Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/N020537/1
Pathfinder Application for Oil and Gas Exploration Software
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Dr F J Peel, NOC (Up to 31.10.2019), Science and Technology
- Grant held at:
- NOC (Up to 31.10.2019), Science and Technology
- Science Area:
- Earth
- Marine
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Unknown
- ENRIs:
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- Earth Engineering
- Earth Resources
- Hydrocarbon reservoirs
- Oil and gas
- Palaeoenvironments
- Marine sediments
- Sedimentary deposits
- Sedimentary rocks
- Turbidity currents
- Sediment/Sedimentary Processes
- Oil & Gas Extraction
- Oil/Gas Reservoir Management
- Engineering geology
- Reservoir technology
- Abstract:
- Objectives of the project that will follow on from the Pathfinder: Oil and gas exploration companies need to be able to predict where the edges of sand reservoir units lie in order to target exploration and development wells. This is a major problem in basins where the seafloor on which the sand was deposited was being actively deformed, especially in regions dominated by salt tectonics (e.g. the South Atlantic margins of Africa and South America, where many UK-based companies are active). This can be, literally, a hit-or-miss affair. If a well is drilled too far updip, it will miss the sand and any oil contained within it; if it is drilled too far downdip from the edge of the sand, it is likely to miss any oil that may be trapped further updip. Since exploration boreholes commonly cost more than #200 million each, a failed well represents considerable waste of money, time and natural resources. Any product or method which can help in the predictive effort is likely to be of considerable interest to such companies. Prediction is relatively straightforward when we have a very clear image of the subsurface, most commonly through reflection seismic data. In such cases we can simply see and map the reservoir units on such data. However there are many places around the world where the image obtained on seismic data is very poor and we can barely see the general shape of the structures, and the fine details such as reservoir shapes are invisible. In such places, in order to target wells to hit the reservoir unit, and to hit it in the optimum spot, we would like to have a reliable predictive tool that can use the data available to us. But there is at present no simple and effective method available to these companies. The most commonly used procedure simply assumes that the thickness of a unit of sediment (the "isopach") is directly related to the shape of the seafloor at the time of deposition (the "paleotopography"). While this is broadly true in the most general terms, it is not an adequate or reliable method. Our product will provide a significant improvement in this prediction, using the information that is already available to exploration companies (in the form of existing wells and seismic data) to give a more reliable model of the paleotopography on the sea floor and the extent of sand reservoir units. We aim to provide a tool that is quick and effective - we recognize that it will not provide 100% prediction but it should be a significant improvement from the traditional "isopach" method. We therefore anticipate that our proposed Product/Services will more accurately map the paleo-topography of reservoirs and so will add value by, in broad terms:- 1. De-risking the oil and gas exploratory process; and 2. Reducing the number of unsuccessful drilling operations and improving the exploration success rate will save money, energy and resources that could be better deployed by the industry (e.g. employing and/or retaining staff for other projects, investment in other technologies, research and development etc.).
- NERC Reference:
- NE/N020537/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Innovation
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Follow on Fund Pathfinder
This grant award has a total value of £15,807
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Other Costs | Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Estate Costs | DI - Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| £14,416 | £420 | £207 | £765 |
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