Bhp Billiton Innovation Pty Ltd

Other

Ion Geophysical Corporation

Michael Edwin Glinsky

Stephane Mallat

Jerome Kalifa

David Charles DeMartini

Christopher David White

James Stuart Gunning

A model for predicting fracturing in shale can minimize surface disruption, protect groundwater, maximize efficiency of hydraulic fracturing, and manage fluids used in unconventional gas development. The model provides a more comprehensive understanding of the geological, geophysical, and geomechanical properties of shales and imbeds these properties in geomechanical computer simulations to predict both the reservoir performance from the fracturing, and the associated microseismic events generated by fracturing. Since the geological and geophysical properties can be estimated from surface seismic, well logs, and geologic concepts with regional context; the performance of the fracturing can be predicted and optimized. Since the microseismic events can be predicted with the model, the simulations can be verified and the model can be updated to be consistent with the observed microseismic.

Model predicting fracturing of shale

A method for determining impedance coefficients of a seismic trace comprises determining reflection coefficients of the seismic trace, for example using a sparse spike inversion, integrating the reflection coefficients with respect to time to obtain impedance coefficients, and filtering the impedance coefficients by applying a low-cut window filter. The window size and/or shape may be defined by a variable parameter which may be either specified by a user or optimized on the basis of a lateral variability parameter calculated for different values of the window parameter.

Method for determining impedance coefficients of a seismic trace

A method for improving prediction of the viability of potential petroleum reservoirs, utilises a rock physics model appropriate for porous media, in which some of the solid material is 'floating' or not involved in load support, and predicts permeability on the basis of compressional wave velocity vs. density trends, which may be determined by wireline log. In a further aspect, by introducing the concept of the capture fraction of smaller grains, another constraint is added to the model, which enables an improved estimate of permeability to be determined on the basis of seismic reflectivity measurements alone.

Method for improving prediction of the viability of potential petroleum reservoirs

A method for estimating and/or reducing uncertainty in reservoir models of potential petroleum reservoirs comprises receiving the results of a stochastic seismic inversion, and transforming the inversion data into a form suitable for reservoir modelling and flow simulations, while honoring inter-property and inter-layer correlations in the inversion data as well as measured well data and other geological constraints.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Michael Edwin Glinsky