1. Clearplay is a trade mark of
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA
Clearplay Brochure R01 06/08
CLEARPLAY INTEGRATED EM SYSTEM
find/test/evaluate
INTEGRATED EM SYSTEM
EMGS.COM
2. The idea that gave birth to an industry
The concept was trialled using a towed, high-power source
of EM energyandaseriesofreceiversplacedatknownlocationson
theseabed.Byloggingtherefractedenergycollectedfromsubsurface
layers, they were able to identify areas of high electrical resistivity –
a direct indicator of hydrocarbons.
Theirtechnique,‘seabedlogging’,provedremarkablysuccessful.
A new company, Electromagnetic Geoservices – EMGS – was formed
toprovidethefirstcommercialseabedloggingservice.Andtheybecame
the founding fathers of a new industry.
EMGS has remained market leader, training the world’s leading
experts in EM and ceaselessly refining the technology and systems
used to acquire, process, visualise and interpret EM data.
Clearplay — EM comes of age
Today, EMGS reinforces its pre-eminence in EM with the launch
of Clearplay, the world’s first fully integrated EM system.
Clearplay melds all the EM expertise and experience of EMGS
with the technology, tools and processes it has developed. It provides
seamless,end-to-endEMservicesinsupportofhydrocarbonexploration
and has extended application in both development and production
phases in life of field.
Clearplay is the product of more than a decade of hard won
experience. It provides evidence of hydrocarbons more quickly and
with more confidence. It will maximise the chance of successful
exploration outcomes, reduce risk and increase return on investment.
EM has come of age.
/01 INTEGRATED EM SYSTEM
In 1997, Svein Ellingsrud and Terje Eidesmo conceived the
possibility of adapting electromagnetic (EM) technology to detect
hydrocarbon reservoirs under the sea.
/1997
The idea is born
/2002
EMGS established
Firstpurpose-
builtequipment
First commercial
survey
/2003
Firstsurveyvessel
commissioned
‘Best Exploration
Solution’ at
World Oil Awards
/2006
First commercial
3D operations
First survey
for government
organisation
‘Best Exploration
System’ at Harts
E&P Awards
/2007
EMGSlistedonOslo
Stock Exchange
Fifth survey vessel
commissioned
Founders awarded
Virgil Kauffman
Gold Medal
/2008
Launch of Clearplay
Integrated EM
System
Ahighpowerelectromagnetic
(EM) source is towed by
a survey vessel. Sensitive
seafloorreceiversdetectEM
energy that has been guided
byelectricallyresistivebodies
in the subsurface, including
hydrocarbon reservoirs. This
data is processed to create
resistivity maps and 3D
volumes. High resistivity
isanindicatorofhydrocarbon
presence.
3. 03/04
01/02/03/04
Preparation for deployment
of receiver and source.
Attention to detail is crucial.
The receivers need to remain
fullyfunctionalontheseabed
for many days, even weeks.
Beneaththereceiver,the
soluble anchor is clearly
visible,asisoneofthefour
‘A frame’ receiver arms,
which hold the electrical
sensors in the correct
positions on the seafloor.
01/02
/03 INTEGRATED EM SYSTEM
Withhydrocarbonreservesnowbeingdepletedfasterthan
they can be replaced and finding costs increasing exponentially,
an improvement in exploration efficiency and productivity is essential.
EMGS has been responding to that need.
Integrated EM — Right
technology, right time
EMGS’patentedEMimagingtechnology
hastheabilitytorevealinformation
aboutthesubsurfacethatdirectlyrelates
tohydrocarbonpresence–information
thatnotraditionalsurveytechniques
canoffer.
Inworkingwiththistechnologyaround
theglobe–over350surveysformore
than40leadingoperators–EMGShas
acquiredunmatchedknowledgeand
experience.Andthathasunderpinned
thecontinuingdevelopmentofboth
thetechnologyitselfanditssupporting
infrastructure.
ClearplayIntegratedEMisthenatural
outcomeofthatrestlesssearchfor
efficiencyimprovements.
Clearplayintegratestherequired
componentsofEMGStechnologywith
thepeople,toolsandprocessesneeded
tosupporteachstageintheworkflow–
fromfeasibilitystudiesthroughsurvey
planning,dataacquisition,data
processingandimagingtointerpretation.
Clearplaysuppliesthefeaturesand
toolsrequiredtointegrateEMdata
withotherformsofgeophysical
andgeologicalinformation,essential
toensuringdecisionmakershave
themostcompletepictureavailable.
Clearplayintegratesexperiencewith
knowledgeofprocess.EMGSapplies
itsexperienceofthestrengths
andlimitationsofEMtechnology
inacomprehensiverangeofsituations
toensureit’susedonlywhenweare
confidentitwillproduceusefuldata.
