EarthVision 8.0 Petroleum Suite

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The capabilities in the EarthVision^® Petroleum Suite produce the most precisely defined, geologically consistent, three-dimensional structural and property models of petroleum reservoirs available today. Projects can include extensional and compressional faulting, folded structures, and overturned structures such as can occur with salt diapirs. EarthVision reduces the time necessary for modeling and enables asset-management team members to explore the relationship of faults, intrusions, reservoir units, and the properties within them, such as porosity, permeability, and velocity. The integrated 3D model acts as a valuable common reference point for multidisciplinary, multicultural teams. In addition, the high degree of model integrity leads to better-informed decisions during reservoir assessment, 3D well-position planning, and field exploitation. Today’s high-cost, high-risk environment demands nothing less.

Petroleum Suite Functionality

The WorkFlow Manager

The WorkFlow Manager^® (WFM) offers a geologically oriented process flow, guiding users through the process of creating 3D faulted and non-faulted structure or property models, and various output from those models. Structural models can include overturned surfaces, such as recumbent folds and as can occur with salt diapers, as well as fluid contacts, normal, reverse, or thrust faults, etc. All the necessary tools for creating 3D models are laid out in a straightforward pattern, so that the user can easily follow the correct path. Specially designed workflows are available for creating time models and velocity models, and then converting from time-to-depth. The new depth model can be automatically adjusted to well picks during the conversion process.

The WorkFlow Manager streamlines model-building procedures for easier use, faster and easier model updating, automatic reuse of valid portions of models during updating, and numerous options to set individual user preferences.

Models of faults, fault blocks, faulted and unfaulted zones, fluid contacts, and property models within those zones can be calculated, with various output from these models generated: 2D grid surfaces, color-filled contour maps, cross sections, exported files for reservoir simulator preprocessors, including RESCUE™ models, as well as an output sequence file (that can be used in the Geologic Structure Builder) and a WorkFlow Manager project file. In addition, many timesaving features are available:

version control allows several different modeling scenarios to be carried out with minimal effort
automatic fault and horizon gridding
adjustment data for fault and horizon gridding
Intermediate horizons can be created where there is little or no data using true vertical or true stratigraphic thicknesses (TVT or TST)
automatic creation of dying-fault boundary polygons and the fault-tree hierarchy
fault-block-based input data sorting (for data validation) and horizon definition (for localized ″horizon″ surfaces, e.g., a fluid contact)
automatic and manual fault tree generation, with user-specified overrides and controls
validation previews for fault surfaces and the fault tree
generation of indicator property grids so that 3D grids can be displayed on a fault-block and⁄or zone basis, for easy model verification
immediate access to appropriate visualization tools for every output type, even while other files are still being calculated
progress bars and status lights indicating the completion status of the input parameter settings and computations
automatic error checking and file verification so that only when input data are changed are output files recalculated

The horizon and property gridding provides fast, high quality, zone top and/or bottom modeling by geometrically reconstructing horizons prior to faulting. The robust fault surface calculation includes automatic dying fault polygon generation and an option to include adjustment data.

Geologic Structure Builder

The Geologic Structure Builder (GSB) module constructs three-dimensional models of complexly layered, faulted and non-faulted areas, based on scattered data, surfaces, 3D grids, and a fault hierarchy. While the capabilities in the Geologic Structure Builder overlap those in the WorkFlow Manager, GSB is used more as a toolkit, while the WorkFlow Manager is task-oriented, setting out the necessary steps for performing a particular task.

Structural horizons that span the fault blocks can be automatically generated from scattered data. Using a 3D modeling technique, the horizon is constructed in an unfaulted, geometrically restored space and then refaulted to create the final surface. User-specified extrapolation controls can be used during the process. In addition, where data are sparse, intermediate surfaces can be calculated based on input data and reference surfaces. All surfaces are automatically intersected and truncated based on user-specified depositional, erosional, and unconformable surface relationships. During horizon modeling, the data can be labeled based on their fault block location to verify that all input horizon data points were used in gridding in the correct fault blocks. The geologic sequence of horizons is also partitioned into fault blocks by a fault framework.

