Abstraction of multiple-format geological and geophysical data for oil and gas exploration and production analysis

• US 5,873,049 A
• Filed: 02/21/1997
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Company Incorporated (BP PLC)
• Original Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Company Incorporated (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Steeb, Douglas T., Bielak, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEESO, THOMAS R
• Application Number:
  US08/803,987
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 702/6, 702/1, 702/2, 702/11, 702/16, 702/24, 702/14, 707/103, 395/200.35, 395/200.47, 395/500
• US Class Current: 702/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases

Abstract

A computer system and method of operating the same, to execute multiple analysis application programs upon multiple persistent databases, each arranged to a vendor-specific format for geological and geophysical data, is disclosed. According to the disclosed embodiments of the invention, an abstract object interface is provided, by way of which the analysis application program need not be aware of the vendor format of the persistent database upon which operations are being executed. The abstract object interface includes program code by way of which, upon execution, a hierarchy of objects are instantiated. Prior to instantiating objects according to the geologically-related information, the user selects a particular source of data, for example by selecting a catalog corresponding to one of the vendor formats. At this time, objects corresponding to the contents of the selected persistent database are instantiated, incorporating vendor-specific function elements that may be called by the abstract objects, as necessary. The analysis application program is then able to retrieve and process data from the database by executing function members of the abstract objects (either directly, or by indirectly calling the vendor-specific code), without knowledge of the vendor format of the underlying persistent database.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer for processing geologically-related data by way of a selected one of a plurality of analysis application programs, wherein the geologically-related data is stored in a storage medium in a plurality of persistent databases arranged according to a plurality of vendor formats, comprising the steps of:

initiating the operation of the selected one of the plurality of analysis application programs;

selecting a first one of the plurality of persistent databases, the selected persistent database containing geologically-related data stored according to a first one of the plurality of vendor formats;

after the selecting step, instantiating a first concrete object corresponding to the first persistent database;

instantiating a first abstract object corresponding to the first concrete object, the first abstract object comprising data members and function members; and

operating the selected analysis application program to process geologically-related data by executing at least one of the function members of the first abstract object without specifying one of the plurality of vendor formats.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating step comprises:

retrieving geologically-related data from the first persistent database;

processing the retrieved geologically-related data; and

storing the processed geologically-related data in the first persistent database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first abstract object has at least one function member corresponding to a virtual function;

and wherein the first concrete object includes a specified function member corresponding to the virtual function.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified function member in the first concrete object includes a function programmed according to the first vendor format.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

selecting a second one of the plurality of persistent databases, the second persistent database containing geologically-related data stored according to a second one of the plurality of vendor formats;

after the selecting step, instantiating a second concrete object corresponding to the second persistent database; and

instantiating a second abstract object corresponding to the second concrete object, the second abstract object comprising data members and function members;

and wherein the step of operating the selected analysis application program further comprises executing at least one of the function members of the second abstract object without specifying one of the plurality of vendor formats.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of operating the selected analysis application comprises:

retrieving data from the first persistent database; and

storing the retrieved data in the second persistent database;

wherein the first and second ones of the plurality of vendor formats differ from one another.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second concrete object has a specified function member, corresponding to a virtual function member of the second abstract object, that includes a function programmed according to the second vendor format.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first abstract object specifies a plurality of objects in a first subclass;

and further comprising the steps of;

instantiating a first concrete subclass object selected from the plurality of objects in the first subclass; and

instantiating a first abstract subclass object corresponding to the first concrete subclass object and comprising data members and function members.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first abstract subclass object includes a set of function members including at least the function members of the first abstract object, and includes a set of data members including at least the data members of the first abstract object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the geologically-related data stored by the first persistent database comprises well log measurements.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the geologically-related data stored by the first persistent database comprises seismic survey measurements.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the second one of the plurality of persistent databases, the second persistent database containing geologically-related data that are stored according to a second one of the plurality of vendor formats;

