Method of exploration for hydrocarbons

• US 5,012,674 A
• Filed: 10/31/1988
• Issued: 05/07/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Board of Regents of the University of Colorado (University of Colorado System)
• Original Assignee: Amoco Corporation (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Millheim, Keith K., Mount, Houston B. II, Sondergeld, Carl H., Rai, Chandra S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tokar, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'Shea, Kevin D.
• Application Number:
  US07/265,073
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 73/38, 73/151, 73/152, 73/153, 73/821, 73/818, 73/825, 73/841, 73/845, 250/255, 324/201, 324/377
• US Class Current: 73/152.03
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/02 by mechanically taking samples of the soil
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/241 for hydrocarbon content
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/00 Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00

Abstract

A method of exploring for hydrocarbons is disclosed wherein core is obtained over substantially the entire length of a well and substantially all lithologies represented within the core are analyzed at a core analysis facility located adjacent the well. A measurement of a plurality of physical properties of the core are made promptly after the core is removed from the well. Thereafter, from the measurement of these physical properties, a depth correlated record is generated, and is used (a) to adjust the drilling plan for that well while it is being drilled, (b) used as inputs into other exploration processes, such as seismic surveys, magnetic surveys and gravity surveys, or (c) used for correlation with other depth correlated records obtained from other wells.

Claims

1. A method of producing a depth correlated record of the earth'"'"'s subsurface using core cuts as a well is being drilled, comprising:

(a) within a core analysis facility adjacent the well, analyzing substantially all lithologies represented within the core taken from substantially the entire length of the wellbore to obtain a measurement of physical properties thereof promptly after the core is removed from the well; and

(b) producing a depth correlated record of the physical properties.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical properties are selected from the group consisting of gamma ray, infrared absorption, infrared reflectance, magnetic susceptibility, ultraviolet fluorescence, saturated density, dry density, grain density, porosity, shear acoustic velocity, compressional acoustic velocity, elastic moduli and compressive strength.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein core is obtained from substantially the entire length of the well and is provided to the core analysis facility.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the measurement of magnetic susceptibility is used to produce a representation of the earth'"'"'s magnetic characteristics.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the depth correlated record of at least one physical property is correlated to a depth correlated log obtained from another well.

6. A depth correlated record of the physical properties made in accordance with claim 1.

7. A core analysis facility for use adjacent a well to produce a depth correlated record of the earth'"'"'s subsurface, comprising:

means for analyzing substantially all lithologies represented within a core removed from substantially the entire length of a well to obtain a measurement of physical properties thereof promptly after the core is removed from the well, and

means for producing a depth correlated record of the physical properties.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the physical properties are selected from the group consisting of gamma ray, infrared absorption, infrared reflectance, magnetic susceptibility, ultraviolet fluorescence, grain density, dry density, saturated density, porosity, shear acoustic velocity, compressional acoustic velocity, elastic moduli and compressive strength.

9. A method of exploring for hydrocarbons, comprising:

(a) developing a representation of the earth'"'"'s subsurface;

(b) developing a well drilling plan from the representation of the earth'"'"'s subsurface;

(c) drilling a wellbore to penetrate the earth'"'"'s subsurface in accordance with the drilling plan;

(d) obtaining a core over substantially the entire length of the wellbore;

(e) analyzing substantially all lithologies represented within the core at a location adjacent the wellbore to obtain a plurality of physical properties thereof;

(f) revising the representation of the earth'"'"'s subsurface from the obtained plurality of physical properties;

(g) revising the drilling plan for the wellbore in response to the revisions in the representation of the physical properties of the earth'"'"'s subsurface; and

(h) drilling the wellbore in accordance with the revised drilling plan.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of properties include compressive strength and porosity.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the representation of the earth'"'"'s subsurface comprises a seismic section.

12. A method of exploring for hydrocarbons comprising:

(a) obtaining a depth correlated record of at least one physical property of a core taken from substantially the entire length of a wellbore analyzed at a core analysis facility adjacent a first well from which the core was obtained and analyzed promptly after the core is removed from the first well;

(b) obtaining a depth correlated record of the at least one physical property from a wireline log passed through a second well; and

(c) comparing similar indicated subsurface features from the record of step (a) to a record of step (b).

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one physical property is natural gamma ray radiation.

14. The method of claim 12 and including:

(d) developing an inferred lithology log for the second well from the depth correlated record of at least one physical property of the first well.