Processing of geological data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9607007-B2
Application number	US-201013518547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2010
Priority date	Dec 23, 2009
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A method of processing data points distributed throughout a geological volume is described. In the method, each data point is associated with respective geological attributes. The method provides for: coding the geological attributes of each data point as a respective character string; compiling a query character string defining sought geological attributes of an arrangement of one or more data points; searching the coded geological attributes for arrangements of data points having geological attributes matching the query character string; and identifying matched data points.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. One or more processors and a computer program product stored in one or more non-transitory computer readable mediums accessible to the one or more processors for performing a method for use in well drilling, the method comprising:
performing a seismic survey which comprises imparting energy to the earth and receiving return energy at a plurality of receiver locations to obtain a seismic volume;
generating data points distributed throughout the seismic volume, each data point being associated with respective geological attributes which comprise respective seismic attributes,
converting the geological attributes of each data point into a respective character string based on a conversion scale in which attribute values are associated with defined characters, the character strings collectively providing a search string;
compiling a query character string defining sought geological attributes of an arrangement of one or more data points using the defined characters;
searching the search string for arrangements of the character strings having geological attributes matching the query character string;
identifying data points that match the defined characters designated by the query character string to create a geobody; and
displaying the created geobody.

2. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the coding step includes concatenating the character strings of the data points into a single search string, the searching step being performed on the search string.

3. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes graphically displaying identified data points.

4. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes interpolating data points between identified data points.

5. The computer program product according to claim 4 , wherein the method includes graphically displaying interpolated data points.

6. The computer program product according to claim 3 or 5 , wherein the graphically displayed data points are displayed as a geobody.

7. One or more processors and a computer program product stored in one or more non-transitory computer readable mediums accessible to the one or more processors for performing a method for use in well drilling, the method comprising:
processing data points distributed throughout a geological volume, wherein the geological attributes for each data point are at least one of seismic attributes, geometric attributes and numerical modelling derived attributes and where for at least some of the data points the geological attributes comprise one or more seismic attributes, the processing including converting the geological attributes of each data point into a respective character string based on a conversion scale in which attribute values are associated with defined characters, the character strings collectively providing a search string;
compiling a query character string defining sought geological attributes of an arrangement of one or more data points using the defined characters;
searching the search string for arrangements of the character strings having geological attributes matching the query character string;
identifying data points that match the defined characters designated by the query character string; and
designing a well trajectory that avoids the identified data point.

8. The computer program product according to claim 7 , wherein the arrangement is a line of adjacent data points.

9. The computer program product according to claim 7 , wherein the method includes graphically displaying identified data points.

10. The computer program product according to claim 7 , wherein the method includes interpolating data points between identified matched data points.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10 , wherein the method includes graphically displaying interpolated data points.

12. The computer program product according to claim 9 or 7 , wherein the graphically displayed data points are displayed as geobody.

13. The computer program product according to claim 7 , wherein the query character string additionally defines sought attributes corresponding to one or more drilling target signatures and the well trajectory is designed to follow the target drilling signatures.

14. The computer program product according to claim 7 , wherein the method includes drilling the well having the designed trajectory.

15. One or more processors and a computer program product stored in one or more non-transitory computer readable mediums accessible to the one or more processors for performing a method for use in well drilling with advance identification of possible drilling hazards and/or target drilling locations, the method comprising:
providing a model repository of the subsurface, the model repository containing interpreted subsurface features having geological attributes at respective subsurface positions of the features;
compiling a drilling hazard signature and/or a drilling target signature based on the geological attributes;
searching the model repository to identify subsurface positions which have geological attributes matching the drilling hazard signature and/or the target drilling signature;
using the identified subsurface positions to design a well trajectory; and
drilling a well having the designed trajectory.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein a drilling target signature is compiled based on the geological attributes, and the identified subsurface positions have geological attributes matching the target drilling signature.

Assignees

• Bakke Jan Oystein Haavig
• Dahl Geir Vaaland
• Ludvigsen Hallgrim
• Monsen Erik
• Gramstad Oddgeir
• Nickel Michael
• Sonneland Lars
• De Bianchi Marcelo Belentani
• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Bakke Jan Oystein Haavig
• Dahl Geir Vaaland
• Ludvigsen Hallgrim
• Monsen Erik
• Gramstad Oddgeir
• Nickel Michael
• Sonneland Lars
• De Bianchi Marcelo Belentani

Classifications

• E21B49/00

  Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells · CPC title

• G06F17/30241 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01V1/30

  Analysis (G01V1/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01V11/00 Primary

  Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00 · CPC title

• G06F16/29 Primary

  Geographical information databases · CPC title