System and method for computational geology
AssigneeBP Corporation North America Inc.
InventorJohn Etgen
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Abstract
One aspect of the invention is a method for building geologic/stratigraphic models of the earth for the purposes of numerical simulations of phenomena of interest, such as seismic wave propagation, or fluid flow, reservoir simulation, etc. An embodiment of the invention uses stochastic methods to create material property models that have desired statistical properties by numerically simulating deposition of geological layers. The method can create multiple material parameter models from numerical implementations of a variety of geological processes.
Claims14
A computerized method of geophysical exploration, comprising the steps of:
- (a) accessing a plurality of depositional pages, wherein each of said plurality of depositional pages represents a depositional environment and wherein each of said plurality of depositional pages comprises two or more depositional values;
- (b) specifying two or more chapters, each of said two or more chapters being associated with one or more of said plurality of depositional pages;
- (c) specifying a transition probability matrix to define at least a probability of a transition from each of said chapters to every one of said chapters;
- (d) selecting an initial one of said two or more chapters and said at least one depositional page associated therewith;
- (e) selecting one of said at least one depositional page associated with said initial one of said two or more chapters;
- (f) using said two more depositional values comprising said selected one of said at least one depositional page associated with said initial chapter to accumulate an amount of deposition within a subsurface model;
- (g) using at least said transition probability matrix to select one of said chapters and said at least one depositional page associated therewith;
- (h) selecting one of said at least one depositional page associated with said selected one of said two or more chapters;
- (i) using said two more depositional values comprising said selected one of said at least one depositional page associated with said selected chapter to accumulate an additional amount of deposition within said subsurface model;
- (j) performing at least steps (h) and (i) until at least two different chapters have been selected;
- and,
- (k) using said subsurface model to explore within a region of the subsurface of the earth containing structural or stratigraphic features conducive to the presence, migration, or accumulation of hydrocarbons.
A method of geophysical exploration of a region of the subsurface of the earth containing structural or stratigraphic features conducive to the presence, migration, or accumulation of hydrocarbons, comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting a model frame that corresponds to a location proximate to the region of the subsurface of the earth;
- (b) specifying a plurality of chapters, each of said plurality of chapters being associated with one or more depositional pages, wherein each of said one or more depositional pages comprises a plurality of depositional values;
- (c) specifying a transition probability matrix at least to defining a probability of a transition between each of said plurality of chapters;
- (d) within a computer, using said model frame, said transition probability matrix, said plurality of chapters, and any depositional pages associated with said plurality of chapters to build a model that is representative of at least a portion of the region of the subsurface of the earth;
- and,
- (e) using said model to explore for hydrocarbons within the region of the subsurface of the earth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.