Reservoir geophysics

Geophysics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne D. Pennington

The concept of petroleum reservoir geophysics is relatively new. In the past, the role of geophysics was largely confined to exploration and, to a lesser degree, the development of discoveries. As cost‐efficiency has taken over as a driving force in the economics of the oil and gas industry and as major assets near abandonment, geophysics has increasingly been recognized as a tool for improving the bottom line closer to the wellhead. The reliability of geophysical surveys, particularly seismic, has greatly reduced the risk associated with drilling wells in existing fields, and the ability to add geophysical constraints to statistical models has provided a mechanism for directly delivering geophysical results to the reservoir engineer.

2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (07) ◽  
pp. 64-64
Author(s):  
Nigel Jenvey

Have you noticed the change in the oil and gas industry over the past year with its engagement in carbon management, decarbonization, and net-zero-emissions targets? Policy support and technology advances in alternative energies have delivered massive cost reduction in renewables more quickly, and to a greater degree, than expected. Over the past few years, more of the world’s capital has been spent on electricity than oil and gas sup-ply, and more than half of all new energy-generation capacity is now renewable. Some elements of society, therefore, have suggested that this is the beginning of the end for the fossil-fuel sector and call for investors to turn away from oil and gas and “leave it in the ground.” In more than a century of almost continuous change, however, the oil and gas industry has a long track record of innovative thinking, creative solutions, and different business models. SPE papers and events that covered decarbonization during the past year show that a wide variety of solutions already exist that avoid, reduce, replace, offset, or sequester greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is clear, therefore, that decarbonization technologies will now be as important as 4D seismic, horizontal wells, and hydraulic fracturing. That is why we now bring you this inaugural Technology Focus feature dedicated to decarbonization. The experience and capability of the entire JPT community in decarbonization is critical. Please enjoy the following summary of three selected papers on the role of natural gas in fuel-switching; carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS); and hydrogen technologies that deliver the dual challenge of providing more energy with less GHG emission. There are many ways to engage in the SPE decarbonization efforts in the remainder of 2021. Regional events have addressed CCUS, hydrogen, geothermal, and methane. There is also the new SPE Gaia sustainability program to enable and empower all members who wish to engage in the alignment of the future of energy with sustainable development. The Gaia program has an on-demand library of materials, including an existing series on methane, and upcoming similar events on other energy transition, natural capital and regeneration, and social responsibility priorities. Get involved through your SPE section or chapter or contact your regional Gaia liaison to find out what Gaia programming you can support or lead at www.spe.org/en/gaia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-65
Author(s):  
P. N. Mikheev

The article discusses issues related to the impact of climate change on the objects of the oil and gas industry. The main trends in climate change on a global and regional (on the territory of Russian Federation) scale are outlined. Possible approaches to the identification and assessment of climate risks are discussed. The role of climatic risks as physical factors at various stages of development and implementation of oil and gas projects is shown. Based on the example of oil and gas facilities in the Tomsk region, a qualitative assessment of the level of potential risk from a weather and climatic perspective is given. Approaches to creating a risk management and adaptation system to climate change are presented.


2018 ◽  
pp. 315
Author(s):  
Greg Moores ◽  
Mark Andrews ◽  
Amanda Whitehead

As the Atlantic Canadian oil and gas industry continues to mature, offshore regulators face new and varied issues as they work to implement the objectives of the Atlantic Accords. Laws that were largely developed before the Atlantic Canadian offshore contained producing projects are now being applied to a diverse and evolving industry. As is often the case, laws, as expressed on paper, can prove difficult to apply to each unique set of circumstances that arises in practice.Fundamentally, many of the powers of the Atlantic Canadian offshore regulators rely on the concept of “waste.” An offshore regulator can order a company to commence, continue, or increase production of petroleum where it is of the opinion that such an order “would stop waste.” Conversely, the regulators may order a decrease, cessation, or suspension of the production of petroleum for the same reason. In certain situations of “waste,” the Accord Acts provide for a “forced marriage” via compulsory unitization.While “waste” is instrumental to the authority of the offshore regulators, by necessity its definition is open to some interpretation. This article will explore various interpretations of “waste,” and examine the role of waste in the Atlantic Canadian offshore regimes.


Author(s):  
John Henderson ◽  
Vidar Hepsø ◽  
Øyvind Mydland

The concept of a capability platform can be used to argue how firms engage networked relationships to embed learning/performance into distinctive practices rather than focusing only on technology. In fact the capability language allows us to unpack the role of technology by emphasizing its interaction with people, process, and governance issues. The authors address the importance of a capability approach for Integrated Operations and how it can improve understanding of how people, process, technology, and governance issues are connected and managed to create scalable and sustainable practices. The chapter describes the development of capabilities as something that is happening within an ecology. Using ecology as a metaphor acknowledges that there is a limit to how far it is possible to go to understand organizations and the development of capabilities in the oil and gas industry as traditional hierarchies and stable markets. The new challenge that has emerged with integrated operations is the need for virtual, increasingly global, and network based models of work. The authors couple the ecology approach with a capability platform approach.


Author(s):  
Warren Brown ◽  
Geoff Evans ◽  
Lorna Carpenter

Over the course of the past 20 years, methods have been developed for assessing the probability and root cause of bolted joint leakage based on sound engineering assessment techniques. Those methods were incorporated, in part, into ASME PCC-1-2010 Appendix O [7] and provide the only published standard method for establishing bolted joint assembly bolt load. As detailed in previous papers, the method can also be used for troubleshooting joint leakage. This paper addresses a series of actual joint leakage cases, outlines the analysis performed to determine root cause of failure and the actions taken to successfully eliminate future incidents of failure (lessons learned).


2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 309 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.I. Mackie ◽  
S.H. Begg ◽  
C. Smith ◽  
M.B. Welsh

Business underperformance in the upstream oil and gas industry, and the failure of many decisions to return expected results, has led to a growing interest over the past few years in understanding the impacts of decisionmaking tools and processes and their relationship to decision outcomes. A primary observation is that different decision types require different decision-making approaches to achieve optimal outcomes.Optimal decision making relies on understanding the types of decisions being made and tailoring the type of decision with the appropriate tools and processes. Yet the industry lacks both a definition of decision types and any guidelines as to what tools and processes should be used for what decisions types. We argue that maximising the chances of a good outcome in real-world decisions requires the implementation of such tailoring.


2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 489
Author(s):  
Gareth D. Lee ◽  
Simon P. Whitaker ◽  
Martin Wilkes

The issue of poor project performance in the oil and gas industry is not new. It has been discussed since the 1980s and, over the past 30 years, there has been considerable effort put into improving project outcomes. As an industry, we have invested heavily in project management and estimating processes to ensure that reliable data are available for investment decisions. However, recent experience in Australia and elsewhere in the world suggests that little real improvement has been made. This presentation critically examines aspects of project performance and decision making by analysing: the commercial impact that recent cost and schedule outcomes have had on Australian projects; common problems associated with setting and managing cost and schedule expectations throughout the project development process; real (anonymous) examples from projects to indicate how biases affect behaviours, decisions and outcomes; and simple ways to build a more realistic assessment of risk and uncertainty into cost and schedule estimates. We conclude by discussing why this is still important for future Australian projects given the days of complex greenfield megaprojects are likely behind us.


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