Patent 7349807 was granted and assigned to Geomechanics International on March, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Pre-drill pore pressure and fracture gradient predictions obtained from seismic velocity data are used in well design taking into account uncertainties in the velocity estimation and in the models that use the velocities to determine pore pressure. Using geological constraints, limits are established on hydrocarbon column height. It is also possible to predict the relative number of casings required to reach target reservoirs.