Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Dominique Gillard

Brian P West

Ganglin Chen

John E Eastwood

Matthias Imhof

Pavel Dimitrov

Steven R May

Michael D Gross

Xiaoxia Xu

Max Deffenbaugh

Krishnan Kumaran

Weichang Li

Mark Wayne Dobin

Chul-Sung Kim

Enru Liu

Matthew S Casey

James E Holl

Jingbo Wang

Stefan Hussenoeder

Yaping Zhu

Fuping Zhou

Guy F Medema

Fred W Schroeder

Robert L Brovey

Thomas A Hauge

Kaushik Bandyopadhyay

Theodore G Apotria

Thomas J Frantes

A system and method to predict rock strength by directly inverting for petrophysical properties. In one embodiment, seismic data is received or obtained from a seismic survey (step). The seismic data are then conditioned (step) in order to prepare them for an inversion process (step). The inversion process has an embedded rock physics model that allows the inversion to be formulated based upon, and thereby outputting or calculating (step), petrophysical properties. Rock strength data may then be calculated from the petrophysical properties (step).

Method for predicting rock strength by inverting petrophysical properties

A hydrocarbon exploration method for determining subsurface properties from geophysical survey data. Rock physics trends are identified and for each trend a rock physics model is determined that relates the subsurface property to geophysical properties (). The uncertainty in the rock physics trends is also estimated (). A geophysical forward model is selected (), and its uncertainty is estimated (). These quantities are used in an optimization process () resulting in an estimate of the subsurface property and its uncertainty.

Method for estimating subsurface properties from geophysical survey data using physics-based inversion

A computer-implemented method is provided for searching and analyzing a seismic data volume acquired in a seismic survey to determine potential for hydrocarbon accumulations in an associated subsurface region. Surfaces describing the seismic data volume are obtained. The surfaces are enumerated. At least one enumerated surface is selected. The at least one selected surface is augmented when the selected surface does not substantially cover an area associated with the seismic data volume. The augmenting is performed until all selected surfaces substantially cover the area. The at least one selected surface is displayed, with geologic or geophysical data associated therewith, for visual inspection or interpretation, or saving digital representations thereof to computer memory or data storage.

Method for geophysical and geological interpretation of seismic volumes using chronological panning

Method for identifying geologic features from geophysical or attribute data using windowed principal component (), or independent component, or diffusion mapping () analysis. Subtle features are made identifiable in partial or residual data volumes. The residual data volumes () are created by () eliminating data not captured by the most prominent principal components (). The partial data volumes are created by () projecting the data () on to selected principal components (). Geologic features may also be identified from pattern analysis () or anomaly volumes () generated with a variable-scale data similarity matrix (). The method is suitable for identifying physical features indicative of hydrocarbon potential.

Windowed statistical analysis for anomaly detection in geophysical datasets

Method for transforming geologic data relating to a subsurface region between a geophysical depth domain and a geologic age domain. A set of topologically consistent surfaces () is obtained that correspond to seismic data (). The surfaces are enumerated in the depth domain. An age is assigned to each surface in the depth domain (). The age corresponds to an estimated time of deposition of the respective surface. An age mapping volume is generated (). An extent of the age domain is chosen. A depth mapping volume is generated (). Both the age mapping volume and the depth mapping volume are used to transform geophysical, geologic, or engineering data or interpretations () between the depth domain and the age domain () and vice versa (). The geophysical, geologic, or engineering data or interpretations transformed by at least one of the age or depth mapping volume are outputted.

Method for geophysical and geological interpretation of seismic volumes in the domains of depth, time, and age

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 of analyzing dip in a seismic data volume in which a horizontal gradient is calculated in a first direction in the seismic data volume. A vertical gradient is calculated at data locations in the seismic data volume corresponding to the locations at which the horizontal gradient was calculated. Dip is calculated in the first direction from the horizontal gradient in the first direction and the vertical gradient. Repetition of the process for the entire seismic data volume results in a dip volume.

Method for analyzing dip in seismic data volumes

A method of calculating a throw volume corresponding to a seismic data volume. A range of time shifts and a search direction for the seismic data volume are selected. A data location separation and a vertical time window are also selected. A cross-correlation is calculated between data values corresponding to first and second data locations separated by the data location separation and symmetrically located in the search direction on each side of a target data location. The cross-correlation is calculated throughout the vertical time window for each time shift in the range of time shifts. The time shift corresponding to the maximum calculated cross-correlation is stored in the throw volume.

Method of calculating a throw volume for quantitative fault analysis

A method of calculating reflection curvature in a seismic data volume wherein an apparent dip value is calculated in a first direction to generate a first apparent dip volume. A horizontal gradient is calculated in the first direction in the first apparent dip volume using a specified length scale to generate a first curvature volume. The process may be repeated one or more times, and the individual curvature volumes combined to generate a combined curvature volume for the seismic data volume.

Method for analyzing reflection curvature in seismic data volumes

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Dominique Gillard