Patent Document ID: 8892412
Application ID: 13148643
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer implemented method for correlating data predicted by a process-based model or physics-based model to describe a subsurface region with known data describing the subsurface region, the method comprising: obtaining data describing the subsurface region; estimating model parameters of an initial state of the subsurface region; predicting data describing a subsequent state of the subsurface region with a computer, wherein the predicting data comprises using the model parameters to simulate with a model the evolution of a channel by modeling dynamics of interplay between channel migration and changing sedimentary environment; comparing the predicted data with the obtained data by computing an objective function taking into account whether the predicted data represent a discontinuous event, wherein the objective function is defined using the following formulation: J i = ∑ i = 1 N m ⁢ 1 2 ⁢ Min 0 < s i 0 < S - S i t ⁢ { σ 1 ⁢ i ⁢ ∫ 0 S i t ⁢ [ ( x ⁡ ( s i 0 + u ) - x t ⁡ ( u ) ) 2 + ( y ⁢ ( s i 0 + u ) - y t ⁡ ( u ) ) 2 ] ⁢ ⁢ ⅆ u + σ 2 ⁢ i ⁢ ∫ 0 S i t ⁢ [ ( κ ⁡ ( s i 0 + u ) - κ t ⁡ ( u ) ) 2 ] ⁢ ⅆ u } , where N M represent the target meander bends and S i t represents length of the i th meander loop, σ is the weight associated with i th target bend, K is the geometric quantities computed from centerline coordinates; determining with a computer a sensitivity of the predicted data if the predicted data is not within an acceptable range of the obtained data, wherein determining the sensitivity comprises computing an adjoint of the objective function; adjusting the model parameters based on the sensitivity before performing a subsequent iteration of predicting data describing the subsequent state of the subsurface region; and outputting a representation of the subsurface region based on the data describing the subsequent state of the subsurface region.