Well Integrity Inference From Legacy Data for CO2 Storage Risk

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for well integrity evaluation in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs are inefficient and time-consuming, particularly for assessing CO2 storage sites, due to non-standardized legacy well data and the need for manual expert analysis, leading to prolonged lead times in CCS project delivery.

Innovation Solution

A backpropagation-enabled process is used to infer well integrity criteria from legacy well data through dependency-training and label-training, leveraging contextual relationships identified in a training well data set, enabling accurate and efficient risk assessment for CO2 storage sites.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual expert analysis is used to evaluate well integrity from legacy well data, then assessment accuracy can be maintained, but lead time for CO2 storage site risk assessment increases significantly (up to a year)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewell integrity assessment accuracyVSAvoidlead time for site maturation
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual expert analysis (mechanical human cognitive process) with an automated machine learning system that uses backpropagation-enabled processes to evaluate well integrity criteria from legacy well data, thereby reducing lead time while maintaining assessment accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a machine learning model as an intermediary between legacy well data and risk assessment outcomes, enabling automated extraction and evaluation of well integrity criteria without requiring direct manual expert intervention for each assessment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If extensive manual review of non-standardized legacy well data is performed, then comprehensive risk assessment can be achieved, but project delivery timelines are prolonged

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveCO2 storage site risk assessment reliabilityVSAvoidCCS project delivery speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables the system to perform self-service by automatically processing legacy well data through trained machine learning models that can independently evaluate well integrity criteria without requiring extensive manual review, thereby improving productivity while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-training machine learning models on legacy well data before deployment, enabling the system to rapidly assess new wells without requiring extensive manual preparation or review for each individual case

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20260071517A1Method for inferring well integrity criteria
Publication Date: 2026.03.12 SHELL USA INC

AI summary

A method for inferring a well integrity criterion used for a CO2 storage site risk assessment of a subterranean formation uses a training well data set having a set of associated training labels. A backpropagation-enabled process is dependency-trained to identify contextual relationships between elements of the training well data set. The dependency-trained backpropagation-enabled process is label-trained using the training well data set and the associated training labels to assess a training well integrity criterion. The label-trained backpropagation-enabled process is used to compute a well integrity criterion in a non-training well data set.