System and method to accelerate core images acquisition and processing using machine learning
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsTao Lin, Weichang Li, Mokhles M. Mezghani
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Abstract
A method for analyzing rock cores of a subterranean formation is disclosed. The method includes capturing low resolution core images of the rock cores, selecting, by a computer processor and based on a pre-determined quality threshold for qualifying the low resolution core images, a number of qualified rock cores, capturing high resolution core images of the qualified rock cores, generating, by the computer processor and based on a high resolution core image evaluation model, a ranking of the qualified rock cores, and analyzing, based at least on the ranking, the qualified rock cores to generate a core analysis result.
Claims11
A method comprising:
- capturing a training dataset comprising a plurality of coarse core images of a plurality of rock cores and a plurality of rock core labels associated with the plurality of coarse core images;
- performing a training operation on a convolutional neural network using the training dataset and a regression algorithm to produce a trained model,
- wherein the trained model determines one or more predicted image scores in response to receiving one or more core images, and
- wherein the one or more predicted image scores are used to determine a selection among a plurality of image processing operations;
- determining, by a computer processor, a predicted image score using the trained model and a coarse core image of a rock core;
- determining, by the computer processor, a selected image processing operation among the plurality of image processing operations based on the predicted image score,
- wherein the selected image processing operation corresponds to an image acquisition of the rock core at a higher resolution than the coarse core image;
- and
- capturing, by a camera and in response to determining the selected image processing operation, a higher resolution core image of the rock core;
- and
- determining, by the computer processor, a permeability or a porosity of the rock core using the higher resolution core image.
A core image analyzer, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, being configured to perform a method comprising:
- capturing a training dataset comprising a plurality of coarse core images of a plurality of rock cores and a plurality of rock core labels associated with the plurality of coarse core images;
- performing a training operation on a convolutional neural network using the training dataset and a regression algorithm to produce a trained model,
- wherein the trained model determines one or more predicted image scores in response to receiving one or more core images, and
- wherein the one or more predicted image scores are used to determine a selection among a plurality of image processing operations;
- determining a predicted image score using the trained model and a coarse core image of a rock core;
- determining a selected image processing operation among the plurality of image processing operations based on the predicted image score,
- wherein the selected image processing operation corresponds to an image acquisition of the rock core at a higher resolution than the coarse core image;
- and
- capturing, by a camera and in response to determining the selected image processing operation, a higher resolution core image of the rock core;
- and
- determining a permeability or a porosity of the rock core using the higher resolution core image.
A well system, comprising:
- a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation at a well site;
- a well control system of the wellbore;
- and
- a core image analyzer comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the core image analyzer is configured to perform a method comprising:
- capturing a training dataset comprising a plurality of coarse core images of a plurality of rock cores and a plurality of rock core labels associated with the plurality of coarse core images;
- performing a training operation on a convolutional neural network using the training dataset and a regression algorithm to produce a trained model,
- wherein the trained model determines one or more predicted image scores in response to receiving one or more core images, and
- wherein the one or more predicted image scores are used to determine a selection among a plurality of image processing operations;
- determining a predicted image score using the trained model and a coarse core image of a rock core;
- determining a selected image processing operation among the plurality of image processing operations based on the predicted image score,
- wherein the selected image processing operation corresponds to an image acquisition of the rock core at a higher resolution than the coarse core image;
- and
- capturing, by a camera and in response to determining the selected image processing operation, a higher resolution core image of the rock core;
- and
- determining a permeability or a porosity of the rock core using the higher resolution core image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.