Imaging Digital Well-logs in 3-D Virtual Reality: Investigation of Northern Louisiana Wilcox Fluvial/Coal Strata for Coalbed Natural Gas

We are developing a 3-D geographical information system (GIS)of northern Louisiana. Presently, we have digitized over 700 well-logs and are developing in parallel two different 3-D systems. One system is a 3-D system developed in the Center for Advanced Computer Studies (CACS) at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in which we have the well-logs "hung" below a shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) surface. Presently this system may be viewed and manipulated in the six-sided digital total immersive system (TIS) of the 3-D immersive visualization and high-performance computing center in Lafayette, Louisiana (Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise - LITE). However, we are still developing interpretation schemes applicable to this data set in this environment.

The other system is based upon Seismic Micro-Technology's VuPak. In this system we have well-logs and several interpreted horizons displayed in full 3-D within which we can interact with and interpret the data. However, we cannot yet display or interact with this system in the TIS at LITE.

Our goal is to develop one or both systems so that we can view and interpret the 3-D data within the TIS in LITE. It is our belief that interpretation within fully immersive, interactive 3-D virtual reality space will allow us to understand the difficult to interpret fluvial Wilcox formation of northern Louisiana more quickly and thoroughly than is otherwise possible. We are creating a fully interactive 3-D GIS within which we can store and interact with not only the well-logs but other data such as production, geochemistry, geophysics etc.

Our present interest is coalbed natural gas in northern Louisiana; however, we have digitized most of the deepest wells, top to bottom, and the data set is broadly applicable.

We will display our data in the two systems in dual projector 3-D and will supply 3-D glasses.