Biostratigraphy Interpretation System Standardizing Taxon Names

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Solution Overview

Problem

Legacy biostratigraphic data in the oil and gas industry is often inconsistently curated and stored, leading to outdated interpretations due to changes in geological time scales, microfossils taxonomy, and species biostratigraphic events, resulting in inaccurate age determinations and underutilization of data in petroleum geoscience investigations.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for generating chronostratigraphic charts by standardizing taxon names, estimating species abundance, assigning ages to biostratigraphic events, and creating charts based on these events, using machine learning algorithms and expert-curated dictionaries to improve data interpretation and accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional manual biostratigraphic interpretation methods are used, then expert interpretation can be performed, but the process is time-consuming and subject to expert bias

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterpretation accuracyVSAvoidinterpretation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual expert interpretation with an automated computer-based system that uses machine learning algorithms and data processing to perform biostratigraphic interpretation. This substitution eliminates expert bias and significantly reduces interpretation time while maintaining or improving accuracy through consistent application of standardized methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service interpretation by allowing the computer algorithm to autonomously process biostratigraphic data without requiring continuous expert intervention. The automated workflow independently performs taxon identification, age assignment, and chart generation, making the interpretation process efficient and scalable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of information

If legacy biostratigraphic data is stored in untemplated reports with inconsistent definitions, then data can be preserved, but the data becomes inaccessible and outdated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata accessibilityVSAvoiddata standardization complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining standardized templates and data structures for storing biostratigraphic information. Before data is entered or processed, the system establishes consistent formats for taxon names, age assignments, and other critical parameters, ensuring data accessibility and preventing information loss from the outset.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms unstructured legacy data into structured, standardized data by changing the parameters of data organization. This includes converting inconsistent taxon names to standardized formats, assigning uniform age parameters, and reorganizing data into accessible templates, thereby resolving the contradiction between data preservation and accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If species names and synonyms are inconsistently stored in biostratigraphic reports, then various data structures can be maintained, but updating changes in species biozone/age interpretation becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata structure flexibilityVSAvoidinterpretation consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal standardized data structure that can accommodate multiple species names and synonyms while maintaining consistent interpretation. The system uses a unified template that recognizes various naming conventions and maps them to standardized taxon identifiers, enabling the system to handle diverse data inputs reliably and consistently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary layer of standardized taxon identifiers that mediate between inconsistent species names and the interpretation process. This intermediary mapping allows the system to reconcile various naming conventions and synonyms while maintaining interpretation consistency, resolving the conflict between data structure flexibility and interpretation reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20250085456A1Biostratigraphy interpretation system and method

Publication Date: 2025.03.13 CGG SERVICES SAS

AI summary

A device for generating a chronostratigraphic chart for a given subsurface includes receiving biostratigraphic data including taxon names, standardizing the taxon names in the biostratigraphic data to obtain standardized taxon names, generating species biostratigraphic events from the standardized taxon names by estimating an abundance of each species in the biostratigraphic data with respect to a sample depth, assigning ages to the species biostratigraphic events, and generating the chronostratigraphic chart based on the species biostratigraphic events and the assigned ages.