after the selecting step, instantiating a second concrete object corresponding to the second persistent database; and

instantiating a second abstract object corresponding to the second concrete object, the second abstract object comprising data members and function members;

and wherein the step of operating the selected analysis application program comprises;

retrieving a selected well log measurement signal from the first persistent database by executing a function member of the first abstract object without specifying the first vendor format;

retrieving a selected seismic survey signal from the second persistent database by executing a function member of the second abstract object without specifying the second vendor format; and

simultaneously displaying the selected well log measurement and the selected seismic survey signal on a graphics display.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the geologically-related data stored by the first persistent database comprise well log measurements.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the geologically-related data stored by the second persistent database comprise seismic survey measurements.

15. A computer system for processing geologically-related data, comprising:

storage media for storing computer readable signals corresponding to;

a plurality of analysis application programs; and

a plurality of persistent databases, each of the plurality of persistent databases storing geologically-related data according to one of a plurality of vendor formats;

at least one input device for receiving user inputs;

at least one output device for displaying processing results; and

a system computer, coupled to the storage media, to the at least one input device, and to the at least one output device, and programmed to execute an analysis application program by performing the steps of;

initiating the operation of a selected one of the plurality of analysis application programs;

receiving an input from the at least one input device indicating a first one of the plurality of persistent databases, the first persistent database storing geologically-related data according to a first one of the plurality of vendor formats;

after the selecting step, instantiating a first concrete object corresponding to the first persistent database;

instantiating a first abstract object corresponding to the first concrete object, the first abstract object comprising data members and function members; and

operating the selected analysis application program to process geologically-related data by executing at least one of the function members of the first abstract object without specifying one of the plurality of vendor formats.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system computer is programmed to perform the operating step by:

retrieving geologically-related data from the first persistent database;

processing the retrieved geologically-related data; and

storing the processed geologically-related data in the first persistent database according to the first vendor format.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first abstract object has at least one function member corresponding to a virtual function;

and wherein the first concrete object includes a specified function member corresponding to the virtual function.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the specified function member in the first concrete object includes a function programmed according to the first vendor format.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the system computer is further programmed to perform the operations of:

receiving an input from the at least one input device indicating a second one of the plurality of persistent databases, the second persistent database storing geologically-related data stored according to a second one of the plurality of vendor formats;

after the selecting step, instantiating a second concrete object corresponding to the second persistent database; and

instantiating a second abstract object corresponding to the second concrete object, the second abstract object comprising data members and function members;

and wherein the step of operating the selected analysis application program further comprises executing at least one of the function members of the second abstract object without specifying one of the plurality of vendor formats.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the system computer is further programmed to perform the operation of operating the selected analysis application by:

retrieving data from the first persistent database; and

storing the retrieved data in the second persistent database;

wherein the first and second ones of the plurality of vendor formats differ from one another.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the geologically-related data stored by the first persistent database in the memory comprises well log measurements.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the geologically-related data stored by the first persistent database in the memory comprises seismic survey measurements.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the system computer is further programmed to perform the operations of:

receiving an input from the at least one input device indicating a second one of the plurality of persistent databases, the second persistent database storing geologically-related data according to a second one of the plurality of vendor formats;

after the selecting step, instantiating a second concrete object corresponding to the second persistent database; and

instantiating a second abstract object corresponding to the second concrete object, the second abstract object comprising data members and function members;

and wherein the system computer is further programmed to perform the operation of operating the selected analysis application program by;

retrieving a selected well log measurement signal from the first persistent database by executing a function member of the first abstract object without specifying the first vendor format;

retrieving a selected seismic survey signal from the second persistent database by executing a function member of the second abstract object without specifying the second vendor format; and

simultaneously displaying the selected well log measurement and the selected seismic survey signal on the at least one output device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the geologically-related data stored by the first persistent database in the memory comprise well log measurements.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the geologically-related data stored by the second persistent database in the memory comprise seismic survey measurements.