Granted Patent B2

US 12,704,652 · App. 17/951,250 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Inventors: Daniel James Possee (Southampton, GB); Graham Baines (Abingdon, GB)

Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation

G01V1/345E21B49/00G01V1/30G01V2210/642

Abstract

Claims (77)

1 . A method comprising:

obtaining, via one or more seismic sensors, seismic data for a seismic volume that corresponds to a subsurface formation;

generating a model of at least one horizon in the subsurface formation based on the seismic data for the seismic volume;

identifying at least one fault intersecting the at least one horizon;

determining an estimated throw of the at least one fault;

iteratively updating the model of the at least one horizon to incorporate the at least one fault as a part of the model by substituting equations solving for points on a surface of the horizon that lie on either side of the fault, based on the estimated throw of the at least one fault and an update of the estimated throw of the at least one fault, until a convergence criterion is satisfied; and

performing at least one downhole operation for recovery of hydrocarbons based on the updated model of the at least one horizon, wherein the at least one operation for the recovery of hydrocarbons is one of completion of a wellbore, updating drilling operations, perforating, fracking, logging operations, and additional sampling of the subsurface formation, and wherein updating drilling operations includes changing a drilling operation, a perforating operation, or a fracking operation.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the model of the at least one horizon comprises:

generating at least one constraint condition for generating the model;

generating a number of grid points along the at least one horizon, based on at the at least one constraint, and wherein each of the number of grid points is derived from a seismic trace;

determine a weighting factor for the at least one horizon on local grid edges of the number of grid points; and

determining a connecting line between adjacent grid points of the number of grid points indicating a seismic attribute.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the seismic attribute comprises a seismic dip.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein updating the model of the at least one horizon comprises:

removing any grid point on the at least one fault; and

removing any connecting lines that connects any grid point that has been removed.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein updating the model of the at least one horizon comprises removing any connecting line that crosses the at least one fault.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the model of the at least one horizon comprises determining, independently, the model of the at least one horizon on each side of the at least one fault.

7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein updating the model of the at least one horizon comprises determining a connecting line between two grid points of the number of grid points on opposite sides of the fault relative to the seismic attribute.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the two grid points includes grid points nearest the at least one fault on each side of the at least one fault.

9 . The method of claim 2 ,

wherein the at least one horizon includes a first horizon partition and a second horizon partition, and

wherein updating the model of the at least one horizon comprises,

adding a first new grid point positioned on the at least one fault at a location wherein the first horizon partition is predicted to intersect with the at least one fault;

adding a second new grid point positioned on the at least one fault at a location wherein the second horizon partition is predicted to intersect with the at least one fault;

determining a connecting line between the first new grid point and a grid point of the number of grid points that is nearest the at least one fault in the first horizon partition;

determining a connecting line between the second new grid point and a grid point of the number of grid points that is nearest the at least one fault in the second horizon partition; and

determining a connecting line between the first new grid point and the second new grid point.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the drilling operation, the perforating operation, or the fracking operation comprises initiating or stopping the drilling operation, the perforating operation, or the fracking operation.

11 . A non-transitory, machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to perform seismic data processing operations comprising:

obtaining, via one or more seismic sensors, seismic data for a seismic volume that corresponds to a subsurface formation;

generating a model of at least one horizon in the subsurface formation based on the seismic data for the seismic volume;

identifying at least one fault intersecting the at least one horizon;

determining an estimated throw of the at least one fault;

iteratively updating the model of the at least one horizon to incorporate the at least one fault as part of the model by substituting equations solving for points on a surface of the horizon that lie on either side of the fault, based on the estimated throw of the at least one fault and an update of the estimated throw of the at least one fault, until a convergence criterion is satisfied; and

performing an operation for recovery of hydrocarbons based on the updated model of the at least one horizon, wherein the operation for the recovery of hydrocarbons is one of completion of a wellbore, updating drilling operations, perforating, fracking, logging operations, and additional sampling of the subsurface formation, and wherein updating drilling operations includes changing a drilling operation, a perforating operation, or a fracking operation.