Clearplayisfullysupportedby
developmentsininfrastructure.EMGS
nowhasthelargestandbestequipped
EMfleetintheworld.Themost
sophisticatedEMsourceandreceivers.
Andthemostpowerfulcomputercluster
intheindustry–Aurora.Withmorethan
3,600processors,Auroraisableto
run70trillioncalculationseverysecond.
Forourcustomers,thebenefitsof
Clearplayaresignificant:muchimproved
explorationefficiencyandperformance;
significantreductionsinriskandfinding
costs.Andtheabilitytokeeponestep
aheadofthecompetition.
52surveyscompletedsince2002,
wherewellevaluationdataalsoexists,
haveprovidedanindisputablevalidation
ofEMGS’technology.Surveypredictions
andwellevaluationresultsshowan85%
agreement–confirmingthefullextent
oftheefficiencyimprovementspossible.
/02
0
30
60
90
120
99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06
DECLINING RESERVE
REPLACEMENT RATIO1
10
20
30
40
50 (%)
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
FIRST OF 40+ EMGS SURVEYS,
OFFSHORE INDIA
RESERVE REPLACEMENT RATIO (%)
10
20
30
40
50 (%)
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
FIRST OF 40+ EMGS SURVEYS,
OFFSHORE INDIA
1 SEB Enskilda Research,
Top 25 IOC’s.
2 Discovery wells
as a percentage of
exploration wells drilled.
Directorate General
of Hydrocarbons, India.
Explorationperformance
INDIADISCOVERYTREND—2001TO20072
4.
5. Three Clearplay service offerings have been designed
to support operators during the exploration phase: Clearplay Find,
Clearplay Test and Clearplay Evaluate.
Clearplay service offerings
Each carefully-tailored service provides the combination
of EM technology, products, tools and expertise needed to achieve
best fit with task – yet is flexible enough to permit condition-specific
adjustment.
Feasibilitystudiesprovidethebedrockforcustomerconfidence
intheserviceoutcome.Theydeliverearlystageinformationtoenablea
go/no-godecision,advancedmodellingtodeterminesurveyparameters
and full virtual surveys to inform survey design.
/07 INTEGRATED EM SYSTEM
05
01
EMGS’ high power source
(tow fish), showing the
umbilical connection to
the towing vessel and part
of the antenna.
02
One of the receivers being
lowered into the sea from
the side of the survey vessel.
03
Preparing a receiver
before deployment.
04
High power source
being deployed.
05
3D attribute cube showing
normalisedelectricmagnitude
(NMVO) integrated with
seismic information.
Clearplay Find
Clearplay Test
ClearplayEvaluate
/06
01
04
02/03
6. 06
07
Clearplay Find — rapid,
high quality lead generation
Aptlyreferredtoas‘scanning’,this
serviceprovidesrapidgeneration
ofleadsand,ultimately,prospectsover
largeareas.Itcanalsovalidateexisting
leadsandprospects.Typically,itwill
involveacquiringdatabytowingahigh
powerEMsourceoveracoarsegrid
ofreceivers,2-4kmapart,andthe
subsequent,rapidprocessingofthat
dataonboardthesurveyvessel.Itwill
beemployedinearly-stageexploration,
preorpostlicensing,butcanalso
beusedtore-explorematureareas.
Traditionalexplorationmethodsseek
evidenceforthegeologicalconditions
necessarytosupporttheexistenceof
hydrocarbons.Theelectricalresistivity
dataacquiredbyEMscanningcanprovide
directevidenceofhydrocarbons.Though
notallresistivebodiesarehydrocarbons,
allcommercialhydrocarbondeposits
areresistors.So,locatingtheresistors
withinascannedareaprovidestheleads
neededtofocusexplorationeffort.
ClearplayFindoffersthedisplay
ofEMdataas2Danomalymapsand
3Dcubes.Itfacilitateseasyintegration
withexistingseismicandgeological
information.Anditcanprovide
evidenceofstratigraphictrapsnot
easilyidentifiableonseismicmaps.
The benefits of Clearplay Find
EMdataresultingfromClearplayFind
israpidlyobtainedandprovidesgood,
earlyindicationsofhydrocarbonsand
prospectivity.Thisinformspre-licensing
decision-makingandpermitsrapid
generationofprospectportfolios.This
earlydeliveryofqualityleadsgivesour
customersatremendouscompetitive
advantage.Overallexploration
efficiencyisimproved,riskisreduced
andthegroundispreparedforachieving
bothperformanceimprovementsand
costreductionsduringthenextphases
ofexploration.
CombiningtheEMdatawithseismic
andothergeologicalandgeophysical
informationallowsassessmentof
newblockstobeachievedfasterand
moreaccuratelythanwithtraditional
techniquesalone.
