System and method for planning a well path

1. A method for planning a well path, comprising:

defining a proxy constraint volume as a three-dimensional (3D) cellular volume having one or more cells, where each cell has at least one value derived from data from a 3D earth model;

defining an initial well path within user defined drilling parameter constraints;

defining acceptable constraint parameters to be applied to values derived from an intersection of the initial well path and the proxy constraint volume;

if the intersection of the initial well path and the proxy constraint volume is within the acceptable constraint parameters, indicating the initial well path is within the acceptable constraint parameters; and

if the intersection of the initial well path and the proxy constraint volume is not within the acceptable constraint parameters, iteratively adjusting the initial well path to create successive well paths until at least one of the successive well paths is within the acceptable constraint parameters for the values derived from the intersection of the well path and proxy constraint volume.

2. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the proxy constraint volume comprises a distance value for each cell in the volume created by calculating distance from at least one object type defined from the 3D earth model to the all cells in the volume.

3. The method recited in claim 2 , wherein the at least one object type in the proxy constraint distance volume comprises a fault, a salt formation, a surface, an overpressured zone, an unstable interval, a planned or existing well, a seismic derived object, or object of interest.

4. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the proxy constraint volume comprises a cost value for each cell in the volume created by associating each cell of the volume with a cost structure for a well path segment intersecting that cell.

5. The method recited in claim 4 , wherein the proxy constraint volume specifies different costs for different well path orientations and well path deviations from vertical for the well path segment.

6. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the proxy constraint volume comprises a connectivity value for each cell in the volume constructed by assigning connectivity costs for each cell in the volume based of subsurface parameters from the 3D earth model.

7. The method recited in claim 6 , wherein the proxy constraint volume specifies a degree of connection to other areas of a reservoir derived from properties of one of the 3D earth model, reservoir simulation model or any combination thereof.

8. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the proxy constraint volume has a separate value or range for the constraint parameter.

9. A method for producing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon field using a physical property model representative of a physical property of the hydrocarbon field, the method comprising:

defining a proxy constraint volume as a three-dimensional (3D) cellular volume having one or more cells, where each cell has at least one value derived from data from a 3D earth model representing the hydrocarbon field;

defining an initial well path within user defined drilling parameter constraints;

defining acceptable constraint parameters to be applied to values derived from an intersection of the initial well path and the proxy constraint volume;

if the intersection of the initial well path and the proxy constraint volume is within the acceptable constraint parameters, indicating the initial well path is within the acceptable constraint parameters; and

if the intersection of the initial well path and the proxy constraint volume is not within the acceptable constraint parameters, iteratively adjusting the initial well path to create successive well paths until at least one of the successive well paths is within the acceptable constraint parameters for the values derived from the intersection of the well path and proxy constraint volume;

drilling a well according to the initial well path or one of the successive well paths that is within the acceptable constraint parameters; and

extracting hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon field from the well.

10. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein the proxy constraint volume comprises a distance value for each cell in the volume created by calculating distance from at least one object type defined from the 3D earth model to all cells in the volume.

11. The method recited in claim 10 , wherein the at least one object type in the proxy constraint distance volume comprises a fault, a salt formation, a surface, an overpressured zone, an unstable interval, a planned or existing well, a seismic derived object, or object of interest.

12. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein the proxy constraint volume comprises a cost value for each cell in the volume created by associating each cell of the volume with a cost structure for a well path segment intersecting that cell.

13. The method recited in claim 12 , wherein the proxy constraint volume specifies different costs for different well path orientations and well path deviations from vertical for the well path segment.

14. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein the proxy constraint volume comprises a connectivity value for each cell in the volume constructed by assigning connectivity costs for each cell in the volume based of subsurface parameters from the 3D earth model.

15. The method recited in claim 14 , wherein the proxy constraint volume specifies a degree of connection to other areas of a reservoir derived from properties of one of the 3D earth model, reservoir simulation model or any combination thereof.

16. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein the proxy constraint volume has a separate value or range for the constraint parameter.

17. A computer system that is adapted to perform a well-planning process, the computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions for execution by the processor, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

code that, when executed by the processor, is adapted to cause the processor to define a proxy constraint volume as a three-dimensional (3D) cellular volume having one or more cells, where each cell has at least one value derived from data from a 3D earth model;

code that, when executed by the processor, is adapted to define an initial well path within user defined drilling parameter constraints;

code that, when executed by the processor, is adapted to cause the processor to define acceptable constraint parameters to be applied to values derived from an intersection of the initial well path and the proxy constraint volume;

code that, when executed by the processor, is adapted to cause the processor to, if the intersection of the initial well path and the proxy constraint volume is within the acceptable constraint parameters, indicate the initial well path is within the acceptable constraint parameters; and

code that, when executed by the processor, is adapted to cause the processor to, if the intersection of the initial well path and the proxy constraint volume is not within the acceptable constraint parameters, iteratively adjust the initial well path to create successive well paths until at least one of the successive well paths is within the acceptable constraint parameters for the values derived from the intersection of the well path and proxy constraint volume.

18. The computer system recited in claim 17 , wherein the proxy constraint volume comprises a distance value for each cell in the volume created by calculating distance from at least one object type defined from the 3D earth model to all cells in the volume.

19. The computer system recited in claim 18 , wherein the at least one object type in the proxy constraint distance volume comprises a fault, a salt formation, a surface, an overpressured zone, an unstable interval, a planned or existing well, a seismic derived object, or object of interest.

20. The computer system recited in claim 17 , wherein the proxy constraint volume comprises a cost value for each cell in the volume created by associating each cell of the volume with a cost structure for a well path segment intersecting that cell.