Overview

4D Quantitative Analysis for Better, Faster, and More Confident Decisions

CoViz ® 4D leads the industry in providing quantitative visualization of time-variant data in a variety of application areas.

One major usage area for CoViz 4D is reservoir management of hydrocarbon assets. Understanding the changing response of a reservoir over time is critical for optimizing production and development decisions. CoViz 4D makes it possible for multi-disciplinary users to simultaneously view and interrogate datasets from throughout the asset development team from seismic to simulation, regardless of the original data source. Understanding through data fusion—powerful in 3D—increases enormously when used in 4D: the unique temporal functionality in CoViz 4D allows users to visualize how development decisions affect the reservoir.

Another application area for CoViz 4D is in large dataset visualization for environmental and situational monitoring. In particular CoViz 4D is optimized for visualizing very large LiDAR datasets and hyperspectral data, providing remarkable performance on even modest consumer-grade hardware. When these advanced rendering tools are combined with the inherent ability to integrate dynamic data from additional sources, such as moving vehicles or changing environmental conditions, CoViz 4D stands out as the premiere platform for these large data integration challenges.

Moreover, any data introduced to CoViz 4D, whether surface or subsurface, can be analyzed and interrogated using sophisticated Quantitative Visualization methods. This allows the quantitative comparison of spatially and temporally coincident, yet geometrically dissimilar, datasets. Outputs include statistical plots, time-series charts, or a variety of advanced customizable processes available to users via our easy-to-use Developers′ Toolkit.

Please use the tabs along the top of this web page to explorer more deeply the various uses and benefits of the CoViz 4D quantitative visualization system.

Reservoir Monitoring

4D Data Integration for Reservoir Monitoring

Much of the data available to a typical hydrocarbon asset team is temporal, and understanding the changing response of a reservoir over time is critical to asset management. CoViz 4D makes it possible for users to simultaneously view and interrogate multiple time variant data and displays. Possible inputs include 4D seismic, reservoir simulation, fluid production, well events, production tests, microseismic data, and other time relevant data that are critical to the team. Tools are included for data to be evaluated simultaneously in time snapshots or time sequence animations. Well planning in the context of this data fusion is available through the advanced CoViz Integrated Well Designer (CVIWD) module.

Spend Time Hunting for Opportunity—Not for Data

Multidisciplinary teams are made up of experts armed with many tools to advance their understanding within their realm of expertise. Even with the evolution of greater centralized storage and networking of data and information, no individual in an asset team has complete knowledge of the location, identity, or purpose of all of the information that is vital and available to the team. Many of these disparate data are processed within a variety of software applications provided by multiple vendors and operated by multidisciplinary users with unique expertise. CoViz 4D—through the Data Registry module —provides a means for teams and individuals to access information simultaneously from many sources and applications in a flexible viewing environment without the need for specific knowledge of where the information is stored, or how to run the software that generated the information. Data and information to be included become a function of team needs, not limited by user′s expertise: critical surface information can be united with subsurface drilling; geological, petrophysical and reservoir data are visualized with maps, models, and displays of related tabular, graphical, and text resources.

Integrated 2D-3D-4D Visualization for Collaborative Team Sessions and
for the Individual′s Desktop

Advanced visualization technology was first envisioned to empower teams in a collaborative environment for processes such as exploration planning, exploitation evaluation, and reservoir surveillance. Now Dynamic Graphics is bringing these same capabilities to the desktop so that team members can have broad data fusion capability at all times. With greater access to and comprehension of vital information from the desktop or in collaborative meetings, Dynamic Graphics customers are positioned to make better and faster decisions in order to seize opportunities and accelerate returns from efforts and investments.

Quantitative Visualization in CoViz 4D

In addition to clear strengths as a Team Visualization tool, CoViz 4D is also the premiere environment for integrated Quantitative Visualization. Recently released versions of CoViz 4D include significant new features for the rapid, integrated, quantitative analysis and comparison of diverse 3D and 4D data sets. In particular this includes the quantitative analysis of 4D seismic data and attributes within a multidisciplinary data fusion environment.

Specific functionality, available to users interactively from the viewing environment, includes:

• Easy visual filtering to define the areas and data of interest
• Time-step arithmetic operations (rapid calculations of differences over time)
• Interactive tools for property averages and attribute extractions in seismic space and cellular space
• Back-interpolations of property values between spatially and temporally overlapping data
• Statistical Analysis and Cross-plotting of diverse data types with interactive links back into the 3D viewing space
• Multiple Output options to capture and export the results of the quantitative analysis

Separately, each of these operations provides a useful addition to the data fusion environment. Moreover, when taken together, this sequence of operations offers a potentially very powerful workflow for the Quantitative Analysis of temporal data. In particular temporal seismic and simulation data can be easily compared for better history matches and fuller understanding of the 4D seismic response—all within an integrated visual framework accessible to the entire asset team.

Microseismic Visualization in CoViz 4D

CoViz 4D provides the ideal dynamic 2D⁄3D⁄4D environment for microseismic visualization and analysis. Detailed microseismic event geometry captured during hydraulic fracturing can be displayed in 3D, animated through time, and analyzed within CoViz 4D. Moreover, the powerful CoViz 4D visualization engine allows integration of hydraulic fracturing data with subsurface geological, petrophysical, and additional reservoir data to present the microseismic data in their true geologic context.

Along with microseismic event location, magnitude, and stage (and optionally focal mechanisms, error representations, etc.), CoViz 4D enables integrated visualization of the treatment and observation well trajectories, perforations, receiver locations (surface array and down-hole), treatment curves, and induced fracture locations. Information can be quickly and easily updated as new events and data are recorded.

For an even more complete understanding of complex reservoir systems, all of the relevant hydraulic fracturing data may be visualized in conjunction with other critical subsurface information such as acoustic logs, FMI logs, fault geometries, earth models⁄stratigraphy, seismic reflection data, and more. Statistical plots of any of the quantitative datasets are easily produced and interactively linked to the 3D⁄4D visualization for on-the-fly analysis.

Presentation quality material can be generated from CoViz 4D for wider distribution, communication, and understanding. To meet client deliverable needs, Dynamic Graphics offers a variety of options for sharing and visualization of all the datasets with third parties.

LiDAR Data Visualization with CoViz 4D

CoViz 4D: for the display, integration, and analysis of your large LiDAR datasets.

The powerful CoViz 4D visualization engine yields fast and easy manipulation and interrogation of massive 3D datasets. In particular, the CoViz 4D system has been optimized for the rapid loading and display of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data—datasets that can often consist of over a billion individual point samples.

Within CoViz 4D, proficient rendering and manipulation of high density point datasets is accomplished by utilizing dynamic data point scaling combined with seamless image tiling. On-the-fly\ point-decimation, culling, and tiling use sophisticated customized algorithms to minimize compute time while maximizing screen data display and fidelity; this approach optimizes the user-experience and yields world-class rendering performance on relatively modest desktop, and even laptop, consumer-grade hardware.

Moreover, the real value of CoViz 4D is in providing the ideal 2D/3D/4D environment for true data integration and analysis. Integration of LiDAR datasets with other surface and subsurface information enables fuller examination and understanding of complex systems in their true environmental context. Within CoViz 4D, LiDAR can easily be combined with geophysical, geological, and geochemical data, including:

• 2D, 3D, and 4D seismic reflection data
• 3-Dimensional earth models (stratigraphy and fault geometry)
• Isosurfaces and 3D property models (plumes, aerosols, view-sheds)
• Topographic⁄digital elevation models (DEM)
• Satellite and aerial imagery
• Roads, pipelines, cables, infrastructure locations
• Ground-water monitoring well locations
• Geochemical measurements
• Any ASCII data in XYZ Cartesian space

CoViz Integrated Well Designer

CoViz Integrated Well Designer™ (CVIWD), an optional module for use with CoViz 4D, offers quick, robust, easy-to-use well planning for non-expert well planners within the context of their geologic, geophysical, and reservoir data. Driven by the strength of the WellArchitect planning engine, CoViz Integrated Well Designer combines powerful well planning software with advanced 3D visualization capabilities—a major step forward for the oil & gas drilling industry.

Many geoscientists and engineers prefer to first create an appropriate well path within their data, rather than simply sending 3D target locations to a professional well planner (inside or outside of their organization). By creating their own well paths, they can analyze:

• Is it more efficient to sidetrack?
• How exposed is a well to a problem horizon?
• Is the well path staying within the sweet spot?
• Is it too close to the oil-water contact?
• How do critical parameters varying along the length of the well?

Working in CoViz Integrated Well Designer, users can identify and manage problem areas faster, shortening the cycle between geosciences and drilling, thereby maximizing returns on drilling investments.

CoViz Integrated Well Designer offers:

• Calculation with a variety of curves, and automatic display in a robust 3D⁄4D visualization environment via CoViz 4D
• 2D and 3D geologic target generation within the context of all the asset team′s data
• The ability to sidetrack from any well and change the tie-on on-the-fly
• Display of ellipsoids of uncertainty and driller′s targets based on ISCWSA standard tool models

All within the context of the asset team′s data for optimal wellbore placement.