US 12,130,395 B2
Method of time-lapse monitoring using seismic waves
Albena Alexandrova Mateeva, Houston, TX (US); and Paul Maarten Zwartjes, Rijswijk (NL)
Assigned to Shell USA, INC., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by SHELL OIL COMPANY, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Feb. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/671,683.
Application 17/671,683 is a continuation of application No. 15/950,803, filed on Apr. 11, 2018, granted, now 11,280,923.
Application 15/950,803 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2017/055143, filed on Oct. 4, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 16192663 (EP), filed on Oct. 6, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0171084 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. G01V 1/30 (2006.01); G01H 9/00 (2006.01); G01V 1/22 (2006.01); G01V 1/40 (2006.01); G01V 8/16 (2006.01)
CPC G01V 1/308 (2013.01) [G01H 9/004 (2013.01); G01V 1/226 (2013.01); G01V 1/40 (2013.01); G01V 8/16 (2013.01); G01V 2210/6122 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of time-lapse monitoring of a subsurface earth formation adjacent to a seismic receiver spread, comprising:
selecting a seismic receiver spread disposed in an earth formation, wherein said seismic receiver spread comprises a plurality of seismic receiver channels, each seismic receiver channel having a seismic receiver channel location, whereby each seismic receiver channel is acoustically coupled to the earth formation that is present adjacent to the seismic receiver channel location;
collecting base survey data, comprising measuring base survey signals in the seismic receiver spread induced by seismic waves propagating through the earth formation;
determining base receiver-consistent scalars for at least a portion of the plurality of the seismic receiver channels from the base survey data, wherein each of the at least portion of the plurality of the seismic receiver channels is associated with one of the base receiver-consistent scalar, representing a measure of signal amplitude induced by seismic waves propagating through the earth formation adjacent to that one seismic receiver channel;
allowing a time lapse between said collecting of base survey data and collecting of monitor survey data;
after said time lapse, collecting the monitoring survey data, comprising measuring monitor survey signals induced by seismic waves propagating through the earth formation for the same seismic receiver channels in the seismic receiver spread that were used in the base survey;
determining monitor receiver-consistent scalars for the seismic receiver channels from the monitor survey data;
outputting base and monitor receiver-consistent scalars to reveal changes in the receiver-consistent scalars per individual seismic receiver channel before and after the time lapse.