Patents Represented by Attorney Torrey Pennebaker
  • Patent number: 7660674
    Abstract: The present invention determines seismic data quality for a plurality of locations within a seismic survey for a geologic or geophysical region of interest. The present invention additionally includes generating correlation coefficients which relate to the seismic data quality so that the seismic data quality can be incorporated into geostatistical analyses associated with decisions that are based in part on the seismic survey.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A.
    Inventors: James R. Magill, John K. Washbourne
  • Patent number: 7620498
    Abstract: A method of analyzing characteristics of a subterranean formation includes transmitting a signal at least partially into a material of the subterranean formation such that the signal is transformed in a manner indicative of a characteristic of the material, receiving the transformed signal from the material, converting the transformed signal into image data indicative of the characteristic of the material, applying a first set of machine executable rules to the image data to produce segmented image data, wherein portions of the image that are sufficiently related according to the applied rules are grouped into segments, and analyzing, according to a second set of machine executable rules, the segmented image data to produce a geological profile of the subterranean formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: William Stephen Kowalik, William Charles Corea, William Harrison Crane, William John Schweller
  • Patent number: 7577529
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining net-sand thickness and net-reservoir volume over a broad range of gross sand thickness in a target zone. A net-resource attribute is designed to estimate net-sand thickness based upon the inner product of the determined probe function and the segment of the seismic trace that includes the target zone. The net-resource attribute and the geographic location for each trace can be stored and a net-resource table may be created. Maps and net-reservoir volume can be generated from the geographical location information and the net-resource attributes. Net-sand thickness allows the determination of the total volume of sand and thus the size of the hydrocarbon container or the net-reservoir volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Eike Rietsch
  • Patent number: 7467044
    Abstract: A method and system for integrating multiple analytical processes for evaluating risk and uncertainty elements of a petroleum system. The integrated environment provides a consistent means of analysis for evaluating multiple petroleum systems including exploration prospects and reservoirs, wherein multiple evaluation tools can be used and each of the tools has a similar “look” and “feel” so that a user can efficiently utilize all of the tools in the integrated environment. The evaluation tools analyze common data sets within the integrated environment so that a consistent evaluation of a petroleum system can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc
    Inventors: Kiet Tran, William D. Wiggins, Timothy R. McHargue, Larry J. Sydora, Barry Katz