METHODS OF INVESTIGATING AN UNDERGROUND FORMATION AND PRODUCING HYDROCARBONS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

_27- METHODS OF INVESTIGATRNG AN UNDERGROUND FORMA'DON AND PRODUCFNG HYDROCARBONS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT ABSTRACT 5 A METHOD OF INVESTIGATING AN UNDERGROUND FORMATION UNDERNEATH THE EARTH'S SURFACE, COMPRISING OBTAINING A FIRST DATA SET REPRESENTING CHANGE IN A PREDETERMINED SEISMIC PARAMETER OVER A PERIOD OF TIME FOR A PLURALITY OF POINTS IN THE UNDERGROUND FORMATION, WHICH FIRST DATA SET IS DERIVED FROM A TIME-LAPSE SEISMIC SURVEY OF THE EARTH FORMADON SPANNING THE 10 PERIOD OF TIME; OBTAINING A SECOND DATA SET REPRESENTING GEODETIC DEFORMATION OVER SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME AT A PLURALITY OF LOCATIONS ON THE EARTH'S SURFACE, WHICH SECOND DATA SET IS DERIVED FROM A GEODETIC SURVEY SPANNING THE PERIOD OF TIME; JOINTLY PROCESSING THE FIRST AND SECOND DATA SETS TO OBTAIN A MAP OF A PARAMETER RELATED TO VOLUME CHANGE IN THE UNDERGROUND FORMATION; WHEREIN A GEOMECHANICAL MODEL OF THE UNDERGROUND 1 5 FORMATION IS POSTULATED; ALSO A METHOD OF PRODUCING HYDROCARBONS AND A COMPUTER PROGRAM. (FIG.5)