IP Library Granted Patent US 8,589,079
Granted Patent B2
US 8,589,079 · App. 13/712,177 · Granted Nov 19, 2013

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: Hunt Energy Enterprises, LLC
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,589,079
App. No.
13/712,177
Granted
Nov 19, 2013
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 (50)

1. A method of survey analysis comprising;

receiving data corresponding to 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

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.

2. The method of claim 1 , 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.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving data corresponding to 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; and

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.

4. The method of claim 1 , 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.

5. The method 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 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.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

demodulating 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.

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

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one fluid includes at least one hydrocarbon.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one fluid includes one or more fluids selected from the group consisting of: water, helium, and carbon dioxide.

10. The method 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.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one fluid includes at least one hydrocarbon.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one fluid includes one or more fluids selected from the group consisting of: water, helium, and carbon dioxide.

13. The method 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.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one fluid includes at least one hydrocarbon.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one fluid includes one or more fluids selected from the group consisting of: water, helium, and carbon dioxide.

16. The method of claim 1 , 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.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

recovering one or more fluids from the subsurface earth formation.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more fluids include one or more hydrocarbons.

19. A system for subsurface surveying comprising:

a processor; and

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

receive data corresponding to 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 electroseismie or seismoelectric conversion of the passive-source electromagnetic signal; and

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.

20. The system of claim 19 , 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.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:

receive data corresponding to a seismic signal generated by the subsurface each 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; and

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.

22. The system of claim 19 , 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.

23. The system of claim 19 , 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.

24. The system of claim 19 , 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.

25. The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation comprises the existence of a subsurface earth formation containing at least one fluid.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the at least one fluid includes at least one hydrocarbon.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein the at least one fluid includes one or more fluids selected from the group consisting of: water, helium, and carbon dioxide.

28. The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation comprises a depth of a subsurface formation containing at least one fluid.

29. The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one property of the subsurface earth formation comprises a porosity of the subsurface formation containing at least one fluid.

30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the at least one fluid includes at least one hydrocarbon.

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 Dec 12, 2012
From: THOMPSON, ARTHUR; KATZ, ALAN; ENGLAND, ROBERT; RAHMAN, MOHAMMAD; DEVINENI, NAGA P.
To: HUNT ENERGY ENTERPRISES, LLC
Reel/Frame 029454/0048 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 13674666 · Nov 12, 2012
Continuation 13431735 · Mar 27, 2012
Provisional Application 61469498 · Mar 30, 2011
Provisional Application 61528421 · Aug 29, 2011
Related Publication 20130133880A1 · May 30, 2013