1. 8 W E D N E S D A Y | O C T . 2 9 , 2 0 1 4 | E&P DAI LY N EWS
Contributed by Landmark, a Halliburton company
Profit margins in unconventional resource plays
remain thin while the complexity and velocity
of operations continue to rise. In some plays, a high
percentage of perforations contribute little or no
hydrocarbons to production. Since shale wells typi-
cally undergo rapid declines, the only way to sustain
economic production is through increasingly aggres-
sive drilling and completion activity.
As the intensity of operations escalates, however,
shale operators might be reaching the limits of effi-
ciency possible through innovations in horizontal
drilling and hydraulic fracture engineering alone.
“To achieve the ROI [return on investment] that
companies require today, greater collaboration across
disciplines is increasingly critical as well as more rig-
orous subsurface modeling and high-intensity well
planning tools to target sweet spots efficiently and
automatically,” said Bill Ross, director of geological
and geophysical frameworks for Landmark.
Landmark’s DecisionSpace platform provides a
single integration infrastructure to access the myriad
of measurements—and databases—used in uncon-
ventional operations. It blends data management
with applications in geophysics, geology, drilling,
completion and production engineering to provide a
unified analysis, interpretation and modeling system.
“The DecisionSpace platform is the only multido-
main workspace capable of handling the data growth
swamping unconventional assets,” Ross said.
Once an effective means of integrating asset data
is available, it is possible to create a high-definition
digital subsurface model. However, this is not yet
common in unconventional plays, Ross said. The
engineering issues have received much more atten-
tion than the geology. “One of the biggest over-
looked problems is how to keep the subsurface
model fresh and relevant when so much new infor-
mation keeps pouring in from the field, often in real
time,” he added. Every additional wellbore provides
not just a new data point but a whole new dataset.
The DecisionSpace environment includes the
Dynamic Frameworks to Fill modeling technology. It
enables geoscientists and engineers to efficiently incor-
porate new information into a multisurface 3-D struc-
tural framework model that never gets out of date.
“What differentiates the Dynamic Frameworks to
Fill workflow is that we designed it from the ground
up to update automatically,” Ross said. The system
actively “listens” for new well data, geologic inter-
pretations and newly interpreted seismic informa-
tion. It has an intelligent topology engine that
automatically calculates 3-D intersections among
horizons, faults and unconformities and then prop-
erly trims and seals them against one another.
Every surface in the sealed framework is dynamically
linked to every other surface, and a single change trig-
gers an instantaneous update to the entire model.“As a
result, the model ‘learns’ and continuously improves
with each well drilled, which makes it ideal for fast-
paced unconventional drilling campaigns,”he added.
By integrating this evergreen 3-D framework with
earth-modeling technology, the DecisionSpace envi-
ronment also allows geoscientists and reservoir engi-
neers to populate or “fill” it with static or dynamic
rock and fluid properties.
According to Ross, automated updating can acceler-
ate mapping workflows by an order of magnitude—
even in conventional plays. “One operator needed to
map 10 unique reservoir properties over 14 distinct
intervals based on data from thousands of wells,”he said.
“By replacing traditional gridding macros and property
mapping techniques with Dynamic Frameworks to Fill
workflows,geoscientists reduced the cycle time for each
model update from two or three days to 15 minutes.”
In unconventional plays with hundreds of wells,
thousands of data points and multiple stacked reservoirs,
this technology can be even more valuable. Operators
can keep pace with aggressive drilling schedules, update
the 3-D framework and maps with real-time LWD data
and geosteer the drillbit to stay in the sweet spot.
To plan all those wells, operators also are turning to
DecisionSpace Well Planning software, which can
seamlessly integrate geology and a geographic infor-
mation system with directional drilling data.
Automated multiscenario field planning, visualization
and optimization tools can enable teams to rapidly
design and refine pad locations, well spacing and
complex trajectories. All workflows take place within
the context of the dynamic 3-D framework, surface
topography and user-designated “no-go” zones while
adhering to rigorous drilling engineering constraints.
“By running multiple full asset DecisionSpace Well
Planning scenarios, one large independent operator
increased reservoir contact by more than 10,000 ft
[3,048 m] in its shale asset while simultaneously
eliminating 16 wells and 22 pad locations from the
original drilling plan,” Ross said.“This saved millions
of dollars in capital investment and dramatically
reduced the operator’s environmental footprint.” n
Dynamic Solutions for Unconventional Plays
Platform provides a unified analysis, interpretation and modeling system.
