Geophysics

A Computational Mathematician Combusts

Speaker: 
Margot Gerritsen
Date: 
Fri, Jan 18, 2013
Location: 
PIMS, University of Calgary
Conference: 
Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013
Abstract: 

Large scale production of very heavy oil is gaining momentum because of the decline of easy to produce reservoirs, the increasing oil demand and subsequent rising oil price, which makes such resources more economical. Considering the pressure on the oil market and our still very heavy dependence on oil, this move to heavy oil production seems inevitable. Typically, heavy oil reservoirs are stimulated thermally. Injecting steam that is generated at the surface is not always viable or desirable. An alternative technique for production is In-Situ Combution (ISC) where a steam drive is generated in the reservoir itself. In this process, (enriched) air is injected in the reservoir. After ignition a combustion front develops in-situ that burns a small percentage of the oil in place and slowly moves through the reservoir producing steam along the way. A side benefit of this process is that the heat thus generated often cracks the oil into heavy, undesirable components (the "guck") that stay behind in the reservoir and lighter, more valuable components that can be brought up to the surface. Performance prediction of ISC projects is rather tricky and poses many computational challenges. In this talk I'll discuss our work in ISC simulation, which is centered around the design of upscaling methods for kinetics and critical reservoir heterogeneities supported by laboratory experimentation.

Class: 

Kirchhoff Scattering Inversion

Author: 
Chuck Ursenbach
Date: 
Tue, Aug 1, 2006
Location: 
University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
Conference: 
Seismic Imaging Summer School
Abstract: 

• These lectures will introduce the theory of Kirchhoff migration and imaging from an inversion perspective
• They are intended to teach some geophysics to mathematicians and some mathematics to geophysicists
• Recommended reference: Bleistein, Cohen & Stockwell, 2001, “Mathematics of Multidimensional Seismic Imaging, Migration, and Inversion”

Class: 
Subject: 

Intro to Inverse Problems in Exploration Seismology

Author: 
M. D. Sacchi
Date: 
Tue, Aug 1, 2006
Location: 
University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
Conference: 
Seismic Imaging Summer School
Abstract: 

These lectures address:

• Inverse Problems in Geophysics

• Reflection Seismology

• Introduction to Inverse Problems

• Inverse Problems in Reflection Seismology

Notes: 
Class: 
Subject: 

Overview of Seismic Imaging

Author: 
Gary Margrave
Date: 
Tue, Aug 1, 2006
Location: 
University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
Conference: 
Seismic Imaging Summer School
Abstract: 

A fast, explicit wavefield extrapolator based on the GPSPI formula is presented.

The central problem of extrapolator stability is presented and addressed by designing two half-step operators with opposing instability.

Spatial resampling is described as a very useful imaging tool.

Gabor methods can be used to approximate pseudodifferential operators.

Gabor wavefield extrapolators, based on an adaptive POU, give promising wavefield extrapolation results.

Class: 
Subject: 

Wave-equation Migration

Author: 
Robert J. Ferguson
Date: 
Tue, Aug 1, 2006
Location: 
University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
Conference: 
Seismic Imaging Summer School
Abstract: 

Three lectures on Wave-equation Migration: Theory, Practice and Examples.

Class: 
Subject: 

Topics in Scattering Theory

Author: 
David Colton
Date: 
Tue, Aug 1, 2006
Location: 
University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
Conference: 
Seismic Imaging Summer School
Abstract: 

Three lectures explore:

1. The Direct Scattering Problem,

2. The Linear Sampling Method in Inverse Scattering Theory

3. Target Identification of Partially Coated Objects

Class: 
Subject: 

Mathematics of Seismic Imaging

Author: 
William W. Symes
Date: 
Fri, Jul 1, 2005
Location: 
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Conference: 
PIMS Distinguished Chair Lectures
Abstract: 

These lectures present a mathematical view of reflection seismic imaging, as practiced in the petroleum industry.

Notes: 
Class: