Method to automatically pick formation tops using optimization algorithm

Abstract

A method including obtaining, by a computer processor, at least one key log in each of a set of training wells located, at least partially, within a hydrocarbon reservoir, identifying a target formation bounding surface in each of the set of training wells, and generating an initial depth surface for the target formation bounding surface from the target formation bounding surface in each of the set of training wells. The method further including, determining from the initial depth surface an initial depth estimate of the target formation bounding surface at a location of a current well, forming an objective function based, at least in part on a correlation between each key log in each of the set of training wells, and each corresponding key log in the current well, and optimizing the objective function by varying a depth shift between each of the set of training wells and the current well, to determine an optimum depth shift that produces an extremum of the objective function. The method still further including combining the initial depth estimate of the target formation bounding surface at the location of the current well with the optimum depth shift to produce a final depth estimate of the target formation bounding surface at the location of the current well.