Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring cluster efficiency for stages of wellbores are provided herein. One method includes selecting a frequency band for generating broadband tube waves within the fluid column of the wellbore and generating the broadband tube waves within the fluid column of the wellbore using a pressure pulse generator that is hydraulically coupled to the wellbore. The method also includes recording data corresponding to the broadband tube waves and reflected broadband tube waves using pressure receivers that are hydraulically coupled to the wellbore. The pressure receivers are arranged into arrays with two or more pressure receivers in each array. The data recorded by the pressure receivers relate to characteristics of reflectors (including perforation cluster/fracture interfaces) within the wellbore.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention disclosed herein relate to methods for performing formation evaluation of a formation or formation's surrounding to identify and characterize the abundance and morphology of non-ionic conductor grains, “c-grains”, within the formations that are evaluated by formation evaluation (FE) tools. The methods and related systems as disclosed herein are directed to correcting any existing FE logs that can be adversely affected by the presence of c-grains in the detection volume of FE tools, and/or obtaining new FE information that is unavailable by the application of existing FE methods.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for modeling a subsurface region, including: obtaining a training set of geologically plausible models for the subsurface region; training an autoencoder with the training set; extracting a decoder from the trained autoencoder, wherein the decoder comprises a geologic-model-generating function; using the decoder within a data-fitting objective function to replace output-space variables of the decoder with latent-space variables, wherein a dimensionality of the output-space variables is greater than a dimensionality of the latent-space variables; and performing an inversion by identifying one or more minima of the data-fitting objective function to generate a set of prospective latent-space models for the subsurface region; and using the decoder to convert each of the prospective latent-space models to a respective output-space model. A method and apparatus for making one or more hydrocarbon management decisions based on the estimated uncertainty.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying non-elastic indicators for a subsurface region, the method including obtaining seismic data for the subsurface region; generating a best-fit elastic model from the seismic data; and identifying non-elastic indicators from the seismic data and the best-fit elastic model. The method and apparatus may also include estimating reservoir flow properties from the non-elastic indicators based on a poroelastic interpretation of the seismic response.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention disclosed herein relate to methods for performing formation evaluation of a formation or formation's surrounding to identify and characterize the abundance and morphology of non-ionic conductor grains, “c-grains”, within the formations that are evaluated by formation evaluation (FE) tools. The methods and related systems as disclosed herein are directed to correcting any existing FE logs that can be adversely affected by the presence of c-grains in the detection volume of FE tools, and/or obtaining new FE information that is unavailable by the application of existing FE methods.

Abstract: A method for inversion of 4D seismic data, including: determining time shift between baseline and monitor geophysical datasets; determining time strain from the time shift; iteratively repeating until a stopping criteria is satisfied, performing an iterative elastic AVO inversion with a 4D difference providing an update, from an initial model including the time strain, to generate an updated time strain and an updated physical property model, wherein the stopping criteria is a misfit between synthetic data generated from the updated physical property model and the 4D difference being within a predetermined noise level generating final values for the physical property model; and converting, with a rock physics model or a reservoir simulation model, the final values to saturation and/or pressure changes for a subsurface region.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying non-elastic indicators for a subsurface region, the method including obtaining seismic data for the subsurface region; generating a best-fit elastic model from the seismic data; and identifying non-elastic indicators from the seismic data and the best-fit elastic model. The method and apparatus may also include estimating reservoir flow properties from the non-elastic indicators based on a poroelastic interpretation of the seismic response.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells and methods for identifying production from a region of a subterranean formation. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore extending within the region of the subterranean formation and a production tubular that defines a production conduit and extends at least partially within the wellbore. The hydrocarbon wells also include an electromagnetic transmitter, an electromagnetic receiver, and a controller. The electromagnetic transmitter is configured to provide an input electromagnetic signal to a region of the production conduit to electromagnetically excite a produced tracer material that forms a portion of a produced stream that flows within the production tubular. The electromagnetic receiver is configured to receive an electromagnetic output signal from the region of the production conduit. The controller is programmed to identify the region of the subterranean formation based, at least in part, on the output electromagnetic signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for modeling a subsurface region, including: obtaining a training set of geologically plausible models for the subsurface region; training an autoencoder with the training set; extracting a decoder from the trained autoencoder, wherein the decoder comprises a geologic-model-generating function; using the decoder within a data-fitting objective function to replace output-space variables of the decoder with latent-space variables, wherein a dimensionality of the output-space variables is greater than a dimensionality of the latent-space variables; and performing an inversion by identifying one or more minima of the data-fitting objective function to generate a set of prospective latent-space models for the subsurface region; and using the decoder to convert each of the prospective latent-space models to a respective output-space model. A method and apparatus for making one or more hydrocarbon management decisions based on the estimated uncertainty.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells and methods for identifying production from a region of a subterranean formation. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore extending within the region of the subterranean formation and a production tubular that defines a production conduit and extends at least partially within the wellbore. The hydrocarbon wells also include an electromagnetic transmitter, an electromagnetic receiver, and a controller. The electromagnetic transmitter is configured to provide an input electromagnetic signal to a region of the production conduit to electromagnetically excite a produced tracer material that forms a portion of a produced stream that flows within the production tubular. The electromagnetic receiver is configured to receive an electromagnetic output signal from the region of the production conduit. The controller is programmed to identify the region of the subterranean formation based, at least in part, on the output electromagnetic signal.

