IP Library Granted Patent US 10,378,316
Granted Patent B2
US 10,378,316 · App. 14/044,469 · Granted Aug 13, 2019

Method and system for passive electroseismic surveying

Inventors: Arthur Thompson (Houston, TX); Alan Katz (Dallas, TX); Robert England (Flower Mound, TX); Mohammad Rahman (Dallas, TX); Naga P. Devineni (Irving, TX)
Assignee: ES Xplore, L.L.C.
E21B41/0092E21B43/00E21B43/16E21B47/00G01V3/12G01V3/16G01V3/38G01V11/007G06F19/00G01V2210/6163Y10T70/375
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,378,316
App. No.
14/044,469
Granted
Aug 13, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of passive surveying comprises generating one or more detected signals by passively detecting a signal generated within a subsurface earth formation due to a seismoelectric response or an electroseismic response in at least one porous subsurface earth formation containing at least one fluid, and processing the one or more detected signals to determine at least one property of the subsurface earth formation.

Claims (39)

1. A system for subsurface surveying comprising:

one or more of an electromagnetic sensor and a seismic sensor located near or above the surface of the earth, wherein the electromagnetic sensor is configured to detect an electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation in response to a passive-source electromagnetic signal, wherein the electromagnetic signal is generated by an electroseismic or seismoelectric conversion of the passive-source electromagnetic signal and wherein the seismic sensor is configured to detect a seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation in response to a passive-source electromagnetic signal, wherein the seismic signal is generated by an electroseismic or seismoelectric conversion of the passive-source electromagnetic signal;

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the memory includes executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive data corresponding to one or more of the electromagnetic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation in response to the passive-source electromagnetic signal and the seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation in response to the passive-source electromagnetic signal; and

determine at least one property of the subsurface earth formation, based, at least in part, on one or more of the detected electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation and the detected seismic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that cause the process to determine at least one property of the subsurface earth formation, based, at least in part, on the detected electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation, further cause the processor to:

perform an autocorrelation on the data corresponding to an electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the processor to determine the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation, based, at least in part, on the detected seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation further cause the processor to:

perform an autocorrelation on the data corresponding to a seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation is detected at a first time, the seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation is detected at a second time, the first time and the second time are different, and wherein the executable instructions that cause the processor to determine the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation, based, at least in part, on the detected seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation further cause the processor to:

determine the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation, based, at least in part, on a correlation of the detected electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation and the detected seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the processor to:

demodulate a portion of the electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation to identify a signal property that is indicative of the presence of the hydrocarbons.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation comprises the existence of a subsurface earth formation containing at least one fluid.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one fluid includes at least one hydrocarbon.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one fluid includes helium.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one fluid includes one or more fluids selected from the group consisting of: water and carbon dioxide.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one fluid includes at least one hydrocarbon.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation comprises a depth of a subsurface formation containing at least one fluid.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation comprises a porosity of the subsurface formation containing at least one fluid.

13. A method of survey analysis comprising;

receiving data corresponding to one or more of a electromagnetic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation in response to the passive-source electromagnetic signal and a seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation in response to the passive-source electromagnetic signal, wherein the electromagnetic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation in response to the passive-source electromagnetic signal is detected by an electromagnetic sensor located at or near the surface of the earth and wherein the seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation in response to the passive-source electromagnetic signal is detected by an seismic sensor located at or near the surface of the earth; and

determining at least one property of the subsurface earth formation, based, at least in part, on one or more of the detected electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation and the seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation in response to the passive-source electromagnetic signal.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining at least one property of the subsurface earth formation, based, at least in part, on the detected electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation comprises:

performing an autocorrelation on the data corresponding to an electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation comprises the existence of a subsurface earth formation containing at least one fluid.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one fluid includes at least one hydrocarbon.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one fluid includes helium.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation, based, at least in part, on the detected seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation comprises:

performing an autocorrelation on the data corresponding to a seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation is detected at a first time, the seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation is detected at a second time, the first time and the second time are different, and wherein determining the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation, based, at least in part, on the detected seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation further comprises:

determining the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation, based, at least in part, on a correlation of the detected electromagnetic signal generated by a subsurface earth formation and the detected seismic signal generated by the subsurface earth formation.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation comprises a depth of a subsurface formation containing at least one fluid.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation comprises a porosity of the subsurface formation containing at least one fluid.

22. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

drilling a wellbore at a location, wherein the location is based, at least in part, on the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation.

23. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

recovering one or more fluids from the subsurface earth formation.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2017
From: HUNT ENERGY ENTERPRISES, L.L.C.
To: ES XPLORE, L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 043157/0744 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 2, 2013
From: THOMPSHON, ARTHUR; KATZ, ALAN; ENGLAND, ROBERT; RAHMAN, MOHAMMAD; DEVINENI, NAGA P.
To: HUNT ENERGY ENTERPRISES, LLC
Reel/Frame 031331/0421 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 13712177 · Dec 12, 2012
Continuation 13674666 · Nov 12, 2012
Continuation 13431735 · Mar 27, 2012
Provisional Application 61528421 · Aug 29, 2011
Provisional Application 61469498 · Mar 30, 2011
Related Publication 20140039796A1 · Feb 6, 2014