Patent · US Expired

Integrating multiple mappable variables for oil and gas exploration

US5012675A · kind A · utility

22Cited by
4References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 25, 1989
Grant dateMay 7, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 25, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01V1/34
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Data from multiple surveys of an area of the earth are integrated for use in oil and gas exploration and production. The data of each survey is first gridded and grid node values determined. A map index is assigned to each grid node and grid node values are associated with each map index to form a grid node suite. The set of grid node suites is processed to identify and determine covariant clusters of variables in multivariate space which includes various survey variables but which does not include location as a variable. Then, after determining to which of the clusters each grid node most probably contributes, a cluster identifier is associated with a respective grid node index for each grid node. Then a covariant cluster map of cluster identifiers as a function of grid node indexes is generated. Cluster locations on the map are correlated with other information about the area to assign earth features to the covariant cluster map. The map with assigned earth features is used in exploring for oil and gas and other subsurface mineral deposits.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.