Exploration method and system for detection of hydrocarbons

• US 9,612,231 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2012
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brent R. Knight
• Original Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Pottorf, Robert J., Srnka, Leonard J., Bond, William, Dreyfus, Sebastien L., Lawson, Michael, Meurer, William P., Cherney, Daniel P., May, Steven R., Powell, William G., Vandewater, Christoper J., Ertas, Mehmet D., Raman, Sumathy, Regberg, Aaron B., N'Guessan, A. Lucie, Robinson, Amelia C., Rudolph, Kurt W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Xu, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/350,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20140256055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/00 Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/14 using acoustic emission techniques echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/241 for hydrocarbon content
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/38 specially adapted for water-covered areas G01V1/28 takes precedence
• 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: G01V 3/08 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/081 the magnetic field is produced by the objects or geological structures characterised by the method of magnetic field measurement G01R33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/00 Prospecting or detecting by the use of ionising radiation, e.g. of natural or induced radioactivity
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/00 Prospecting or detecting by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/02 Prospecting
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 9/005 by thermal methods, e.g. after generation of heat by chemical reactions
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 9/007 by detecting gases or particles representative of underground layers at or near the surface analysing earth materials G01N33/24; analysing gases per se G01N

Abstract

A method for detecting hydrocarbons is described. The method includes performing a remote sensing survey of a survey location to identify a target location. Then, an underwater vehicle (UV) is deployed into a body of water and directed to the target location. The UV collects measurement data within the body of water at the target location, which is then analyzed to determine whether hydrocarbons are present at the target location.

Claims

1. A method for detecting hydrocarbons comprising:

performing a remote sensing survey of a survey location;

analyzing the remote sensing data from the remote sensing survey to determine a target location;

deploying an underwater vehicle (UV) into a body of water;

navigating the UV within the body of water to the target location;

obtaining measurement data within the body of water at the target location, wherein measurement components on the underwater vehicle measure molecular and isotopic signatures of non-hydrocarbon gases and hydrocarbons in the body of water at the target location and wherein measuring the isotopic signature of hydrocarbons includes measuring the signature of clumped isotopologues in a sample from the body of water; and

determining whether hydrocarbons are present at the target location based on the measurement data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the remote sensing survey comprises creating satellite imagery of the survey location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the remote sensing survey comprises navigating an airborne vehicle to obtain an airborne survey of the survey location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein remote sensing survey comprises performing one or more of ocean acoustic waveguide survey;

water column seismic survey;

active acoustic sensing survey;

imagery and spectroscopy of slicks and atmospheric gas plumes;

passive acoustic sensing survey;

magnetic and gravity surveys;

optical sensing survey and thermal anomalies detection survey.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the remote sensing survey comprises imaging the survey location via one or more of multibeam echosounder and sub-bottom profiler via a marine surface vessel or underwater vehicle that also includes side-scan sonar.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the concentration of one or more of thermogenic methane, ethane, propane, butane, other alkanes, aromatics, and non-hydrocarbon gases from the measurement data.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising conducting a drop and piston core sampling technique based on the obtained measurement data within the body of water at the target location.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising measuring one or more of a pH concentration and an oxidation state in the body of water.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising measuring magnetic anomalies via multicomponent magnetometers or gravity anomalies via a gravimeter.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising obtaining biological and chemical sampling of one or more of fluids, gases, and sediments to determine depth, type, quality, volume and location of a subsurface hydrocarbon accumulation from the measurement data.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising creating one or more of a chemical map and a physical map of anomalies within the body of water to locate hydrocarbon seep vents.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the isotopic signatures of non-hydrocarbon gases and hydrocarbons includes measuring the signature of isotopologues in a sample from the body of water.