Transforming Sub-Surface Interpretation

Recent developments in subsurface data acquisition, integration, analysis and visualisation 0

Tuesday, March 17, 2015, Aberdeen, Hilton Aberdeen Treetops

We invite you to register for our March 17 forum in Aberdeen, "Transforming Sub-Surface Interpretation", for an update on techniques which can help you get a better understanding of the subsurface - with sessions on data acquisition, data integration and data analysis.

This conference is for people who need to keep up to speed with the latest technology and industry thinking for gathering, integrating, analysing and visualising subsurface data, including g+g staff (geologists / geophysicists / reservoir engineers) and data and information managers.

In the opening session on data acquisition technology, conference chairman David Bamford, a non executive director of Premier Oil and former head of exploration with BP, will give his take on which data acquisition technologies can transform our sub-surface insights.

Claire Husband, senior geophysicist with ARKeX, will talk about how to work with broadband gravity data, and how it can be combined with seismic data to provide new insights.

John Moses, EAME sales and marketing director with Seabed Geosolutions, will explain how best to gather seismic data on the seabed, using nodes and cables, and how to work with the data.

After coffee there will be a session on data integration. Paul Cleverley, researcher with Robert Gordon University, co-owner of Flare Solutions, will talk about ways to improve search of subsurface information, including the value of giving people something unexpectedly useful.

Ed Evans, co-founder and managing director of New Digital Business will explain how you can get your technical software portfolio to work harder for you, in particular by streamlining the number of software applications your company is using.

After lunch, in our session on data analysis and interpretation, Professor John Howell, chairman of petroleum geology with the University of Aberdeen, will talk about collecting geological data with laser scanners and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), and how the data generated can be used in data interpretation as 'analogues', because data gathered from one place, such as an outcrop, can be useful in filling gaps in understanding of another place, thought to have similar rock properties.

Ken Armitage of Geodirk will explain how to make better predictions of porosity and permeability for subsurface between wells, based on a better understanding of geology. There will also be a talk from HP.

Oil and gas companies can improve their finances in two ways - by getting a better understanding of the subsurface, and by reducing the costs of developing it. Most of the focus so far has been on the second option - this conference focusses on the first.

Delegate tickets are £25 but you can register at a reduced price of £20 with discount code 20expmar6 - code is valid until Friday March 6.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Introduction by conference chairman David Bamford

With the recent plunge in oil prices, mature producing provinces are even more challenged by poor economic returns. And exploration anywhere is seen as offering poor value for money…….

In part this is due to exponentiating costs – as some would assert, the expropriation of cash flow by oil field service companies. This is a topic for “another day”!

In part it is due to the failure of oil & gas companies to grow reserves, whether by:

. Exploration for new fields
· Exploitation of existing discoveries
· Reservoir Management of recently developed fields
· Deployment of IOR/EOR technologies.

And yet we have a multitude, a “wall”, of data that in principle allows us to better describe basins, plays, prospects and discoveries, and to better describe and monitor producing fields, and the individual reservoirs therein.

In addition to massive amounts of public data, we can transform our (subsurface) capabilities by using new data acquisition technologies - some would call them 'disruptive' technologies. Looking back at our Finding Petroleum events in 2014, the key 'disruptions' now on our radars are:

Seismic with Nodes - definitely offshore, potentially onshore, condemning cables to history.
Non-Seismic methods - finally demonstrating that they can deliver improved petroleum prediction.
Fibre Optics - whether down-hole or ploughed into the seabed.

Integrating, analysing, visualising and correctly interpreting all this data, these multi-measurements, goes way beyond the 'lowest common denominator' un-networked desktop applications available today where the world of innovation has been replaced by ‘one size fits all’.

I have always believed that the best insights are found when everybody – for example, geologists, geophysicists, petrophysicists, reservoir engineers, commercial folk – are looking at the same thing, and working on the problem at hand as a team.

These themes, these choices, are what we would like to hear about: please contact me if you/your company would like to make a presentation. And Richard Mcintyre if you are interested in the sponsorship/exhibiting opportunities we offer.

