Oilfield analysis systems and methods

• US 6,829,570 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2000
• Issued: 12/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Auzerais, Francois M., Bryant, Ian D., Thambynayagam, Raj Kumar Michael, Tilke, Peter G., Bennett, Nicholas N., Ramakrishnan, Terizhandur S.
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMSON, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US09/712,491
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 703/9, 703/10, 707/10, 707/104.1, 715/513, 702/6, 702/14, 702/16, 709/218, 709/203, 709/205, 709/219, 345/733, 345/738, 345/740, 345/748, 345/751, 345/756, 345/757, 345/760
• US Class Current: 703/10
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An oilfield data analysis system is based on a four-tier software model which includes a “shared earth model” and a federation of “directory services”. The first tier is a universal graphical user interface (GUI) which can operate on any inexpensive computer as well as on an expensive workstation, i.e. a “web browser”. The second tier is an application server which is coupled to users via the worldwide web and serves geoscientific software applications. The third tier is a geometric modelling system where geometric data is stored and processed. The third tier embodies the “shared earth model”. The fourth tier is a database management system where non-geometric data is stored. According to the invention, there can be (and preferably are) multiple instances of each tier. Communication of data between different tiers is accomplished via XML data exchange. According to a presently preferred embodiment, the geoscience applications served by the second tier are written as JAVA servlets and applications may communicate with each other without human direction by registering requests with “directory services”. Applications interested in certain types of data “listen” for “data events” being registered with directory services. The cost of utilizing an application can be based on a time-rental billing operation which is carried out automatically via directory services.

Claims

1. A system for analysis of oil/gas exploration and/or production data, comprising:

a) a communication network;

b) a geometric modeling system storing a shared earth model, said geometric modeling system being coupled to said network;

c) a plurality of directory services coupled to said network;

d) an application server coupled to said network; and

e) a database management system coupled to said network, wherein

changes made to said shared earth model by users in non-real-time are published over said network via said directory services.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

f) a graphical user interface coupled to said network, wherein

said graphical user interface communicates with said shared earth model and said database management system via said application server.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein:

said application server serves applications to said graphical user interface.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

said application server delivers data to said graphical user interface via an XML data stream.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

said application server delivers data to said graphical user interface via a pointer embedded in an XML data stream, said pointer pointing to a binary file.

6. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

said application server delivers data to said graphical user interface via binary encoded ASCII embedded in an XML data stream.

7. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

said application server receives data from said geometric modeling system and said database via an XML data stream.

8. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

a selection of data from said geometric modeling system or said database by a user via said application server causes said application server to automatically present the user with a list of compatible applications.

9. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

a selection of data from said geometric modeling system or said database by a user via said application server causes said application server to automatically locate a suitable translator program for the data.

10. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

an execution of an application via said application server by a user which execution causes a modification of data retrieved from said geometric modeling system or said database via said application server causes said application server to automatically compare the modified data with the previous version of the data to determine whether the versions are consistent.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein:

when said application server determines inconsistent versions of data, different versions are saved in different data channels.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

said application server automatically runs an application when a change in the shared earth model is published.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

said application server automatically publishes a billing event to said directory services when an application is used.

14. A method of analyzing oilfield exploration and/or production data, comprising:

a) storing a shared earth model on a geometric modeling system coupled to a communication network;

b) storing a plurality of data analysis programs on an application server coupled to the network;

c) providing a plurality of directory services coupled to the network;

d) storing non-geometric oilfield data on a database management system coupled to the network;

e) permitting authorized users to access the shared earth model and/or the non-geometric data via the network;

f) permitting authorized users to edit the shared earth model using an application from the application server; and

g) automatically publishing the fact that the shared earth model was edited over the network via the directory services.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

h) automatically comparing an edited version of the shared earth model with a previous version; and

i) replacing the previous version with the edited version only if the edited version is consistent with the previous version.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

j) saving both the previous version and the edited version if they are not consistent.

17. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

h) automatically uploading oilfield data to the database management system.

18. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

i) automatically constructing a first version of the shared earth model from oilfield data stored in the database system.