Patent · US Active

Electromagnetic surveying for hydrocarbon reservoirs

US7483792B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
6References
34Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 27, 2007
Grant dateJan 27, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 27, 2027

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. Also described are a survey apparatus comprising VED and VMD antennae, planning a survey, and analysis of survey data. The first and second survey data sets allow the galvanic contribution to the detector signals collected at a detector to be independently contrasted with the inductive effects.

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