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US 12,535,617 B2Granted
System and method for reducing uncertainties in thermal histories
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsDaniel B. Palmowski, Thomas Fuchs, Adrian Kleine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method includes determining a present-day thickness of a lithosphere. The method also includes determining whether the determined present-day thickness of the lithosphere substantially matches an interpreted present-day thickness of the lithosphere. The method also includes generating or updating a temperature history model in response to determining that the determined present-day thickness of the lithosphere substantially matches the interpreted present-day thickness of the lithosphere.
Claims19
A method, comprising:
- receiving geophysical data of a subterranean formation, the geophysical data comprising at least one of seismic data, gravity data, magnetic data, temperature log data, or well log data acquired for the subterranean formation;
- determining a first estimate of a tectonic subsidence through time in the subterranean formation;
- determining a first estimate of an initial thickness of a lithosphere in the subterranean formation;
- performing a backward inversion of the tectonic subsidence through time by running a digital crustal model of the subterranean formation, the digital crustal model representing lithospheric layer thicknesses for a plurality of lithospheric layers of the subterranean formation through geological time, the digital crustal model being generated based on the geophysical data of the subterranean formation, wherein the backward inversion is based at least partially upon one or more of the first estimate of the tectonic subsidence through time or the first estimate of the initial thickness of the lithosphere;
- determining an amount that an upper mantle of the lithosphere of the subterranean formation varies in thickness through time;
- determining a second estimate of the tectonic subsidence through time in the subterranean formation;
- determining a present-day thickness of the lithosphere based at least partially upon one or more of the amount that the upper mantle of the lithosphere varies in thickness through time or the second estimate of the tectonic subsidence through time;
- determining whether the determined present-day thickness of the lithosphere substantially matches an interpreted present-day thickness of the lithosphere interpreted from the geophysical data of the subterranean formation;
- and
- generating or updating a temperature history model in response to determining that the determined present-day thickness of the lithosphere matches the interpreted present-day thickness of the lithosphere.
7 more elements
A computing system comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- a memory system comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- receiving geophysical data of a subterranean formation, the geophysical data comprising at least one of seismic data, gravity data, magnetic data, temperature log data, or well log data acquired for the subterranean formation;
- determining a first estimate of a tectonic subsidence through time in the subterranean formation;
- determining a first estimate of an initial thickness of a lithosphere in the subterranean formation;
- performing a backward inversion of the tectonic subsidence through time by running a digital crustal model of the subterranean formation, the digital crustal model representing lithospheric layer thicknesses for a plurality of layers of the subterranean formation through geological time, the digital crustal model being generated based on the geophysical data of the subterranean formation, wherein the backward inversion is based at least in part upon one or more of the first estimate of the tectonic subsidence through time or the first estimate of the initial thickness of the lithosphere;
- determining an amount that an upper mantle of the lithosphere varies in thickness through time;
- determining a second estimate of the tectonic subsidence through time in the subterranean formation;
- and
- determining a present-day thickness of the lithosphere based at least partially upon one or more of the determined amount that the upper mantle of the lithosphere varies in thickness through time or the determined second estimate of the tectonic subsidence through time.
8 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- receiving geophysical data of a subterranean formation, the geophysical data comprising at least one of seismic data, gravity data, magnetic data, temperature log data, or well log data acquired for the subterranean formation;
- determining a first estimate of a tectonic subsidence through time in the subterranean formation based at least partially upon a burial history of the subterranean formation;
- determining a first estimate of an initial thickness of a lithosphere in the subterranean formation, wherein the first estimate of the initial thickness of the lithosphere comprises a sum of an initial thickness of a crust and an initial thickness of an upper mantle;
- performing a backward inversion of the tectonic subsidence through time by running a digital crustal model of the subterranean formation, the digital crustal model representing lithospheric layer thicknesses for a plurality of lithospheric layers of the subterranean formation through geological time, the digital crustal model being generated based on the geophysical data of the subterranean formation, wherein the backward inversion is based at least partially upon one or more of the first estimate of the tectonic subsidence through time or the first estimate of the initial thickness of the lithosphere;
- determining an amount that an upper mantle of the lithosphere varies in thickness through time based at least partially upon the digital crustal model;
- determining a second estimate of the tectonic subsidence through time in the subterranean formation based at least partially upon the digital crustal model;
- determining a present-day thickness of the lithosphere based at least partially upon one or more of the determined amount that the upper mantle of the lithosphere varies in thickness through time or the determined second estimate of the tectonic subsidence through time;
- determining whether the determined present-day thickness of the lithosphere matches an interpreted present-day thickness of the lithosphere interpreted from the geophysical data;
- generating or updating a temperature history model of the subterranean formation based at least partially upon determining that the determined present-day thickness of the lithosphere matches the interpreted present-day thickness;
- and
- based on the temperature history model, predicting a likelihood and a location of hydrocarbons in the subterranean formation by determining, with the temperature history model, a timing of hydrocarbon generation and migration in the subterranean formation.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.