Electromagnetic surveying for hydrocarbon reservoirs
US7337064B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 30, 2003 |
| Grant date | Feb 26, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 30, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02A90/30
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An electromagnetic survey method for surveying an area of seafloor that is thought or known to contain a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir, comprising obtaining a first survey data set with a vertical electric dipole (VED) antenna for generating vertical current loops and a second survey data set with a vertical magnetic dipole (VMD) antenna for generating horizontal current loops. In an alternative embodiment, the VMD antenna is dispensed with and the horizontal electromagnetic field is derived from the naturally occurring magnetotelluric (MT) electromagnetic field. In another alternative embodiment, the VED data is compared with a background geological model instead of VMD or MT data. The invention also relates to a survey apparatus comprising VED and VMD antennae, to planning a survey using this method, and to analysis of survey data taken using this survey method. The first and second survey data sets allow the galvanic contribution to the detector signals collected at a detector to he independently contrasted with the inductive effects. This is important to the success of using electromagnetic surveying for identifying hydrocarbon reserves and distinguishing them from other c…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.