A method for shale volume (Vsh) estimation in subsurface rock formations using the prestack inverted Seismic by calculating the Vsh in a reservoir given the magnitude obtained from the P- to S-wave velocity ratio (Vp/Vs), and acoustic impedance (AI) extracted from the seismic data inversion, comprising the following steps: a) obtaining wireline log data within a zone of interest in a nearby well and determining the suitable cementation and mineralogy factors by calibrating the background water-bearing sand trend containing zero percent shale volume with the reference zero percent shale volume curve onto the acoustic impedance-Vp/Vs ratio plane, b) calibrating Vsh computed from the acoustic impedance-Vp/Vs ratio curves with Vsh obtained from a conventional method by iterating the P-wave velocity (Vp.sub.sh) and density (ρ.sub.sh) of shale, c) obtaining inverted seismic data in the form of Acoustic Impedance (AI) and Vp/Vs ratio cubes, and d) calculating the shale volume using the calibrated rock physics model inputting the obtained parameters from model calibration (cementation factor, mineralogy factor, density and P-wave velocity of shale) along with inverted Vp/Vs ratio and acoustic impedance cubes data, resulting in a Vsh cube.

An exploration method starts from cuttings associated with sampling intervals and well data for a well in a subsurface formation. The cuttings are prepared and analyzed to extract textural and chemical/mineralogical data for plural fragments in each sample that is made of the cuttings in one sampling interval. The method then includes matching lithotypes of rock defined according to the textural and chemical/mineralogical data for each fragment with segments of the well data in the corresponding sampling interval to obtain correspondences between the lithotypes and depth ranges. The correspondences between the lithotypes and the depth ranges may be used as constraints for seismic data inversion.

Systems and methods of placing wells in a hydrocarbon field based on seismic attributes and quality indicators associated with a subterranean formation of the hydrocarbon field can include receiving seismic attributes representing the subterranean formation and seismic data quality indicators. A cutoff is generated for each seismic attribute and seismic data quality indicator. A weight is assigned to each seismic attribute and seismic data quality indicator. The weighted seismic attributes and data quality indicators are aggregated for each location in the hydrocarbon field. A risk ranking is assigned based on the weighted seismic attributes and data quality indicators associated with each location in the hydrocarbon field based on the cutoffs. A map is generated with each location on the surface of the subterranean formation color-coded based on its assigned risk ranking.

A three-dimensional prediction method based on geology-seismology for a favorable metallogenic site of a sandstone-type uranium deposit is provided, including: determining a to-be-explored area and a target stratum in the to-be-explored area; setting a seismic line in the to-be-explored area, so as to acquire seismic data of a profile where the seismic line is located; delineating a depression region and a target region in the profile; determining a dip angle of a stratum in the target region and a dip angle of a stratum underlying the target region according to the seismic data, where the stratum underlying the target region is within the depression region; determining a distribution of fractures in the target region and the depression region according to the seismic data; and delineating a uranium deposit metallogenic site in the target region.

The disclosure relates to a method of determining at least a property of a material situated behind a casing of a borehole, wherein an image of a imaging parameter of the material, such as acoustic impedance, has been obtained. The method comprising identifying zones of the image corresponding to disturbance zones, based in particular on values of the imaging parameters or other measured parameters, deleting the data of the imaging parameter in each of the disturbance zones, reconstructing for each zone, data of the imaging parameter from the data of imaging parameter at the neighboring zones, and determining at least a property of the material based on the reconstructed image.

A method for estimating the depth-domain seismic wavelets from depth-domain seismic data and synthesizing depth-domain seismic records. The method includes: obtaining depth coordinates and P-wave velocity v and density from well log, calculating a corresponding reflectivity series r; performing constant-velocity depth conversion for a seismic trace S and a reflectivity series r by using a velocity v.sub.c as a reference velocity to obtain the converted seismic trace S.sub.1 and the converted reflectivity series r.sub.1; and estimating a depth-domain seismic wavelet w based on the Gibbs sampling method; synthesizing depth-domain seismic record by using the P-wave v, the reflectivity series r and the estimated depth-domain seismic wavelet w.

A long-term in-situ observation device for the deep sea bottom supported engineering geological environment is provided, including: a sediment acoustic probe, a sediment pore water pressure probe, a three-dimensional resistivity probe, a water observation instrument, a long-term observation power supply system, a probe hydraulic penetration system, a general control and data storage transmission system, an acoustic releaser, an underwater acoustic communication apparatus, and an instrument platform. The observations include the engineering properties, physical properties, mechanical properties, and biochemical properties of a seawater-seabed interface-sediment. The engineering properties and the physical and mechanical indexes of seafloor sediments are comprehensively determined by three-dimensional measurement of seafloor resistivity and acoustic wave measurements. The physical and biochemical properties of seawater are expected to be acquired by sensors. The observation probe penetrates into the sediments following the hydraulic method. Powered by seawater dissolved oxygen batteries; data transmission is achieved through sea surface relay buoys and satellite communications. The present invention provides an effective integrated, in situ and long-term observation device and method for the deep sea engineering geological environment.

Deconvolution-based processing of ultrasonic waveforms enables robust calculation of two-way travel time for an ultrasonic caliper, particularly in the presence of multiple, proximal reflectors (e.g., mud cake, formation, casing, cement, etc.).

Systems and methods of placing wells in a hydrocarbon field based on seismic attributes and quality indicators associated with a subterranean formation of the hydrocarbon field can include receiving seismic attributes representing the subterranean formation and seismic data quality indicators. A cutoff is generated for each seismic attribute and seismic data quality indicator. A weight is assigned to each seismic attribute and seismic data quality indicator. The weighted seismic attributes and data quality indicators are aggregated for each location in the hydrocarbon field. A risk ranking is assigned based on the weighted seismic attributes and data quality indicators associated with each location in the hydrocarbon field based on the cutoffs. A map is generated with each location on the surface of the subterranean formation color-coded based on its assigned risk ranking.

An information processing system having a processor and a memory device coupled to the processor, wherein the memory device includes a set of instruction that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive a multi-dimensional grid of acoustic or elastic impedances determined from seismic survey data associated with a subterranean formation, receive elastic property data that describes elastic property characteristics used to sort pseudo-components, and wherein the respective pseudo-components are formed of a combination of two or more lithologies. The instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to define select design variables using the impedance arrays, perform optimization operations for optimizing select design variables by applying the elastic property data as a part of a constitutive relation, and output a distribution of the pseudo-components to characterize volumetric concentrations of spatially grouped lithologies in a control volume of the subterranean formation.