12 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein generating the model of the at least one horizon comprises:

generating at least one constraint condition for generating the model;

generating a number of grid points along the at least one horizon, based on the at least one constraint, and wherein each of the number of grid points is derived from a seismic trace;

determine a weighting factor for the at least one horizon on local grid edges of the number of grid points; and

determining a connecting line between adjacent grid points of the number of grid points indicating a seismic attribute, wherein the seismic attribute comprises a seismic dip.

13 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein updating the model of the at least one horizon comprises:

removing any grid point on the at least one fault; and

removing any connecting lines that connects any grid point that has been removed.

14 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein updating the model of the at least one horizon comprises removing any connecting line that crosses the at least one fault.

15 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein updating the model of the at least one horizon comprises determining a connecting line between two grid points of the number of grid points on opposite sides of the fault relative to the seismic attribute, wherein the two grid points includes grid points nearest the at least one fault on each side of the at least one fault.

16 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12 ,

wherein the at least one horizon is separated into a first horizon partition and a second horizon partition by the at least one fault, and

wherein updating the model of the at least one horizon comprises,

adding a first new grid point positioned on the at least one fault at a location wherein the first horizon partition is predicted to intersect with the at least one fault;

adding a second new grid point positioned on the at least one fault at a location wherein the second horizon partition is predicted to intersect with the at least one fault;

determining a connecting line between the first new grid point and a grid point of the number of grid points that is nearest the at least one fault in the first horizon partition;

determining a connecting line between the second new grid point and a grid point of the number of grid points that is nearest the at least one fault in the second horizon partition; and

determining a connecting line between the first new grid point and the second new grid point.

17 . An apparatus for performing seismic data processing comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

obtain, via one or more seismic sensors, seismic data for a seismic volume that corresponds to a subsurface formation;

generate a model of at least one horizon in the subsurface formation based on the seismic data for the seismic volume;

identify at least one fault intersecting the at least one horizon;

determine an estimated throw of the at least one fault;

iteratively update the model of the at least one horizon to incorporate the at least one fault as part of the model by substituting equations solving for points on a surface of the horizon that lie on either side of the fault, based on the estimated throw of the at least one fault and an update of the estimated throw of the at least one fault, until a convergence criterion is satisfied; and

direct a drilling tool to perform an operation for recovery of hydrocarbons based on the updated model of the at least one horizon, wherein the operation for the recovery of hydrocarbons is one of completion of a wellbore, updating drilling operations, perforating, fracking, logging operations, and additional sampling of the subsurface formation, and wherein updating drilling operations includes changing a drilling operation, a perforating operation, or a fracking operation.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to generate the model of the at least one horizon comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

generating at least one constraint condition for generating the model;

generate a number of grid points along the at least one horizon, based on the at least one constraint, and wherein each of the number of grid points is derived from a seismic trace;

determine a weighting factor for the at least one horizon on local grid edges of the number of grid points; and

determine a connecting line between adjacent grid points of the number of grid points indicating a seismic attribute.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to update the model of the at least one horizon comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to determine a connecting line between two grid points of the number of grid points on opposite sides of the fault relative to the seismic attribute, wherein the two grid points includes grid points nearest the at least one fault on each side of the at least one fault.

20 . The apparatus of claim 18 ,

wherein the at least one horizon includes a first horizon partition and a second horizon partition, and

wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to update the model of the at least one horizon comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

add a first new grid point positioned on the at least one fault at a location wherein the first horizon partition is predicted to intersect with the at least one fault;

add a second new grid point positioned on the at least one fault at a location wherein the second horizon partition is predicted to intersect with the at least one fault;

determine a connecting line between the first new grid point and a grid point of the number of grid points that is nearest the at least one fault in the first horizon partition;

determine a connecting line between the second new grid point and a grid point of the number of grid points that is nearest the at least one fault in the second horizon partition; and

determine a connecting line between the first new grid point and the second new grid point.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (58)