Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Martin J Terrell

Matthias Imhof

Pavel Dimitrov

Stefan Hussenoeder

Kelly E Wrobel

Krishnan Kumaran

Dennis E Willen

Partha Sarathi Routh

Thomas A Dickens

Yaxun Tang

William Curry

William A Burnett

John S Lien

Fred W Schroeder

Matthias G Imhof

Dominique G Gillard

Kelly Wrobel

A method, including: determining, with a computer, point spread functions for a plurality of parameter locations by performing at least a portion of a first iteration of an iterative full wavefield inversion process; determining at least one property for each of the point spread functions; and evaluating a candidate survey design based on the at least one property for each of the point spread functions.

Method to design geophysical surveys using full wavefield inversion point- spread function analysis

Method and system are described for modeling one or more geophysical properties of a subsurface volume (). The present disclosure provides method of modeling the subsurface comprising obtaining one or more subsurface volumes and performing at least two operations () on the subsurface volumes. A graph of operations is determined () based on each of the at least two operations in which the graph of operations includes a description of each of the at least two operations and a flow path for the each of the at least two operations (). The graph of operation is stored (). A specific operation within the graph of operations may then be identified (). An additional operation may be created and connected to the graph of operations at a node associated with the specific operation to provide an additional branch to the graph of operations ().

Method and system for geophysical modeling of subsurface volumes

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 and system is described for modeling one or more geophysical properties of a subsurface volume. In one embodiment, a method of modeling the subsurface comprises obtaining one or more subsurface volume and obtaining an interpretation of the subsurface volume. One or more flexible geologic concepts are defined and applied to the interpretation of the subsurface volume. The one or more geologic concepts comprise one or more flexible geologic concepts. A modified interpretation of the subsurface volume is obtained based upon the applied geologic concepts.

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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Spring, TX, United States of America

Martin J Terrell