Property modeling can also be performed in the unfaulted, geometrically restored space. Property gridding can be performed on a fault-block by fault-block or zone-by-zone basis using conformal or non-conformal 3D kriging, 3D minimum tension, and⁄or 3D trend gridding. 3D models of property distributions can be calculated within specific layers in each fault block. The resulting fully integrated model can be plotted as cross sections, contour maps, and isochore maps, or analyzed using 3D visualization techniques. 3D property or seismic grids can be displayed on a property, zone, or fault-block basis against a 3D model or data for easy model and gridding verification. GSB models or their input data can be converted from time to depth from within the program. Additional discussion is included under Modeling.

Well Positioning and Display Tools

EarthVision offers numerous well positioning and display tools for more efficient well-site decision-making. These tools allow well-site engineers the ability to access geosteering tool data to track drill bit coordinates using precise 3D models. The 3D models created during the well planning phase of the operation, using well-bore and interpreted seismic data, can be updated with current well information during drilling. These tools include:

The Well Display modules integrate well path, log, well-bore annotation, fault, and horizon files into the model building and visualization process. Vertical, deviated, and horizontal wells with associated logs, lithology, and borehole annotation posted along the well path can be projected onto cross sections, posted as single well panels, and displayed with 3D models. Horizon picks/names, fault intersections, and dip data can be annotated along the well path on cross sections. Scattered data for horizon gridding, and well paths and lithology in annotation format can be exported from the database as ASCII files. Well information can be imported from OpenWorks® (see the Options section), LAS files, or flat ASCII files.

Modeling

Modeling can be performed in an orthogonal or rotated xy space, in depth, elevation, or time.

Property and⁄or Horizon Gridding can be performed using a 3D modeling technique that transforms that data into geometrically reconstructed unfaulted space. Using this method for horizon modeling yields a surface more consistent with the input data. Used for property modeling, this method allows properties in different fault blocks, but related based on the pre-faulted stratigraphy, to be modeled together.

2D and 3D Minimum Tension Gridding algorithms calculate a smooth surface that closely fits the input data values using biharmonic-cubic spline techniques. These algorithms are general enough to be useful in a variety of applications, and do not require a complex parameter set or extensive experience to produce a useful model.

2D and 3D Kriging algorithms are also available as an option; refer to the Options section.

Conformal Gridding models a 3D property whose spatial distribution is directly related to the shape of a surface, such as porosity measurements from a lithology layer that was produced in a sedimentary environment and subsequently deformed. Conformal gridding produces a significantly more accurate model because the current surface shape and the scattered property data are used together as input to the algorithm.

2D Isopach Gridding fits a smooth surface through input data but provides special recognition of zero input z-values to indicate the absence of the surface. In this algorithm, grid node values are initially calculated using only non-zero input values; then in subsequent iterations, the zero inputs are used to insure a logical location for the zero contour line.

3D Non-detect Property Gridding works in a similar manner to the Isopach Gridding (discussed above), only the non-detect p-value can be user specified.

2D Correction Gridding calculates a difference grid, based on scattered input data and a 2D grid, that can be added to a surface as a correction. Typically, this algorithm is used where the input 2D grid is controlling the shape of the output surface and the input data are controlling the location of the output surface in the z-dimension.

Trend Gridding models the general shape of a 2D or 3D surface rather than its local variations. A polynomial equation fit to the input scattered data is used to calculate the grid node values. 2D trend grids are often subtracted from the corresponding Minimum Tension grid to produce a residual surface that highlights anomalies. 3D trend gridding fits a multivariate polynomial equation to the input scattered data. A 3D trend model represents the general distribution of a property in space rather than its local variations.

Fault Gridding can be performed in the WFM using a combination of minimum tension and trend gridding, an effective combination when input fault data points are scarce.

Time-to-Depth Modules are available via the WFM and GSB interfaces, but independently as well. In one module, an average velocity model must already exist; in the other, velocity models can be built from data, grids, or a formula.

