Sedimentary basin development method using stratigraphic simulation coupled with an organic matter production and degradation model

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9971061-B2
Application number	US-201314087302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2013
Priority date	Dec 12, 2012
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

The invention is a method of developing a sedimentary basin wherein the distribution and the quality of the organic matter in the sedimentary basin are determined using stratigraphic modelling representing the evolution of the sedimentary basin. The method is based on the coupling of a stratigraphic model with an organic matter production, transport and degradation model. The sedimentary basin is then developed according to the distribution and the quality of the organic matter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of developing a sedimentary basin using qualification of hydrocarbon potential of the sedimentary basin, comprising:
breaking up the sedimentary basin into geologic layers with each geologic layer corresponding to a sediment deposition for a given time period;
determining a composition of the geologic layers through coupling of a stratigraphic simulation with an organic matter production and degradation model by using an iterative stratigraphic simulation, from a past to a more recent time, within each geologic layer, by use of a stratigraphic model and the organic matter production and degradation model, by determining production of the organic matter within the geologic layer using the organic matter production and degradation model;
modelling transport of sediments and the organic matter production using the stratigraphic model, determining degradation of the organic matter during the transport using the organic matter production and degradation model, determining stratigraphy of the basin by accounting for mass conservation by use of the transport of sediments and the degradation of organic matter, and determining organic matter degradation within the stratigraphy using the organic matter production and degradation model;
quantifying hydrocarbon potential of the geologic layers of the sedimentary basin from the composition; and
developing the sedimentary basin according to the quantification of the hydrocarbon potential to extract hydrocarbons from the sedimentary basin including at least one of performing exploratory drilling and performing exploitation drilling in a least one zone having a best potential for producing hydrocarbons in the sedimentary basin.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, for the stratigraphic simulation, the sediments and the organic matter are described by using a finite number of sediment and organic matter classes.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the hydrocarbon potential is quantified by determining at least one of an organic carbon content (OCC), hydrogen indices (HI), oxygen indices (OI), and mineralogy of sediments within each geologic layer.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein production of organic matter is determined by accounting for a nutrient distribution estimation by the stratigraphic model.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein organic matter production in at least one marine or lacustrine domain is determined from an equation as follows:

P
⁢

⁢

P
k

⁡

(
z
)

=

P
⁢

⁢

P

0
,
k

⁡

(

z

z
0

)

-
nk

if z>z 0 , otherwise PP k (z)=PP 0,k with PP k being sediment flux of class k reaching a sea bottom, z being depth of the sea or lacustrine bottom, z 0 being a depth of the photic zone of an aquatic medium, n k being a constant specific to organic sediment class k and PP 0,k being the primary production rate defined by PP 0,k =a 1,k Q nutriment b1,k with Q nutriment being a nutrient supply, and a 1,k and b 1,k being constants specific to sediment class k.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein organic matter production in peat bogs is determined from an equation as follows:

PP
k

⁡

(
z
)

=

PP

0
,
k

⁡

(

z

z
0

)

-
nk

if z>z 0 , otherwise PP k (z)=PP 0,k with PP k being sediment flux of class k reaching the bottom of the peat bog, z being a depth of the peat bog, z 0 being a depth of the photic zone of the aquatic medium, n k being a constant specific to the organic sediment of class k and PP 0,k being primary production rate defined by PP 0,k =a 2,k Q eau b2,k with Q eau being the water flux, and a 2,k and b 2,k being constants specific to sediment class k.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein organic matter production in peat bogs is determined from an equation as follows:

PP
k

⁡

(
z
)

=

PP

0
,
k

⁡

(

z

z
0

)

-
nk

if z>z 0 , otherwise PP k (z)=PP 0,k with being sediment flux of class k reaching the bottom of the peat bog, z being a depth of the peat bog, z 0 being a depth of the photic zone of the aquatic medium, n k being a constant specific to the organic sediment of class k and PP 0,k being primary production rate defined by PP 0,k =a 2,k Q eau b2,k with Q eau being the water flux, and a 2,k and b 2,k being constants specific to sediment class k.

8. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein organic matter production in peat bogs is determined from an equation as follows:

PP
k

⁡

(
z
)

Assignees

• Ifp Energies Now

Inventors

• Granjeon Didier
• Chauveau Benoit

Classifications

• G01V99/005 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01V2210/661

  Model from sedimentation process modeling, e.g. from first principles · CPC title

• G01V20/00 Primary

  Geomodelling in general · CPC title