# US 2018/0024261 A1 · Methods and systems for identifying a clathrate deposit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0024261 A1 - Document ID: US20180024261A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/218,910 - Filed: 2016-07-25 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-25 - Assignees: Chevron U.S.A. Inc. - Applicants: Chevron U.S.A. Inc. - Inventors: Andrew Stuart Madof - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180024261A1 ## CPC - G01V 1/301: {for determining seismic cross-sections or geostructures} - E21B 41/00: Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 - E21B 43/00: Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells (applicable only to water E03B) - G01V 1/30: Analysis (G01V1/50 takes precedence) - G01V 1/364: {Seismic filtering (G01V1/37 takes precedence)} - G01V 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass - G06T 5/20: using local operators - G06T 11/65: on geographic maps - G01V 1/306: {for determining physical properties of the subsurface, e.g. impedance, porosity or attenuation profiles} - G01V 1/307: {for determining seismic attributes, e.g. amplitude, instantaneous phase or frequency, reflection strength or polarity} - G01V 1/345: {Visualisation of seismic data or attributes, e.g. in 3D cubes} - G06T 2207/30181: Earth observation - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Various embodiments of identifying a clathrate deposit in a subsurface from seismic data are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes using a computing system in generating a land surface or sea floor digital image from post-stack seismic data; determining a clathrate stability zone from the land surface or sea floor digital image; generating a laterally extensive subsurface digital image from the seismic data that is within or below the clathrate stability zone; filtering the laterally extensive subsurface digital image to generate a pull-up digital image; generating a coarse-grained sediment digital image from the seismic data within the clathrate stability zone; spatially superimposing the coarse-grained sediment digital image and the pull-up digital image to generate a combined digital image; and determining an overlap region from the combined digital image. The overlap region is indicative of a clathrate deposit. Also provided are embodiments of producing hydrocarbons. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of identifying a clathrate deposit in a subsurface from seismic data, the method comprising using a computing system in: generating a land surface or sea floor digital image from post-stack seismic data; determining a clathrate stability zone from the land surface or sea floor digital image; generating a laterally extensive subsurface digital image from the seismic data that is within or below the clathrate stability zone; filtering the laterally extensive subsurface digital image to generate a pull-up digital image; generating a coarse-grained sediment digital image from the seismic data within the clathrate stability zone; spatially superimposing the coarse-grained sediment digital image and the pull-up digital image to generate a combined digital image; and determining an overlap region from the combined digital image where the pull-up digital image and the coarse-grained sediment digital image overlap, wherein the overlap region is indicative of a clathrate deposit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising converting into depth the post-stack seismic data, the laterally extensive subsurface digital image, the pull-up digital image, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the pull-up digital image includes removing a land surface or seafloor artifact from the seismic data, the laterally extensive subsurface digital image, the pull-up digital image, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the coarse-grained sediment digital image comprises using amplitude, impedance, seismic attribute, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the laterally extensive subsurface digital image to generate the pull-up digital image comprises using a filter, wherein the filter comprises a spatial filter, a temporal filter, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the filter comprises a Gaussian Regional/Residual Filter, a Lowpass Filter, a Highpass Filter, a Bandpass Filter, a Directional Cosine Filter, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein presence of the clathrate deposit is verified in cross section, map view, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein presence of the clathrate deposit is verified using well data. ### Claim 9 A system of identifying a clathrate deposit in a subsurface from seismic data, the system comprising: a processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the memory storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to perform: generating a land surface or sea floor digital image from post-stack seismic data; determining a clathrate stability zone from the land surface or sea floor digital image; generating a laterally extensive subsurface digital image from the seismic data that is within or below the clathrate stability zone; filtering the laterally extensive subsurface digital image to generate a pull-up digital image; generating a coarse-grained sediment digital image from the seismic data within the clathrate stability zone; spatially superimposing the coarse-grained sediment digital image and the pull-up digital image to generate a combined digital image; and determining an overlap region from the combined digital image where the pull-up digital image and the coarse-grained sediment digital image overlap, wherein the overlap region is indicative of a clathrate deposit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to further perform converting into depth the seismic data, the laterally extensive subsurface digital image, the pull-up digital image, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein generating the pull-up digital image includes removing a land surface or seafloor artifact from the seismic data, the laterally extensive subsurface digital image, the pull-up digital image, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein generating the coarse-grained sediment digital image comprises using amplitude, impedance, seismic attribute, reflectivity, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein filtering the laterally extensive subsurface digital image to generate the pull-up digital image comprises using a filter, wherein the filter comprises a spatial filter, a temporal filter, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the filter comprises a Gaussian Regional/Residual Filter, a Lowpass Filter, a Highpass Filter, a Bandpass Filter, a Directional Cosine Filter, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the presence of the clathrate deposit is verified in cross section, map view, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein presence of the clathrate deposit is verified using well data. ### Claim 17 A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method of identifying a clathrate deposit in a subsurface from seismic data, the method comprising: generating a land surface or sea floor digital image from post-stack seismic data; determining a clathrate stability zone from the land surface or sea floor digital image; generating a laterally extensive subsurface digital image from the seismic data that is within or below the clathrate stability zone; filtering the laterally extensive subsurface digital image to generate a pull-up digital image; generating a coarse-grained sediment digital image from the seismic data within the clathrate stability zone; spatially superimposing the coarse-grained sediment digital image and the pull-up digital image to generate a combined digital image; and determining an overlap region from the combined digital image where the pull-up digital image and the coarse-grained sediment digital image overlap, wherein the overlap region is indicative of a clathrate deposit. ### Claim 18 A method of producing hydrocarbons, the method comprising: obtaining post-stack seismic data; obtaining an overlap region from a combined digital image, where the overlap region is indicative of a clathrate deposit, and where the combined digital image is produced by steps comprising: generating a land surface or seafloor digital image from the post-stack seismic image; determining a clathrate stability zone from the land surface of sea floor digital image; generating a laterally extensive subsurface digital image from the seismic data that is within or below the clathrate stability zone; filtering the laterally extensive subsurface digital image to generate a pull-up digital image; generating a coarse-grained sediment digital image from the seismic data within the clathrate stability zone; spatially superimposing the coarse-grained sediment digital image and the pull-up digital image to generate a combined digital image; and determining the overlap region from the combined digital image where the pull-up digital image and the coarse-grained sediment digital image overlap; and making a decision regarding a wellbore location based on the identified clathrate deposit, drilling a wellbore at the wellbore location, and producing the hydrocarbons via the wellbore. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the decision regarding the wellbore location is based on producing the hydrocarbons from the identified clathrate deposit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the decision regarding the wellbore location is based on producing the hydrocarbons from another deposit, and wherein the other deposit and the identified clathrate deposit are different. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the decision regarding the wellbore location is based on producing the hydrocarbons from both the identified clathrate deposit and the other deposit, wherein the other deposit and the identified clathrate deposit are different. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising verifying presence of the identified clathrate deposit in cross section, map view, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising verifying presence of the identified clathrate deposit using well data.