Ifalreadyexploringanewblock,
ClearplayFinddataenablesmore
detailedEMandseismicsurveys
tobetargetedattheareasidentified
asmorelikelytohaveaccumulations
ofhydrocarbons.
Clearplay Find
06
This 2D anomaly map shows
awidely-spacedreceivergrid.
The four red areas indicate
the zones of high resistivity
in the subsurface and will
be treated as EM leads.
The three orange polygons
indicate leads identified
by seismic surveys.
In two cases, seismic leads
areconfirmedbyEMandwill
provide a focus for further
exploration. The strong EM
lead (top left), with no seismic
confirmation, will also be
explored further.
07
3D attribute cube showing
normalisedelectricmagnitude
(NMVO).
04/05
/09 INTEGRATED EM SYSTEM
02
03
CLEARPLAY FIND — summary BENEFITS
/ rapid lead and prospect identification
/ rapid and cost-effective assessment of prospectivity
/ validation of existing leads and prospects
/ accelerated prospect delivery
/ better informed licensing and farm-in/farm-out decisions
/ more effective use of other exploration resources
/ re-explore licences for missed opportunities
/ take a ‘last look’ before relinquishing a licence or
abandoning an asset
/ reduced environmental impact of exploration activities
/ reduced finding cost and finding time per barrel
/ improved geological understanding of the block/08
01/02/03
Onboard ship, and on the
source and receivers is a
combination of sophisticated
navigation equipment
and software from Concept
Systems, Sonardyne and
Kongsberg.
This provides accurate
positioning data necessary
to achieving survey success.
04/05
Every EMGS ship carries a
large population of receivers,
more than sufficient for the
large-area surveys required
for Clearplay Find.
01
7. Clearplay Test — accelerated
prospect delivery, improved
discovery rates
Thisserviceprovidesrapid,more
accuraterankingofprospectsinoffshore
locations,significantlyreducingthe
likelihoodofdrillingdrywells.Typically,
aprospectwillbetargetedbytowingthe
EMsourceoverreceiversplacedinone,
ormore,linesoragrid,1-2kmsapart.
Therearetwopossibleoutcomes
fromClearplayTest.Theseareequally
usefultooperatorsasbothcontribute
toincreasingthediscoveryrate.
Afavourabletestresultindicates
amuchimprovedchanceofsuccess
whendrilling.Alessfavourableresult
allowsprospectstobedowngraded
orabandoned.
ClearplayTestoffersseveraluseful
visualisationsoftheprocesseddata.
Ifthesurveylinesorgridhavebeen
extendedbeyondtheedgeofthe
identifiedprospect,thelateralextent
oftheprospectcanbeconfirmed.
Presentingresistivitydataasvertical
sectionsoftheearthshowstheburial
depthoftheprospect.Combiningthis
datawithothergeophysicalinformation
canprovideanimprovedestimation
ofthetotalhydrocarbonsvolume.
WithoutEMtesting,usingonlytraditional
approaches,theaveragediscoveryrate
isjust25%.Customerswhoroutinely
EMtestprospectsbeforedrillingachieve
farhighersuccessrates.
The benefits of Clearplay Test
Operatorsareabletoachieveabetter
discoveryrate,morerapidly,with
thesameorfewerresourcesthan
whenusingtraditionalmethodsalone.
Areducedlikelihoodofdrillingdry
wellsmeansreducedcommercialrisk.
AndwithconfidenceintheEMdata,
portfoliovalueisincreased.
06
This example map shows
the use of three survey lines,
which extend beyond the
expectedlimitsofaprospect.
Clearplay Test reveals
more detailed resistivity
information than possible
with Clearplay Find and
helpsdefinethelateralextent
of the prospect with more
certainty.
07
Common Mid Point (CMP)
inversion integrated with
seismic information.
06
07
04/05
/11 INTEGRATED EM SYSTEM
Clearplay Test
/10
CLEARPLAY TEST — summary BENEFITS
/ increased discovery rate
/ reduced dry wells
/ reduced finding costs per barrel
/ accelerated prospect delivery and time to discovery
/ increased portfolio value
/ reduced environmental impact of exploration activities
/ improved geological understanding of the prospect
/ accelerate the appraisal decision process
01/02/03/04
Careful preparation of
receivers before and after
deployment is normal EMGS
quality control procedure.
05
Preparing to deploy
the source ‘tailfish’.
01
02/03
10. Clearplay — Key technologies, tools and processes
Clearplay is the sum of a great many parts. Over 200 scientists
andtechnicians,includingtheworld’sleadingexpertsinEM;thelargest
andbestequippedsurveyfleetintheindustry;aremarkablerangeof
software for processing, analysing, modelling and visualising the data
we collect – and Aurora, the most powerful EM processing centre
in the world.