Constant and average velocities, instantaneous velocity functions (Vο + kt), and EarthVision three-dimensional grids can be used to convert GSB or WFM structural and property models (or the input data) from the time domain to the depth domain, preserving the model′s internal structural consistency.

Faces File Generation and Merging produces the necessary input file for 3D visualization from 2D and 3D grids. The information that is stored in the faces file, for example the intersections of isosurfaces with slicing planes, is calculated in advance of visualization to increase the speed of all subsequent manipulations during visual analysis. The most complex models can be calculated using the WorkFlow Manager or the Geologic Structure Builder.

Faulting

3D faults—near vertical, normal, reverse, and thrust faults—are defined as surfaces. All fault surface intersections and fault compartments are constructed according to a user-editable hierarchy automatically created by the WFM and GSB modules. Defining faults as surfaces is critical to maintaining model consistency throughout all horizons in the model.

Vertical and normal non-vertical 2D faults can be incorporated as local faults into 2D surfaces. Vertical faults are defined using fault trace lines. Polygons are used to define the area of the fault throw of normal non-vertical faults.

Mapping

Many types of data, such as annotation, polygon, traverse, and image files, can be posted on contour and base maps. Contour maps can have independent contour line and color-filled contouring levels using constant or variable intervals. Contour maps derived from complex 3D models provide easily understood representations of reverse faults, major fault gaps, and erosional and fault-wedge contours. The improved representations of layer juxtaposition in these maps are critical tools in fluid migration and hydrocarbon entrapment analyses. In addition, fault-block maps can be generated from Geologic Structure Builder and WorkFlow Manager models.

The Cross Sections module calculates a vertical or horizontal profile, through a stack of 2D grids or a 3D structural or property model, along a 3D well path, a traverse, or an x-, y-, or z-plane slice. User-chosen pattern types, pattern densities, and colors distinguish the different layers in the cross section. A geologic sequencing technique intersects and truncates the surfaces used in the section according to user-specified surface relationships (unconformable, depositional, or channel erosional). In addition to xy versus z cross sections, cross sections of MD (measured depth) versus z can be calculated. Cross-sections along well paths through 3D models can be displayed on-the-fly.

Fence Displays can be dynamically rotated, inclined, sliced away, etc. These displays provide insight into multi-layer models by revealing the relationships of surfaces throughout the project area. Interactive 3D fence displays can be generated along traverses or 3D well paths through the project area.

Visualization †

2D and 3D scattered data, 2D and 3D grids including 3D seismic grids, fault files, image files, polygon files, well paths, 3D geocellular data, 2D seismic lines, and 3D models can be displayed in 3D space using the 3D Viewer module. The comprehensive set of interactive visualization techniques found in this module are important tools for data verification, data manipulation, well positioning planning, and comprehending complex relationships between data and models of diverse types.

† For more detailed information, please see the technical specification sheet for this module.

Additional visual and data analysis techniques in the 3D Viewer allow enhanced well-positioning activities. Some highlights include numerous interactive well positioning and display tools; a 3D cursor to measure the distance, dip, and dip azimuth between two or three points of a geologic model; small, independent, cloned windows of an already displayed model from different viewing perspectives allowing improved visualization and placement of digitized well paths; extensive information (including the fault block, zone, property range, dip, and dip azimuth) about any model location when a 3D cursor is interactively placed; editing data in 3D.

The synchronized viewer feature allows users at remote sites on different platforms to view and manipulate the same model in real time across a TCP⁄IP connection.

Volumetrics

Volume calculations are available for all types of EarthVision models: layer volumetrics from 2D grids, property volumetrics from 3D grids, and sequence volumetrics volume calculations for properties and/or layers from geologic structure models (generated in the WorkFlow Manager or the Geologic Structure Builder).

Layer volumetrics calculate the volume of layers that are defined using a combination of 2D grids, polygon files acting as lateral delimiters, constant z-levels, and minimum thickness values. Yield factors can be specified as a global constant, by a yield grid, or by constants associated with the volumetric polygons. The resulting volumes are written into a customizable volume report. Layer volumetrics can also be performed on sequence files defining WorkFlow Manager and Geologic Structure Builder models.

