Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Exxon Production Research Company

Chul-Sung Kim

Mark Wayne Dobin

James E Holl

Yao-Chou Cheng

Dominique Gillard

Ross Whitaker

William G Powell

John F Schuette

Eric A Schmidtke

Thomas A Hauge

Roy W Brown

William R James

Christopher S Tapscott

William S Clendenen

Mark W Dobin

There is provided a system and method for creating model of a subsurface region based on multiple depth values. The method includes selecting seeds that represent a starting location within a desired horizon surfaces and generating a plurality of candidate horizons from the selected seeds. A number of depth values from the candidate horizons may be combined into a representative depth value and an uncertainty may be computed based on discrepancies among the depth values. A model of the subsurface region may be created using the depth values and the uncertainty.

Method of generating and combining multiple horizons to determine a seismic horizon and its uncertainty

Distinct paths (), e.g., locally optimal, are determined in a heterogeneous velocity field () between a source object and a target object () using gradients () of a two-way total arrival time field (). The foregoing technique may be used to assess hydrocarbon reservoir connectivity.

Method for determining distinct alternative paths between two object sets in 2-D and 3-D heterogeneous data

A method and system are described for identifying a geologic object through cross sections of a geologic data volume. The method includes obtaining a geologic data volume having a set of cross sections. Then, two or more cross sections are selected and a transformation vector is estimated between the cross sections. Based on the transformation vector, a geologic object is identified within the geologic data volume.

Tracking geologic object and detecting geologic anomalies in exploration seismic data volume

A method of creating a visual display based on a plurality of data sources is provided. An exemplary embodiment of the method comprises extracting a set of extracted data from the plurality of data sources and processing at least a portion of the extracted data with a set of knowledge agents according to specific criteria to create at least one data assemblage. The exemplary method also comprises providing an integrated two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) visual display in which at least one 2D element of the at least one data assemblage is integrated into a 3D visual representation using a mapping identifier and a criteria identifier.

Functional-based knowledge analysis in a 2D and 3D visual environment

A method is disclosed for determining the connectivity architecture of a hydrocarbon reservoir in terms of locally optimal paths between selected source points, e.g. wells. In one embodiment of the invention, a fast-marching method () is used to compute the distance field (or the time of arrival field) from N selected source points in a heterogeneous media, i.e. in a non-uniform velocity field. This is done by propagating N labeled () fronts simultaneously from N objects. Then, a method () is disclosed for detecting Voronoi curves or Voronoi surfaces, where fronts of differing labels meet each other. Then, saddle points are found on the Voronoi curves or surfaces (), and each saddle point is used to determine a locally optimal path () between a pair of equidistant (from the saddle point), closest (to the saddle point) source points.

Determining connectivity architecture in 2-D and 3-D heterogeneous data

Methods for analyzing the connected quality of a hydrocarbon reservoir are disclosed. A model of a portion of the reservoir is divided into cells, each cell having a volume and some attributes, and wherein a speed function is assigned to a portion of the cells. A reference cell is chosen. A connectivity between cells in the reservoir is determined by solving an Eikonal equation that describes the travel time propagation, said propagating front progressing outward from a reference cell until an ending condition is met, said Eikonal equation being solved by a fast marching method with propagation velocity as a function of spatial position being provided by the speed function. Regions of the reservoir are characterized by their connective quality to the reference cell using the connectivity.

Rapid method for reservoir connectivity analysis using a fast marching method

A method to extract fault surfaces from seismic data () is disclosed. The method comprises: (a) generating at least two fault sticks () from the same fault from at least two slices of the seismic data wherein each slice comprises at least one fault stick from the same fault, (b) constructing an initial three-dimensional fault surface () containing the fault sticks, and (c) reconstructing the initial fault surface () using a deformable surface model to fit discontinuity or coherency information in the seismic data in an iterative process. Techniques are disclosed for constructing the initial fault surface from interpreter-provided fault nodes, and for performing the deformable surface iteration by defining an energy function for the fault surface and then minimizing the surface energy.

Method for rapid fault interpretation of fault surfaces generated to fit three-dimensional seismic discontinuity data

A method for assessing reliability of a prediction model constructed from N training data attribute vectors and N associated observed values of a specified parameter. Each training data attribute vector includes seismic attributes obtained from seismic data traces located at or near a well and each associated observed value is obtained from well log or core data from the well. A predicted value of the specified parameter is determined for each of the N training data attribute vectors, from the training data attribute vectors and the prediction model. A residual is determined for each of the N training data attribute vectors, as the difference between the associated observed value and the predicted value of the specified parameter for the training data attribute vector. An attribute vector for the designated location is determined.

Reliability measures for statistical prediction of geophysical and geological parameters in geophysical prospecting

The present invention relates to a method for determining the mineral composition of an unknown material using both a fuzzy classification system and a confidence measure of substances identified by the fuzzy classification system. The method can be adapted for identification of pore space and sample points containing more than one material.

Method for identification of unknown substances

The invention relates to a multivariate method of inverting paleothermometer and age indicator data to derive the temperature history of rocks. The method uses kinetic models of geologic material transformations and a simple but flexible representation of bed temperature history to invert the paleothermometer data. The method inverts the data by employing a genetic algorithm computation and kinetic model S. The result is a family of temperature histories which more accurately and more completely characterize temperature histories consistent with the rock samples than is possible by prior art methods.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Chul-Sung Kim