With Dynamic Frameworks to Fill workflow technology, new well and seis-
mic data automatically refine the subsurface model, enabling operators to
target sweet spots more precisely in subsequent wells. (Image courtesy of
Landmark)
Contributed by Seabed Geosolutions
Today’s global search for hydrocarbons takes place
in some of the world’s most difficult environ-
ments. While conventional 3-D streamer acquired
seismic surveys are the basic way to acquire subsur-
face data offshore, there are locations and conditions
where acquiring a seismic survey using long stream-
ers is not safe, technically adequate or practical.These
areas include transition zones; shallow waters; and
obstructed,high-traffic or congested waters.
Other challenges arise when hydrocarbons are
obscured by presalt or gas clouds. For these targets,
directly measured shear (converted) wave and pres-
sure wave information is the best way to image the
subsurface. The experienced field crews and four-
component (4-C) ocean-bottom technologies of
Seabed Geosolutions are uniquely qualified to over-
come the difficulties of conducting surveys in these
and other challenging environments in water depths
ranging to 3,000 m (9,842.5 ft).
With more than 25,000 sq km (9,653 sq miles) of
seismic data acquired in some of the world’s harshest
conditions, Seabed Geosolutions offers technologies
that can safely and efficiently acquire high-quality
subsurface seismic data. For example, the transition
zone between land and marine seismic operations
encompasses some of the most remote, sensitive and
congested environments on Earth.An ocean-bottom
seismic (OBS) solution is a reliable, proven way to
seamlessly tie in a land survey with a survey that tran-
sitions to offshore.
With more than 100 transition zone surveys
recorded worldwide, the company’s suite of OBS
technologies can yield reliable 4-C data in these
hard-to-reach and environmentally sensitive areas. A
dedicated fleet of purpose-built, shallow draft vessels
carrying versatile ocean-bottom receiver technology
and shallow airgun source equipment leaves no envi-
ronmental footprint.The company’s lightweight ves-
sels, which also are highly maneuverable, can be used
in areas with high traffic or busy fishing activity.
Without multiple kilometers of streamers in tow, an
OBS survey in these areas can be acquired safely with
lessened risk of downtime, damage to the spread or
disturbance to commercial activities in the area.
While OBS is the most logical solution for shallow
water and transition zones,its efficiency does not stop
there. Moving into intermediate and deeper water,
weather and currents can play a major factor in the
acquisition of a seismic survey. Using OBS in areas
with known currents and strong wave action can be a
safer and more reliable choice,with no risk of out-of-
specification streamer angle, too much feather, excess
noise or excessive weather downtime.As long as the
source can run, the survey can continue. An ocean-
bottom survey in these conditions can offer data
acquisition with less noise, no infill and simplified
multiple removal during processing.
Obstructed areas are an obvious choice for an
ocean-bottom solution. Ocean-bottom technologies
can be safely and precisely positioned in heavily
obstructed fields close to infrastructure, providing the
ability to collect high-quality full-azimuth long-offset
datasets in areas where it is impossible to navigate with
large streamer spreads.The receiver location also can be
accurately repeated in future monitor surveys, making
the systems ideal for 4-D life-of-field management.
Additionally, OBS systems can be deployed in an
ad hoc basis for a small, densely shot area whereby the
target needs special geophysical focus, such as imag-
ing below presalt or when the objective is obscured
by shallow gas.This ad hoc technique also is beneficial
as a tie-in with streamer data for undershoots, guar-
anteeing data with no infill (compared to streamer
seismic), a higher proportion of near offsets and full-
azimuth coverage.
The company’s geoscientists can help evaluate and
design a survey that takes into consideration the local
terrain, HSE constraints, permits and regulations, the
illumination of a chosen target, and budget. The
company’s seabed imaging technologies include
ocean-bottom nodes and ocean-bottom cables.
Visit Seabed Geosolutions at booth 1124 for more
information. n
OBS Is Key for Challenging Marine Environments
Seismic method can yield reliable data in hard-to-reach areas.
