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US 2016/0238704 A1Published application
Satellite geodesy and reservoir performance
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorsRichard A. SCHULTZ, Khalid A. SOOFI, Peter H. HENNINGS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Satellite geodesy can identify fault-related surface deformation above onshore oil and gas fields through the use of radar interferometry (InSAR). The method provides an independent and cost-effective approach to identifying faults and damage zones that can be associated with increased reservoir performance beyond traditional tools of subsurface imaging and reservoir evaluation.
Claims20
A method for assessing an onshore hydrocarbon reservoir, comprising:
- a. obtaining a plurality of synthetic aperture radar images of the Earth's surface;
- b. identifying and acquiring synthetic aperture radar images covering the onshore hydrocarbon reservoir;
- c. assessing technical characteristic of the radar images, the technical characteristic selected from the group consisting of:
- look direction, baseline, temporal coherence, correlation, degree and direction of overlap, spatial resolution, desired temporal coverage, and any combination thereof;
- d. constructing an interferogram showing ground motion over a selected time interval;
- e. determining one or more deformations of the Earth's surface, wherein the one or more deformations are near or on the onshore hydrocarbon reservoir;
- f. identifying a fault in the Earth's subsurface, wherein the fault provides leakage path for a subsurface fluid;
- g. interpreting magnitude and pattern of ground motion that indicate currently or recently active displacement along the fault at the Earth's surface;
- h. correlating interpreted magnitude and pattern of ground motion with independent surface or subsurface data;
- i. using the interferogram to identify currently or recently active fault to augment or test subsurface data and interpretation regarding reservoir performance;
- j. revising one or more operational parameters related to hydrocarbon recovery;
- and
- k. recovering the hydrocarbon from the leakage path by using drilling, completion, or reservoir engineering techniques.
10 more elements
A method for assessing an onshore reservoir, the method comprising:
- a. obtaining synthetic aperture radar images covering at least a portion of the onshore reservoir;
- b. identifying one or more deformations of a selected area, wherein the one or more deformations are near or on the onshore reservoir;
- c. analyzing ground motions in the selected area to identify currently or recently active displacement along a fault on or near the onshore reservoir;
- d. comparing analyzed ground motions with independent surface or subsurface data;
- and
- e. revising one or more operational parameters related to subsurface fluid recovery.
3 more elements
A method for assessing an onshore hydrocarbon reservoir, comprising:
- a. acquiring synthetic aperture radar images of the onshore hydrocarbon reservoir;
- b. constructing an interferogram based on the synthetic aperture radar images;
- c. determining one or more deformations of the Earth's surface from the interferogram, wherein the one or more deformations are near or on the onshore hydrocarbon reservoir;
- d. identifying a fault in the Earth's subsurface, wherein the fault provides leakage path for a subsurface fluid;
- e. interpreting magnitude and pattern of ground motion that indicate currently or recently active displacement along the fault at the Earth's surface;
- f. correlating interpreted magnitude and pattern of ground motion with independent surface or subsurface data;
- g. using the interferogram to identify currently or recently active fault to augment or test subsurface data and interpretation regarding reservoir performance;
- and
- h. revising one or more operational parameters related to hydrocarbon recovery.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.