IP Library Granted Patent US 12,560,075
Granted Patent B2
US 12,560,075 · App. 18/732,040 · Granted Feb 24, 2026

Gradational resistivity models with local anisotropy for distance to bed boundary inversion

Inventors: Hsu-Hsiang Wu (Houston, TX); Dagang Wu (Houston, TX)
Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
E21B44/00E21B7/04E21B49/00G01V3/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,560,075
App. No.
18/732,040
Granted
Feb 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In general, in one aspect, embodiments relate to a method and/or system for obtaining one or more measurements collected by a downhole tool at a wellbore depth and defining a piecewise-polynomial inversion model describing one or more formation parameters. Systems and methods herein may further be for performing an inversion on the piecewise-polynomial inversion model to determine one or more formation parameters of the inversion model, and adjusting a path of the downhole tool based at least in part on the or more formation parameters of the piecewise-polynomial inversion model.

Claims (29)

1 . A computer-implemented method for performing geosteering inversion, the method comprising:

obtaining one or more measurements related to a geological formation, wherein the one or more measurements are collected by a downhole tool at a wellbore depth within the geological formation;

based on the one or more measurements at the wellbore depth, defining a formation model representative of one or more formation parameters across one or more layers of the geological formation, wherein the formation model defines the one or more formation parameters at each layer of the one or more layers via a piecewise-polynomial inversion model comprising a plurality of polynomial functions, wherein each polynomial function of the plurality of polynomial functions corresponds to a layer of the one or more layers;

performing an inversion on the piecewise-polynomial inversion model to determine one or more values of the one or more formation parameters; and

adjusting a path of the downhole tool based at least in part on the one or more values of the one or more formation parameters.

2 . The computer-implemented method for performing geosteering inversion of claim 1 , wherein the one or more formation parameters are formation horizontal resistivity, formation anisotropy, or bed boundaries.

3 . The computer-implemented method for performing geosteering inversion of claim 1 , wherein the one or more measurements are real-time field measurements from a look-ahead look-around electromagnetic downhole tool.

4 . The computer-implemented method for performing geosteering inversion of claim 1 , wherein the piecewise-polynomial inversion model is a piecewise-linear or piecewise-constant inversion model with different order of polynomial parameters.

5 . The computer-implemented method for performing geosteering inversion of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of k locations on the piecewise-polynomial inversion model represent the boundaries between each layer of the one or more layer.

6 . The computer-implemented method for performing geosteering inversion of claim 5 , wherein the piecewise-polynomial inversion model utilizes any order polynomial at every k location.

7 . The computer-implemented method for performing geosteering inversion of claim 6 , wherein formation horizontal resistivity, formation anisotropy and layer boundary are defined for every k location in the piecewise-polynomial inversion model.

8 . The computer-implemented method for performing geosteering inversion of claim 6 , wherein horizontal resistivity and layer boundary are defined for every k location but anisotropy is constant between any two k locations.

9 . The computer-implemented method for performing geosteering inversion of claim 6 , wherein the piecewise-polynomial inversion model comprises deterministic methods, Bayesian-based method, and machine-learning and deep-learning methods.

10 . The computer-implemented method for performing geosteering inversion of claim 9 , further comprising determining a misfit between one or more unknown wellbore parameters and the one or more measurements.

11 . A computer-implemented system for performing geosteering inversion, the system comprising:

a downhole tool configured to receive an input to adjust the path of the downhole tool and obtain one or more measurements related to a geological formation, wherein the one or more measurements are collected at a wellbore depth within the geological formation; and

an information handling system configured to:

define, based on the one or more measurements a formation model representative of one or more formation parameters across one or more lavers of the geological formation, wherein the formation model defines the one or more formation parameters at each layer via a piecewise-polynomial inversion model comprising a plurality of polynomial functions, wherein each polynomial function of the plurality of polynomial functions corresponds to a layer of the one or more layers;

perform an inversion on the piecewise-polynomial inversion model to determine one or more values of the one or more formation parameter; and

produce the input to adjust the path of the downhole tool based at least in part on the one or more values of the one or more formation parameters.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the downhole tool is configured in a look-ahead look-around tool electromagnetic tool.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more formation parameters are formation horizontal resistivity, formation anisotropy or bed boundaries.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein a plurality of k locations on the piecewise-polynomial inversion model represent the boundaries between each layer of the one or more layers.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the piecewise-polynomial inversion model utilizes any order polynomial at every k location from the plurality of k locations.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein formation horizontal resistivity, formation anisotropy and layer boundary are defined for every k location from the plurality of k locations.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein formation horizontal resistivity and layer boundary are defined for every k location, but formation anisotropy is constant between any two k locations from the plurality of k locations.

18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the piecewise-polynomial inversion model comprises deterministic methods, Bayesian-based method, and machine-learning and deep-learning methods.

19 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a control and processing system of the information handling system.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the control and processing system is configured to adjust a path of the downhole tool based at least in part on the one or more values of the one or more formation parameters.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2024
From: WU, HSU-HSIANG; WU, DAGANG
To: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 067673/0583 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63472505 · Jun 12, 2023
Related Publication 20240410265A1 · Dec 12, 2024
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