System and method for generating a geostatistical model of a geological volume of interest that is constrained by a process-based model of the geological volume of interest

• US 8,954,303 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chevron USA Incorporated (Chevron Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Chevron USA Incorporated (Chevron Corp.)
• Inventors: Pyrcz, Michael James, Andres, Miriam S., Harris, Frank William III, Levy, Marjorie, Harris, Paul Mitchell
• Primary Examiner(s): JONES, HUGH M
• Application Number:
  US13/170,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20130006591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 703/10
• US Class Current: 703/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 20/00 Geomodelling in general

Abstract

A process-based model of a geological volume of interest is generated. The process-based model is conditioned with conditioning information associated with the geological volume of interest. Statistics are generated from the process-based model that represent parameters of the geological volume of interest locally. These statistics are used to constrain one or more geostatistical models of the geological volume of interest.

Claims

1. A system configured to generate a geostatistical model of a geological volume of interest, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a conditioning information module configured to obtain conditioning information associated with the geological volume of interest, wherein the conditioning information includes information derived from measurements made at or near the geological volume of interest;

a process model module configured to generate a process-based model of the geological volume of interest, wherein the process-based model is generated using one or more algorithms which model original geological processes and are based on at least one of physical laws, empirical rules, or combinations thereof, and wherein the process-based model is conformed to the conditioning information associated with geological volume of interest;

a statistics module configured to generate statistics from the process-based model that are faithful to the process information in the process-based model, wherein at least one or more values of the statistics are extracted locally within the process-based model such that the value of a given statistic varies as a function of location within the process-based model;

a statistical model module configured to generate a geostatistical model of the geological volume of interest that is constrained by the statistics generated by the statistics module;

a match quantification module configured to determine one or more match metrics that quantifies a closeness of match between the process-based model generated by the process model module and the conditioning information associated with the geological volume of interest, wherein the match quantification module is configured such that at least one of the match metrics is determined locally across the process-based model such that the match metric as a function of location in the process-based model; and

a match verification module configured to verify, based on the match metric, that the closeness of match between the process-based model and the conditioning information meets a hatch threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the conditioning information module is configured such that the conditioning information associated with the geological volume of interest comprises one or more of well data, core data, analog information, expert information, or seismic data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the match quantification module is configured such that the match metric is determined individually for the processes and/or time steps included in the process-based model.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the process model module is configured such that responsive to closeness of match between the process-based model and the conditioning data not meeting the match threshold, the process model module adjusts the process-based model to better match the conditioning information or generates a new process-based model.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the statistics module is configured such that the statistics comprise one or more of spatial continuity, texture, connectivity, geometry, proportions of specific types or property ranges, transition probabilities between types or property ranges, or relative positions or stacking of geometries.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer program modules further comprise a model verification module configured to verify the statistical model.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the model verification module is configured such that verifying the statistical model comprises analyzing the statistical model to identify numerical artifacts and/or unanticipated model features.

8. A method of generating a geostatistical model of a geological volume of interest, the method comprising:

obtaining conditioning information associated with the geological volume of interest, wherein the conditioning information includes information derived from measurements made at or near the geological volume of interest;

generating a process-based model of the geological volume of interest, wherein the process-based model is generated using one or more algorithms which model original geological processes and are based on at least one of physical laws, empirical rules, or combinations thereof, and wherein the process-based model is conformed to the conditioning information associated with geological volume of interest;

generating statistics from the process-based model that are faithful to the process information in the process-based model, wherein one or more values of the statistics are extracted locally within the process-based model such that the value of a given statistic varies as a function of location within the process-based model;

generating a geostatistical model of the geological volume of interest that is constrained by the statistics generated from the process-based model;

determining one or more match metrics that quantifies a closeness of match between the process-based model and the conditioning information associated with the geological volume of interest, wherein at least one of the match metrics is determined locally across the process-based model such that the match metric varies as a function of location in the process-based model; and

verifying, based on the match metric, that the closeness of match between the process-based model and the conditioning information meets a match threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the obtained conditioning information associated with the geological volume of interest comprises one or more of well data, core data, analog information, expert information, or seismic data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the match metric is determined individually for the processes included in the process-based model.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein responsive to closeness of match between the process-based model and the conditioning data not meeting the match threshold, the method further comprises either adjusting the process-based model to better match the conditioning information or generating a new process-based model.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the local statistics comprise one or more of spatial continuity, texture, connectivity, geometry, proportions of specific types or property ranges, transition probabilities between types or property ranges, or relative positions or stacking of geometries.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising verifying the statistical model.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein verifying the statistical model comprises analyzing the statistical model to identify numerical artifacts and/or unanticipated model features.

15. Non-transitory electronic storage media storing machine-readable instructions that cause one or more processors to perform operations that result in generation of a geostatistical model of a geological volume of interest, the operations comprising:

obtaining conditioning information associated with the geological volume of interest, wherein the conditioning information includes information derived from measurements made at or near the geological volume of interest;

generating a process-based model of the geological volume of interest, wherein the process-based model is generated using one or more algorithms which model original geological processes and are based on at least one of physical laws, empirical rules, or combinations thereof, and wherein the process-based model is conformed to the conditioning information associated with geological volume of interest;

generating statistics from the process-based model that are faithful to the process information in the process-based model, wherein one or more values of the statistics are extracted locally within the process-based model such that the value of a given statistic varies as a function of location within the process-based model;

generating a geostatistical model of the geological volume of interest that is constrained by the statistics generated from the process-based model; and

determining one or more match metrics that quantifies a closeness of match between the process-based model and the conditioning information associated with the geological volume of interest, wherein at least one of the match metrics is determined locally across the process-based model such that the match metric varies as a function of location in the process-based model; and

verifying, based on the match metric, that the closeness of match between the process-based model and the conditioning information meets a match threshold.