# US 2013/0158877 A1 · Processing of Geological Data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0158877 A1 - Document ID: US20130158877A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/518,547 - Filed: 2010-12-03 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2009-12-23 - Assignees: Schlumberger Technology Corporation - Inventors: Jan Oystein Haavig Bakke; Geir Vaaland Dahl; Hallgrim Ludvigsen; Erik Monsen; Oddgeir Gramstad; Michael Nickel; Lars Sonneland; Marcelo Belentani De Bianchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130158877A1 ## CPC - G06F 16/29: Geographical information databases - E21B 49/00: 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 - G01V 1/30: Analysis (G01V1/50 takes precedence) - G01V 11/00: Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00 - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of processing data points distributed throughout a geological volume, each data point being associated with respective geological attributes, the method including the steps of: 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method 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. ### Claim 3 A method of processing data points distributed throughout a geological volume, each data point being associated with respective geological attributes and the geological attributes of each data point being coded as a respective character string, the method including the steps of: 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. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3, wherein the arrangement is a line of adjacent data points. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3, further including the step of graphically displaying identified data points. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3, further including the step of interpolating data points between identified matched data points. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method according to claim 6, further including the step of graphically displaying interpolated data points. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5, 7) A method according to claim 5 or 7, wherein the graphically displayed data points are displayed as a geobody. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3, wherein the data comprise one or more seismic attributes and/or one or more geometric attributes and/or one or more numerical modelling derived attributes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, wherein each data point is associated with respective seismic attributes and/or respective geometric attributes and/or numerical modelling derived attributes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10, wherein the seismic and/or geometric and/or numerical modelling derived attributes of each data point are coded as a respective character string. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9, 11) A method according to claim 9 or 11, wherein the query character string defines sought seismic and/or geometric and/or numerical modelling derived attributes of the arrangement of one or more data points. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, further including initial steps of: performing seismic testing; and analysing results of the seismic testing to generate the data points distributed throughout the geological volume, each data point being associated with respective seismic attributes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13, wherein the data comprise one or more seismic attributes and/or one or more geometric attributes and/or one or more numerical modelling derived attributes, and the method further includes an initial step of analysing the results of the seismic testing to generate the geometric attributes. ### Claim 15 A method of identifying possible drilling hazards and/or target drilling locations including the steps of: 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; and searching the model repository to identify subsurface positions which have geological attributes matching the drilling hazard signature and/or the target drilling signature. ### Claim 16 A model repository including data points distributed throughout a geological volume, each data point being associated with respective geological attributes and the geological attributes of each data point being coded as a respective character string. ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) A method of controlling a well drilling operation including the steps of: performing the method of claim 3; using the identified data points to design a well trajectory; and drilling a well having the designed trajectory. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A method according to claim 17, wherein the query character string defines sought attributes corresponding to one or more drilling target signatures, the well trajectory being designed to follow the target drilling signatures. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) A method of controlling a well drilling operation including the steps of: performing the method of claim 15; using the identified subsurface positions to design a well trajectory; and drilling a well having the designed trajectory. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) A method of controlling a well drilling operation including the steps of: performing the method of claim 15 to identify target drilling locations, a drilling target signature being compiled based on the geological attributes, and subsurface positions having geological attributes matching the target drilling signature being identified; using the identified subsurface positions to design a well trajectory; and drilling a well having the designed trajectory. ### Claim 21 (depends on 3, 15) A computer system for performing the method of claim 3 or 15. ### Claim 22 (depends on 3, 15) A computer program product carrying a program for performing the method of claim 3 or 15. ### Claim 23 (depends on 3, 15) A computer program for performing the method of claim 3 or 15.