OBS technology is ideal for congested areas with high traffic or busy
fishing activity. (Image courtesy of Jean Batiste Chalvidan)
![8 W E D N E S D A Y | O C T . 2 9 , 2 0 1 4 | E&P DAI LY N EWS
Contributed by Landmark, a Halliburton company
Profit margins in unconventional resource plays
remain thin while the complexity and velocity
of operations continue to rise. In some plays, a high
percentage of perforations contribute little or no
hydrocarbons to production. Since shale wells typi-
cally undergo rapid declines, the only way to sustain
economic production is through increasingly aggres-
sive drilling and completion activity.
As the intensity of operations escalates, however,
shale operators might be reaching the limits of effi-
ciency possible through innovations in horizontal
drilling and hydraulic fracture engineering alone.
“To achieve the ROI [return on investment] that
companies require today, greater collaboration across
disciplines is increasingly critical as well as more rig-
orous subsurface modeling and high-intensity well
planning tools to target sweet spots efficiently and
automatically,” said Bill Ross, director of geological
and geophysical frameworks for Landmark.
Landmark’s DecisionSpace platform provides a
single integration infrastructure to access the myriad
of measurements—and databases—used in uncon-
ventional operations. It blends data management
with applications in geophysics, geology, drilling,
completion and production engineering to provide a
unified analysis, interpretation and modeling system.
“The DecisionSpace platform is the only multido-
main workspace capable of handling the data growth
swamping unconventional assets,” Ross said.
Once an effective means of integrating asset data
is available, it is possible to create a high-definition
digital subsurface model. However, this is not yet
common in unconventional plays, Ross said. The
engineering issues have received much more atten-
tion than the geology. “One of the biggest over-
looked problems is how to keep the subsurface
model fresh and relevant when so much new infor-
mation keeps pouring in from the field, often in real
time,” he added. Every additional wellbore provides
not just a new data point but a whole new dataset.
The DecisionSpace environment includes the
Dynamic Frameworks to Fill modeling technology. It
enables geoscientists and engineers to efficiently incor-
porate new information into a multisurface 3-D struc-
tural framework model that never gets out of date.
“What differentiates the Dynamic Frameworks to
Fill workflow is that we designed it from the ground
up to update automatically,” Ross said. The system
actively “listens” for new well data, geologic inter-
pretations and newly interpreted seismic informa-
tion. It has an intelligent topology engine that
automatically calculates 3-D intersections among
horizons, faults and unconformities and then prop-
erly trims and seals them against one another.
Every surface in the sealed framework is dynamically
linked to every other surface, and a single change trig-
gers an instantaneous update to the entire model.“As a
result, the model ‘learns’ and continuously improves
with each well drilled, which makes it ideal for fast-
paced unconventional drilling campaigns,”he added.
By integrating this evergreen 3-D framework with
earth-modeling technology, the DecisionSpace envi-
ronment also allows geoscientists and reservoir engi-
neers to populate or “fill” it with static or dynamic
rock and fluid properties.
According to Ross, automated updating can acceler-
ate mapping workflows by an order of magnitude—
even in conventional plays. “One operator needed to
map 10 unique reservoir properties over 14 distinct
intervals based on data from thousands of wells,”he said.
“By replacing traditional gridding macros and property
mapping techniques with Dynamic Frameworks to Fill
workflows,geoscientists reduced the cycle time for each
model update from two or three days to 15 minutes.”
In unconventional plays with hundreds of wells,
thousands of data points and multiple stacked reservoirs,
this technology can be even more valuable. Operators
can keep pace with aggressive drilling schedules, update
the 3-D framework and maps with real-time LWD data
and geosteer the drillbit to stay in the sweet spot.
To plan all those wells, operators also are turning to
DecisionSpace Well Planning software, which can
seamlessly integrate geology and a geographic infor-
mation system with directional drilling data.
Automated multiscenario field planning, visualization
and optimization tools can enable teams to rapidly
design and refine pad locations, well spacing and
complex trajectories. All workflows take place within
the context of the dynamic 3-D framework, surface
topography and user-designated “no-go” zones while
adhering to rigorous drilling engineering constraints.
“By running multiple full asset DecisionSpace Well
Planning scenarios, one large independent operator
increased reservoir contact by more than 10,000 ft
[3,048 m] in its shale asset while simultaneously
eliminating 16 wells and 22 pad locations from the
original drilling plan,” Ross said.“This saved millions
of dollars in capital investment and dramatically
reduced the operator’s environmental footprint.” n
Dynamic Solutions for Unconventional Plays
Platform provides a unified analysis, interpretation and modeling system.