Proceduresandprocessesmaynotseemsoexciting.Butthey
are woven through all that we do – unifying and integrating the people,
hardware and software behind Clearplay. They reflect the experience
we’ve gained during millions of man hours spent pursuing excellence
in the technology we are proud to have invented and developed.
Onthefollowingpages,wepresentasmallselectionofthe
factors that make the Clearplay Integrated EM System so special:
06
07
05
03/04
/17 INTEGRATED EM SYSTEM
Clearplay — supporting development and production
Surveying to find missed opportunities or satellite fields
isvalidatanypointduringthelifeofafieldwhereitcouldextendreturn
on investment from existing assets. This is especially relevant late
in the life of a field or licence block. When the infrastructure is already
in place, a last look may pick up viable opportunities too small for
consideration at earlier stages.
As exploration moves into development, Clearplay surveys
will extend knowledge of the area immediate surrounding an identified
target or, with a tighter grid than originally used in Clearplay Evaluate,
willaddrevealingadditionaldatatoimprovefielddevelopmentdecisions.
During the production phase, the distribution of hydrocarbons
changes as the reservoir becomes depleted. Currently in RD is
an addition to the Clearplay offering which will monitor changes in
distribution, to maintain a healthy reservoir and maximise recovery.
Clearplay exploration phase services, most particularly
ClearplayFindandClearplayEvaluate,haveextendedapplicationinboth
the development and production phases of life of field.
/16 02
01
01
EMGS’ RD department
is actively engaged in refining
and developing the Clearplay
service offerings.
02
Field engineers
and technicians ensure
all shipboard equipment
is maintained at peak
operating efficiency.
03/04/05/06/07
Clearplay successfully
integratespeople,technology,
toolsandprocesses,providing
benefits for customers
throughout the workflow.
14. /24
EMGS — leading the way in EM
“It is the responsibility of the market leader to continuously
improve the technology used.”
The first glimmer of an idea came in 1997. The concept was to
use deep electromagnetic (EM) imaging to detect resistivity variations
in the subsurface that could point to hydrocarbon accumulations.
Followingpatentsubmission,theprocessoftestingthetheorycontinued
unabated for five years – from small-scale tank tests to the rigours
of a full surveys in Angola and the Norwegian Sea.
By2002,theteam’sconfidenceinthenewtechnique,‘seabed
logging’,washigh,EMGShadbeenestablishedtocommercialiseit
and, in the process, a new industry had been created. When the first
commercial discovery was achieved, in 2004, the market had the
validation it needed.
Sincethen,EMGShasremainedtotallycommittedtodeveloping
the technology it pioneered. The workforce has grown from three to
more than 300 and includes most of the best EM experts in the world.
The survey fleet has grown from one to seven vessels, the most recent
pair purpose-designed. The hardware is the most effective and robust
in the industry. The software tools to process, visualise and analyse
the EM data continue to push at the boundaries of what is possible.
And the attention to integrating all these elements, within EMGS
service offerings and with external data, is unmatched in the industry.
The technology and expertise of EMGS has remained without
parallel and so, too, has our experience: well over 350 commercial
surveys completed, more than 120 vessel months at sea and in excess
of43,000kilometrestowed–adistancegreaterthanthecircumference
of the Earth. All achievements far beyond the performance of any
potential competitor.
Underpinning all we have achieved to date, and will achieve
in the future, is an enduring commitment to Quality, Health, Safety
and Environment. It’s central to the EMGS ethos and essential to
those who work with us.
“EMGS can legitimately claim to have the best people, the
best technology, and the best analysis tools in the EM market. Whilst
none of these factors is, of itself, unassailable, my belief is that
the combination of all of them is unbeatable.” Terje Eidesmo — 2008
01
Svein Ellingsrud
02
Terje Eidesmo
01/02
EMGS headquarters
Stiklestadveien1
N-7041Trondheim,Norway
Telephone+4773568810
EUROPE AFRICA MIDDLE EAST
Folkvordveien11
N-4318Sandnes,Norway
Telephone+4773568810
North south AMERICA
16000BarkersPointLane,Suite145
Houston,TX77079,USA
Telephone+12819205601
ASIA PACIFIC
UnitE-15.2–4,15thFloor
EastWing,WismaRohasPerkasa
No.8JalanPerak
50450KualaLumpur,Malaysia
Telephone+60321660613
TodiscovermoreaboutClearplay,
emailclearplay@emgs.com,
visitourwebsiteemgs.com
orcallyournearestEMGSoffice.
DESIGNEDBYROUNDEL
WrittenbyGEOFFIDE
PRINTEDBYFULMAR