Property volume calculations are based on 3D grids or sequence files defining WorkFlow Manager and Geologic Structure Builder models. A variety of tools are provided for defining the specific volume desired, such as a property value range for the subject 3D grid, 2D surfaces to act as vertical delimiters, a polygon file, a property value range in a separate 3D restriction grid, etc. Yield factor(s) can be specified as a global constant, by a yield grid, or by constants associated with the volumetric polygons. The resulting volumes are written into a customizable volume report that can be read by other spreadsheet software.

Graphic Editors

Data, grids, images, plots, and associated files can be manipulated using the EarthVision Graphic Editor. This editor emphasizes interactive object positioning and modification (labels, contour lines, polygon configuration, etc.), plot-montage construction, and map-drafting capabilities including user-definable patterns and symbols. A number of files can be displayed during the editing session to act as reference for modifications. The Graphic Editor can also be used to measure distance or area.

The Color Table Editor creates custom color files that can be used throughout an EarthVision session wherever color is specified. Color tables can be built manually level-by-level, or using color ramping capabilities.

Formula Processing

The Formula Processor enables the user to develop, store, and evaluate formulas that perform numeric and non-numeric field operations on a variety of file types and operations on 2D and 3D grids. A suite of arithmetic and Boolean operators, functions, and grid operations can be selected from the interface and inserted into single- or multi-line formulas. Formulas can include variables allowing re-evaluation with different input values. Users can create their own customized functions and install them in the Formula Processor interface.

File Management

The file management features of the system locate project files, import files into the system, perform initial management tasks, and provide preliminary analysis of a file before time is invested in more complex analyses. File selection is performed using the same menu throughout the system, which includes tools to add a file header, browse and edit the file contents, plot it in 2D or 3D, examine statistics, and perform exploratory data analysis (discussed next).

Exploratory Data Analysis Tools

The Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) Tools are used to examine the univariant statistics and bivariant statistics of the z-value (2D) or p-value (3D) of a data sets or grid. In EDA, data can be examined for duplicate data points, for statistical and distribution properties, and for errors in sampling and data division. The analysis of the data (scattered data, property data, 2D grids, and/or 3D grids, including cellular grids) is based on graphical presentations of the information. The graphs available are histograms, probability plots, and scatterplots. The graphs are interactive so that data within the graphs can be queried, subdivided on the basis of class intervals or correlation, and subsets of data selected. The graphs generated by the EDA program can be printed directly or saved; in addition subsets of the scattered data can be saved.

EDA may also be run in conjunction with the 3D Viewer. For example, outliers can be selected in an EDA histogram and the data highlighted in the 3D Viewer.

Geographic Coordinate Transformation

The Geographic Coordinate Transformation module is used to transform scattered data, vertical faults, polygons, annotation, 2D and 3D grids, and traverse files from one projection system to another. Common projections, such as Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) and the State Plane Coordinate System, are included. More than 20 spheroids, such as Clarke 1866 and Hayford International, are supported, and transformations based on user-defined ellipsoids and equivalent spheres are allowed.

Slope Analysis

The 2D Slope Analysis module calculates 2D slope grids and slope arrow annotation files based on non-faulted and faulted 2D grids. These files provide visual information about the direction and magnitude of the slope of a surface.

Data Import⁄Export

Import programs automatically reformat data for use in EarthVision, providing integration with data providers and other software systems. Import formats include:

USGS Digital Elevation Models (DEMs)
USDMA Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTEDs)
AutoCad DXF^® data and annotation formats
ESRI ^® shapefiles
LAS well files
2D and 3D Seg-Y seismic data files †
Selected Gocad^® 3D objects
DTED and SDTS digital elevation models
SURFER^® grids
TIFF world files
Z-MAP^® ASCII data
ZGF images

† Developed based on specific SEG-Y formats. For an additional fee, Dynamic Graphics can make program modifications to import other SEG-Y formats currently not supported.

Extra cost import options (refer to the Options section) include:

well paths, log curves, tops and fault picks, and well-header information stored in Landmark′s OpenWorks^®
interpreted horizons and faults from Landmark′s SeisWorks^®
Seismic Data (traces) in the form of Landmark .3dv files

For other data formats, site-specific import programs can be created and installed in the EarthVision interface.

2D and 3D grid import⁄export programs are provided, including both C- and FORTRAN-callable versions of the underlying subroutines. Programs are also available for creating tar files of all files associated with a GSB or WFM project for easier project management and troubleshooting.

Structure and property models created using the Geologic Structure Builder or WorkFlow Manager modules can be exported to exchange formats suitable for upscaling⁄upgridding software. Export formats include:

Grid™ and Flogrid™ from GeoQuest
GridGenr™ and GeoLink^® from Landmark Graphics
RESCUE™ models (a model exchange format)

Other commonly used input data types include:

tab-, comma-, or white-space-delimited free-format and fixed-format 2D and 3D ASCII scattered data
interpreted horizon data exported from seismic interpretation systems
EarthVision non-faulted 2D and 3D grids
EarthVision faulted 2D grids
EarthVision vertical fault files
EarthVision annotation files
EarthVision polygon files (used as non-vertical faults, volume delimiters, etc.)
SGI RGB, GIF, JPEG, and TIFF pixel image formats

Please see the technical specification sheets for the individual modules for complete information about input data files.

The most commonly produced output data include:

free- or fixed-format 2D and 3D ASCII scattered data
EarthVision 3D faulted and unfaulted structural and property models
EarthVision non-faulted 2D and 3D grids
EarthVision faulted 2D grids
2D⁄3D gridding statistics
EarthVision annotation files
EarthVision layer and property volume reports
3D property grids derived from WFM and GSB models (zone, fault block, and property)
plot files containing base and contour maps, cross sections, fence diagrams, and perspectives (EarthVision vector plot, HPGL2, Encapsulated PostScript^®, CGM, and DXF formats)
screen capture images of 2D or 3D graphics (SGI RGB pixel image, JPEG, PostScript, TIFF, or XWD formats)
VRML 1.0 files
AutoCAD DXF data

Options

WellArchitect: Well Planning, Survey Management, Directional Drilling Software ††

† For more detailed information, please see the technical specification sheet for this module.

WellArchitect, developed in conjunction with Baker Hughes INTEQ, is an advanced well planning and survey management system for integrated planning and drilling of directional wellpaths with or without earth models. Devised to seamlessly accommodate the needs of sidetracking, multi-lateral wellpaths, and re-entry drilling, WellArchitect is used at both the office and wellsite, by all personnel levels in the industry, and maybe used in conjunction with EarthVision. Trajectory calculations, target erosion by positional uncertainty, reporting, plotting, and 3D visualization are all included in this package.

Combines powerful directional drilling software with advanced 3D visualization and modeling capabilities—a major step forward for the drilling and oil and gas industry.
Handles a range of applications from single wellpath survey calculation through to multi-wellsite, multi-well planning, collision risk analysis, and data management.
Visualize reference wellpath, offset paths, geologic and driller’s targets, ellipsoids of uncertainty, as well as the geologic or cellular model, for optimal wellbore placement.
Hazard avoidance: be alerted when a path intersects an horizon or fault below a user-specific angle
Target sizing based on positional uncertainty, special return-to-plan capabilities, trajectory planning in basic and advanced modes, as well as easy data transfer from the office to the wellsite (and back), are among the many features designed to improve the well planning and survey management experience
Sophisticated Graphic Editor facilitates plotting for wall maps and page-sized scale drawings
Complete reporting package covering data management and transfer reports as well as wellpath and clearance calculation reporting

Geostatistics

The Geostatistics option incorporates the algorithms from Stanford University′s widely-used GSLIB geostatistics software library. Algorithms include simple, ordinary, and non-stationary kriging, kriging with an external drift, kriging with a trend (universal kriging), and collocated cokriging; both point and block kriging calculations are available. Graphical data preview and variogram generation capabilities are available to set up and optimize model calculation. In addition to the 2D and 3D models produced, variance models can be calculated that help quantify model accuracy. †

† For more detailed information, please see the technical specification sheet for this module.