With Dynamic Frameworks to Fill workflow technology, new well and seis-
mic data automatically refine the subsurface model, enabling operators to
target sweet spots more precisely in subsequent wells. (Image courtesy of
Landmark)
Contributed by Seabed Geosolutions
Today’s global search for hydrocarbons takes place
in some of the world’s most difficult environ-
ments. While conventional 3-D streamer acquired
seismic surveys are the basic way to acquire subsur-
face data offshore, there are locations and conditions
where acquiring a seismic survey using long stream-
ers is not safe, technically adequate or practical.These
areas include transition zones; shallow waters; and
obstructed,high-traffic or congested waters.
Other challenges arise when hydrocarbons are
obscured by presalt or gas clouds. For these targets,
directly measured shear (converted) wave and pres-
sure wave information is the best way to image the
subsurface. The experienced field crews and four-
component (4-C) ocean-bottom technologies of
Seabed Geosolutions are uniquely qualified to over-
come the difficulties of conducting surveys in these
and other challenging environments in water depths
ranging to 3,000 m (9,842.5 ft).
With more than 25,000 sq km (9,653 sq miles) of
seismic data acquired in some of the world’s harshest
conditions, Seabed Geosolutions offers technologies
that can safely and efficiently acquire high-quality
subsurface seismic data. For example, the transition
zone between land and marine seismic operations
encompasses some of the most remote, sensitive and
congested environments on Earth.An ocean-bottom
seismic (OBS) solution is a reliable, proven way to
seamlessly tie in a land survey with a survey that tran-
sitions to offshore.
With more than 100 transition zone surveys
recorded worldwide, the company’s suite of OBS
technologies can yield reliable 4-C data in these
hard-to-reach and environmentally sensitive areas. A
dedicated fleet of purpose-built, shallow draft vessels
carrying versatile ocean-bottom receiver technology
and shallow airgun source equipment leaves no envi-
ronmental footprint.The company’s lightweight ves-
sels, which also are highly maneuverable, can be used
in areas with high traffic or busy fishing activity.
Without multiple kilometers of streamers in tow, an
OBS survey in these areas can be acquired safely with
lessened risk of downtime, damage to the spread or
disturbance to commercial activities in the area.
While OBS is the most logical solution for shallow
water and transition zones,its efficiency does not stop
there. Moving into intermediate and deeper water,
weather and currents can play a major factor in the
acquisition of a seismic survey. Using OBS in areas
with known currents and strong wave action can be a
safer and more reliable choice,with no risk of out-of-
specification streamer angle, too much feather, excess
noise or excessive weather downtime.As long as the
source can run, the survey can continue. An ocean-
bottom survey in these conditions can offer data
acquisition with less noise, no infill and simplified
multiple removal during processing.
Obstructed areas are an obvious choice for an
ocean-bottom solution. Ocean-bottom technologies
can be safely and precisely positioned in heavily
obstructed fields close to infrastructure, providing the
ability to collect high-quality full-azimuth long-offset
datasets in areas where it is impossible to navigate with
large streamer spreads.The receiver location also can be
accurately repeated in future monitor surveys, making
the systems ideal for 4-D life-of-field management.
Additionally, OBS systems can be deployed in an
ad hoc basis for a small, densely shot area whereby the
target needs special geophysical focus, such as imag-
ing below presalt or when the objective is obscured
by shallow gas.This ad hoc technique also is beneficial
as a tie-in with streamer data for undershoots, guar-
anteeing data with no infill (compared to streamer
seismic), a higher proportion of near offsets and full-
azimuth coverage.
The company’s geoscientists can help evaluate and
design a survey that takes into consideration the local
terrain, HSE constraints, permits and regulations, the
illumination of a chosen target, and budget. The
company’s seabed imaging technologies include
ocean-bottom nodes and ocean-bottom cables.
Visit Seabed Geosolutions at booth 1124 for more
information. n
OBS Is Key for Challenging Marine Environments
Seismic method can yield reliable data in hard-to-reach areas.
OBS technology is ideal for congested areas with high traffic or busy
fishing activity. (Image courtesy of Jean Batiste Chalvidan)](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/fad82235-8ebd-44e7-814e-168e4b485093-150910203057-lva1-app6892/85/SEG14_Wednesday_lr-8-1-320.jpg)
