horizon layer.
• There is an overlapping 3D area with no horizon picks - Hover your cursor over the 3D area and press <B> on your keyboard to push the 3D area to the back of the display.

When I import a 2D version of a line, why does it appear as an overlapping line on the map instead of a version of the line?

Lines imported using SEG-Y import display as overlapping lines. Follow these steps to import 2D lines and 3D areas using the version import option, instead of the SEG-Y import option:

1. Create a temporary folder in your project.
2. Open this folder in WinPICS and use version import for SEG-Y files to load your version.
3. Go back to the original project and, on the Application toolbar, select Import | Import Seismic Versions.
4. Browse the temporary folder, and select the data file for the line or area. ( 8y0, or yd0, or fy0 depending on the data type).

I imported a 2D version of a line and the horizons do not display in the right location on the seismic. Why?

The original line in the project has a static shift applied to it prior to importing the seismic version. You can try the following solutions:

• Remove the static prior to importing the version and reapply the static afterwards.
• Apply the same static to the version in the temporary directory before bringing it across as a version.

How can I prevent manual forced picks from storing zero amplitude?

You must disable the default horizon picking option.

1. On the Seismic menu, select Preferences | Data Window Preferences to open the Seismic Preferences dialog box.
2. Click on the Seismic Misc. tab.
3. Clear the Manual Picks Have Zero Amplitude check box.

How can I change my seismic wiggle fill color?

Follow these steps:

1. On the Seismic menu, select Preferences | Data Window Preferences to open the Seismic Preferences dialog box.
2. Click on the Display Mode tab.
3. Click <Wiggle Area Fill Color> to open the Color window, where you can select a different color. WinPICS will not apply the change until you close and reopen the Seismic window.

I applied a phase rotation in the Tie Diagnostics dialog box. Why didn't this create a new SEG-Y version?

When you apply a phase rotation or BandPass filters to the data, WinPICS displays the changes immediately, rather than creating a new SEG-Y version.

How can I change the display scale on the Seismic window that is currently open?

Follow these steps:

1. On the Seismic menu bar, select Display | Zoom | Zoom to Scale to open the Seismic Display Options dialog box.
2. Select the Seismic Scales tab.
3. Set a new value for Traces Per Inch.
4. Set a new value for Inches Per Second.
5. Click <Apply>. WinPICS updates the Seismic window to the new scale.

How do I reduce the thickness of my horizons in the Seismic window?

Follow these steps:

1. On the Seismic menu, select Preferences | Data Window Preferences to open the Seismic Preferences dialog box.
2. Click on the Seismic Misc. tab.
3. Change the value for Multiply Thickness By from 2 to 1. This will reduce the horizon thickness by half.

How do I export a 3D inline or crossline to a SEG-Y file?

Follow these steps:

1. In the Map window, create and display a fence segment along the selected inline or crossline.
2. On the Seismic menu bar, select Select | Fence | Save to SEGY File.

• Only single fence segments can be exported to SEG-Y.

When I display a fence, how do I remove the gap between fence segments?

Follow these steps:

1. On the Seismic menu, select Preferences | Data Window Preferences to open the Seismic Preferences dialog box.
2. Click on the Display Mode tab.
3. Set the value for Fence Gap to 0. This will create a seamless seismic display between fence segments.

• You will need to display the fence again to apply the new setting.