Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

General Electric Company

Exxonmobil Research Upstream

Kelly E Wrobel

Matthias Imhof

Martin J Terrell

Stefan Hussenoeder

Krishnan Kumaran

Jens Rittscher

Ali Can

Pavel Dimitrov

Leslie A Wahrmund

Gianni Matteucci

Erhan Bas

Weina Ge

Antonio Rafael Da Costa Paiva

A workflow is presented that facilitates defining geocontextual information as a set of rules for multiple seismic attributes. Modeling algorithms may be employed that facilitate analysis of multiple seismic attributes to find candidate regions that are most likely to satisfy the set of rules. These candidates may then be sorted based on how well they represent the geocontextual information.

Context based geo-seismic object identification

Method for automated and quantitative assessment of multiple direct hydrocarbon indicators ('DHI's') extracted from seismic data. DHI's are defined in a quantitative way (), making possible a method of geophysical prospecting based on quantification of DHI anomalies. Instead of working in a particular spatial region of seismic data pre-defined as a hydrocarbon opportunity, the present invention works on entire data volumes derived from the measured seismic data (), and identifies opportunities based on quantified DHI responses. In some embodiments, a series of algorithms utilizes the geophysical responses that cause DHI's to arise in seismic data to search entire data sets and identify hydrocarbon leads based on the presence of individual and/or combinations of DHI's ().

Method for quantitative definition of direct hydrocarbon indicators

Method for analyzing seismic data representing a subsurface region for presence of a hydrocarbon system or a particular play. Seismic attributes are computed, the attributes being selected to relate to the classical elements of a hydrocarbon system, namely reservoir, seal, trap, source, maturation, and migration. Preferably, the attributes are computed along structural fabrics () of the subsurface region, and are smoothed over at least tens or hundreds of data voxels. The resulting geologic attributes () are used to analyze the data for elements of the hydrocarbon system and/or recognition of specific plays, and for ranking and annotating partitioned regions () of the data volume based on size, quality, and confidence in the prospectivity prediction (). A catalog () of hydrocarbon trap configurations may be created and used to identify potential presence of hydrocarbon traps and/or aid in scoring () and ranking partitioned regions as hydrocarbon prospects.

Method for seismic hydrocarbon system analysis

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Kelly E Wrobel