Exploring Digital Stratigraphy using Computational Stratigraphy Explorer (CSE)

Computational Stratigraphy is a new Chevron proprietary reservoir characterization and modeling technology. Computational stratigraphy generates geologically plausible reservoir analogues through simulation of the processes of sediment transport and deposition. During each simulation, snapshots of the surface geometry, water flow velocity, and sediment properties near the basin surface are recorded. These snapshots help delineate the key extrinsic and intrinsic controls of stratigraphic architectures, sedimentary body geometry, and other reservoir properties and heterogeneities in basins with various geologic settings.

Conventional reservoir modeling tools are challenged to view, explore and analyze these 3D models interactively and efficiently because of their dense spatial and temporal resolutions and their non-standard data about the evolution of a depositional system. The Computational Stratigraphy Explorer (CSE) was developed to enable geoscientists to visualize, explore, and analyze computational stratigraphy models interactively. CSE is an interactive application developed in MATLAB. It relies on the flexible visualization capability and interactivity available with standard MATLAB components.

Interactive programs developed in the MATLAB environment can be deployed as stand-alone executable applications or dynamic libraries that can be launched from existing applications such as Petrel. This facilitates efficient technology development and engagement of geoscientists for iterative improvement of the software.