OpenWorks⁄SeisWorks Data Import

The OpenWorks Well Data Import, OpenWorks Map Data Import, and SeisWorks Data † Import option package allows the import of well data (well paths, log curves, top picks, fault picks, well completions, and well header information), map data (fault polygons, vertical faults, point sets, and grids), interpreted seismic data (horizon and fault information interpreted from 2D and 3D seismic volumes), and seismic traces in the form of Landmark .3dv files. Data are selected from an OpenWorks or SeisWorks project and written to data files that can be used directly in EarthVision for various functions such as 3D property modeling, fault modeling, horizon gridding, 3D well log and well path display, well panels, and well location base maps. In addition, mapped data created in EarthVision can be placed back in the OpenWorks database (a separate option).

† A Landmark SeisWorks license is required.

Network License Controller

To enable the use of EarthVision across a network, Dynamic Graphics offers a Network License Controller option that permits each licensed software seat to be used on any one of a number of specified, networked CPUs. The computer network can be composed of computers from different hardware vendors.

Other Information

Program Limits †

The tested supported project size limits for the Petroleum Suite are as follows (actual project size may be larger in many cases):

10,000,000 input data points for minimum tension gridding
2,000,000 input data points for kriging
1,201 x 1,201 maximum 2D grid size
10,000,000 3D grid nodes ††
65,000 fault block, zones, and property isosurface levels per zone (product total)

† These are the tested, supported limits for sites with extended licenses. Sites with standard licenses have smaller imposed limits.

†† The x- and y-grid sizes cannot exceed 2048 nodes, and the z-grid sizes cannot exceed 1024 nodes during faces file calculation; grids exceeding these dimensions are automatically resampled.

User Interface

In addition to running EarthVision using the graphical user interface, the underlying computations for most modules can be run from the command line or a script file. Script files can be produced automatically by EarthVision. Using these files can be advantageous when, for example, minor modifications to a previous job are required, input data change frequently, or it is desirable to concatenate a series of computations together into a job stream.

Online Help, Documentation and Developer′s Toolkit

A complete set of online user documentation and user tutorials, including explanatory graphics, is included. Documentation can be accessed from the EarthVision interface or independently using Adobe^® Acrobat Reader.

Online help is available from each application module describing the application area in general terms and the steps necessary to run the module.

In addition in the WorkFlow Manager, workflow procedures to aid users with typical data formatting, model building, and specific modeling techniques are provided online and viewable with most HTML browsers.

A Developer′s Toolkit is available to provide help for clients running EarthVision from the command line or using script files.

Computer Platforms

EarthVision runs on workstations or personal computers running the following operating systems:

Linux^®
Windows^® XP
Windows^® 2000

For further information about hardware and software requirements, please contact your Dynamic Graphics representative.

Hardcopy

A variety of plotters and printers, such as color thermal printers, dye sublimation printers, electrostatic plotters, and ink jet plotters can be used to produce hardcopy from the file types listed in the Output Data section.

Please contact your Dynamic Graphics representative for additional information and a list of currently supported hardcopy devices.

Licensing

EarthVision systems are available as perpetual licenses, as annual leases, or on an as-used rental basis.

EarthVision systems and their options are licensed by the user seat. One seat provides one process executed from the command line, or an unlimited number of processes launched in the same window from a single user′s EarthVision GUI (up to the memory capacity of the computer).

Other Services

In addition to software licenses, our EarthVision Solution Projects program provides a data-processing service for our clients. Comprehensive EarthVision training for beginning and advanced users is also available.

For more information on the available EarthVision systems, on EarthVision Solution Project services, or for hardware and third party software requirements, please contact your Dynamic Graphics representative.