Understanding the Importance of Data Visualization in the Oil and Gas Industry

Co-visualization of reservoir simulation, wellbore placement, fluid production and interpreted seismic.

Co-visualization of reservoir simulation, wellbore placement, fluid production and interpreted seismic is a powerful tool for asset teams.

Engineers and geoscientists in the oil and gas industry benefit from data visualization and analysis tools that merge complex datasets across multiple disciplines. Integrating the varying, discipline-specific data streams into a single environment leads to more informed field development and management decisions which can save time and money and reduce risk.

As a field matures, true data integration becomes critical to successful management of the field. For example, it is critical to understand the complex relationships within a field such as how production and injection are affecting both the surface and subsurface environment (are there geomechanical concerns?), to better understand the current conditions and to help predict future conditions. This enhanced understanding allows for adjustments and corrections to the operation and development of the field in response to changing conditions.

A More Collaborative, 4D Visualization Environment

While many software programs can merge diverse datasets, they do not offer true integration– in some cases it is exceedingly difficult to integrate data from all necessary programs or there are serious limitations around displaying and animating 4D (time varying) data in context with other data.

Ease of use is an important barrier to entry; consider an offshore field with 4D seismic, where it is critical to co-visualize the 4D seismic and reservoir simulation model. If the task is too difficult, this step in the seismic forward modeling / seismic history matching workflows may be entirely skipped, potentially leading to errors and increased costs.

CoViz 4D merges many data types seamlessly and furthermore can directly read numerous industry-standard data formats natively, without the need to create another copy of the file. Using enhanced renderings and advanced temporal controls, CoViz 4D leads the industry in providing a complete view of any field, at any given time over the life of the field. Supported data types include:

  • 2D-3D- 4D (time-lapse) seismic volumes and attributes
  • Seismic Interpretations
  • Well paths and logs, including live WITSMLTM feeds
  • Fluid production
  • Drilling hazards
  • Geologic models
  • Reservoir simulations models
  • Tracers and streamlines
  • LiDAR and other imagery
  • Infrastructure
  • and much more

With the integration of all available surface and subsurface data, the asset team can expect benefits such as:

  • Better insight into changing reservoir conditions
  • A clear understanding of historical changes
  • More informed forward modeling
  • Better decisions resulting in money saving strategies

Beyond Data Integration & Visualization: Sim2Seis & Geomechanics

In addition to superior data integration and visualization, CoViz 4D is a tool for advanced quantitative workflows and analyses. The CoViz Sim2Seis workflow, an optional module to CoViz 4D, allows the Geophysicist and Reservoir Engineer access to powerful and flexible seismic volume creation tools from directly within the data integration framework. The Sim2Seis workflow uses a reservoir simulation model as its starting point and allows for rapid iterations with different input data and parameters. The observed time-laps seismic surveys can be visually and quantitatively compared to the resulting synthetic seismic volumes to assess if the reservoir simulation model gives a good match or if different fluid saturation scenarios need to be considered.
The 4D Geomechanics workflow enables rapid, first-order screening of overburden deformation and time-shifts by utilizing analytical solutions to compute displacement based on reservoir compaction. The workflow this offers quick-look feasibility modeling to determine the potential effects of reservoir subsidence in the 4D seismic signature. The ease and agility of the workflow enables teams to assess 4D Geomechanical effects without the need for a Geomechanics specialist and to determine if further, more detailed study is required. The workflow also provides value in cases where finite element modeling could be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming.

4D Collaboration and Analysis

CoViz 4D makes it possible for multi-disciplinary asset teams to simultaneously view and interrogate all available data from seismic to simulation, regardless of the original data source. The advanced temporal functionality in CoViz 4D allows users to visualize and understand how development decisions affect the reservoir throughout the history of a field. Furthermore, powerful yet easy-to-use analytical workflows enable teams to better understand reservoir changes over time and to model future conditions to maximize recovery and economic gains while reducing risk.

CoViz 4D, a data visualization analytics software from Dynamic Graphics, Inc., gives geologists, geophysicists, and reservoir engineers the ability to easily access and combine all relevant data associated with subsurface environments. Powerful analytic capabilities enable users to explore data relationships, analyze the accuracy of depth conversion of 3D seismic, and visualize seismic well ties and velocity models to facilitate decisions that positively impact profit and reduce operational risk. To learn more about CoViz 4D, contact our team.

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