Abstract: A method including: generating an updated subsurface property model of a subsurface region, with a computer, from an initial estimate of the subsurface property model by performing an iterative inversion, which includes inverting geophysical data to infer the updated subsurface property model, wherein the generating the updated subsurface property model includes linearly remapping the initial estimate of the subsurface property model based on an inverse of a regularization operator, included with the initial estimate of the subsurface property model, into one in which the regularization operator is represented by an identity matrix, performing a unitary matrix decomposition in order to group the identity matrix with sparse matrices output from the unitary matrix decomposition, and performing a search over at least one trade-off parameter to reduce a misfit between simulated data generated from a most recent estimate of the subsurface property model and the geophysical data until a predetermined stopping crite

Abstract: A method for inversion of 4D seismic data, the method including: determining time shift between baseline and monitor geophysical datasets; determining time strain from the time shift; iteratively repeating until a stopping criteria is satisfied, performing an iterative elastic AVO inversion with a 4D difference providing an update, from an initial model including the time strain, to generate an updated time strain and an updated physical property model, wherein the stopping criteria is a misfit between synthetic data generated from the updated physical property model and the 4D difference being within a predetermined noise level, wherein for each successive iteration, the method includes generating an updated time shift from the updated time strain, generating an updated 4D difference from the updated time strain, generating a new time strain from the updated 4D difference, and repeating the AVO inversion with the updated 4D difference and the new time strain; generating final values for the physical property

Abstract: Method for semi-airborne electromagnetic prospecting for hydrocarbons or other fluids or minerals. In the method, electromagnetic receivers are deployed on the Earth's surface over a subsurface region (71). An airborne electromagnetic transmitter is flown over the receivers (72) and the receivers record at least one component of electromagnetic field data excited by the transmitter (73). The recorded electromagnetic data are analyzed for subsurface resistivity (74), and the resistivity is interpreted for evidence of hydrocarbons or other fluids or minerals (75). Compared to traditional fully airborne surveys, the advantages of the method include better signal-to-noise, and data for multiple source-receiver offsets.

Abstract: A method including: generating an updated subsurface property model of a subsurface region, with a computer, from an initial estimate of the subsurface property model by performing an iterative inversion, which includes inverting geophysical data to infer the updated subsurface property model, wherein the generating the updated subsurface property model includes linearly remapping the initial estimate of the subsurface property model based on an inverse of a regularization operator, included with the initial estimate of the subsurface property model, into one in which the regularization operator is represented by an identity matrix, performing a unitary matrix decomposition in order to group the identity matrix with sparse matrices output from the unitary matrix decomposition, and performing a search over at least one trade-off parameter to reduce a misfit between simulated data generated from a most recent estimate of the subsurface property model and the geophysical data until a predetermined stopping crite

Abstract: Method for semi-airborne electromagnetic prospecting for hydrocarbons or other fluids or minerals. In the method, electromagnetic receivers are deployed on the Earth's surface over a subsurface region (71). An airborne electromagnetic transmitter is flown over the receivers (72) and the receivers record at least one component of electromagnetic field data excited by the transmitter (73). The recorded electromagnetic data are analyzed for subsurface resistivity (74), and the resistivity is interpreted for evidence of hydrocarbons or other fluids or minerals (75). Compared to traditional fully airborne surveys, the advantages of the method include better signal-to-noise, and data for multiple source-receiver offsets.