Shell Oil Comapny

Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij, B.v.

Oriol Falivene Aldea

Russell David Potter

Stéphane Youri Richard Michael Joachim Gesbert

Michele Bolla Pittaluga

Thomas Patrick Etienne Krayenbuehl

Alessandro Frascati

James Cecil Pickens

Stephane Youri Gesbert

Jim C Pickens

A distribution of sand sediment class in a subsurface of the Earth is identified. Three-dimensional stratigraphic images of sediment distribution in a subsurface of the Earth are constructed, including at least two depositional domains, by simulating sediment transport and deposition over a selected time interval of sediments originating from one or more clastic sediment input sources. The simulation uses at least two equilibrium surfaces bounding the at least two depositional domains and at least two sediment classes, and updates the equilibrium surfaces in a sequence of timesteps, by accounting for sediment feed from the one or more clastic sediment input sources, erosion and deposition in accordance with mass-balance equality constraints. The images are used to identify a distribution of sand sediment class in the subsurface of the Earth suitable for acquiring hydrocarbons or fresh water, or for storing gas or liquids.

Constructing stratigraphic images of sediment distribution in a subsurface of the earth

A modified direct search Neighborhood Algorithm (NA), similar to genetic or evolutionary algorithms, is used for automatic calibration of Stratigraphic Forward Models (SFM) to data constraints. The modified NA comprises explicit escape clauses from local minima and admissible solutions, thereby preventing a natural tendency of conventional NAs to converge and oversample a single minimum. The density of models in parameter space is used to define local minima. Admissible solutions are defined by considering error thresholds taking into account that SFM may be imperfect and that calibration constraints may be uncertain. The modified NA algorithm obtains a plurality of geological scenarios that agree with the data, and which can be used for further analysis and prediction.

Automated calibration of a stratigraphic forward modelling (SFM) tool using a neighborhood algorithm with explicit escape clauses

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Rijswijk, Netherlands

Oriol Falivene Aldea