Agenda

9:30

David Bamford - Director - Finding Petroleum

Welcome & Introduction: followed by SESSION 1: "Disruptive" Acquisition Technologies

David Bamford is well known around the oil & gas industry both as an explorer and a geophysicist. He holds a Physics degree from the University of Bristol and a Ph.D in Geological Sciences from the University of Birmingham.

Since 2004, he has been a non-executive director at Tullow Oil plc, being recruited for this position especially for his exploration knowledge. He serves on the Nominations and Remuneration Committees, and was chairman of the latter, and Senior Independent Director, for 3 years prior to his retire from the board at the end of April 2014.

He was on the board of Premier Oil from May 2014 to May 2016.

He retired from BP plc in 2003, his last four positions being Chief Geophysicist (1990-1995), Business Unit Leader (General Manager) for first West Africa and then Norway (1995-1999), and finally Head of Exploration until 2003.

He has served on the boards of Paras Ltd, a small exploration and IS/IT consulting company in which he held 22% equity, until its sale to RPS Energy in 2008 and Welltec a/s, a Danish well engineering company, as the nominee of the private equity investor Riverside.

From 2012 to 201 he was on the board of ASX-quoted Australia Oriental Energy as a non-executive director.

He was a founder of Richmond Energy Partners, a small oil & gas research house, and several media companies that focus on the oil & gas sector, and has served as an advisor to Alliance Bernstein, Opus Executive, the Parkmead Group plc, and Kimmeridge Energy LLP. Since retiring from BP, he has undertaken asset and company valuation projects for investment banks, hedge funds and small oil companies.

Finding Petroleum
Finding Petroleum was established to help the oil and gas industry network, and stay up to date on the latest technological developments. It does this via hosting regular events and with an online social network of nearly 10,000 members.

9:40

David Bamford - Director - Future Energy Partners Ltd

New Technologies can transform our sub-surface insights!

Talk Description.
The last two or three years have revealed some profound “technical” issues:

Exploration has everywhere been very unsuccessful over the last 2-3 years, both in success rate and in the discovery of “giants”.
· We have reached the ‘end of the road’ with regional towed streamer 3D as our main exploration tool.

“Reservoir Risk” is a key contributor to the failure of Development projects; too much uncertainty is carried beyond Appraisal and FEED into project design and execution.
· New technologies are needed to reduce uncertainties.

Poor understanding of reservoir dynamics has led to unsatisfactory IOR/EOR projects.
· ‘Richer’ surveillance will improve our understanding of reservoir dynamics.

We need some “Disruptive” technologies:

A bit of a generalisation but “disruptive” transformations in our ability to explore, appraise and manage reservoirs are almost always related to step changes in our ability to acquire subsurface data. What did 2014 bring?

Offshore Nodes ‘came of age’: the key change was the demonstration that the operational problems often associated with seabed kit have been solved. Onshore Nodes may be just over the horizon, from a combination of wireless technology and UAVs. Are cables finally for binning?

Non-Seismic Geophysics: not exactly ‘new news’ but Full Tensor Gravimetry (FTG) came into widespread use onshore (and offshore, too).

Fibre Optics: demonstrated real potential for 24/7 downhole seismic, including Permanent Reservoir Monitoring (see also below), Production Monitoring.

And finally one that wasn’t: we need to figure out why Permanent Reservoir Monitoring has been so slow to take off?

David Bamford is well known around the oil & gas industry both as an explorer and a geophysicist. He holds a Physics degree from the University of Bristol and a Ph.D in Geological Sciences from the University of Birmingham.

Since 2004, he has been a non-executive director at Tullow Oil plc, being recruited for this position especially for his exploration knowledge. He serves on the Nominations and Remuneration Committees, and was chairman of the latter, and Senior Independent Director, for 3 years prior to his retire from the board at the end of April 2014.

He joined the board of Premier Oil in May 2014.

He retired from BP plc in 2003, his last four positions being Chief Geophysicist (1990-1995), Business Unit Leader (General Manager) for first West Africa and then Norway (1995-1999), and finally Head of Exploration until 2003.

He has served on the boards of Paras Ltd, a small exploration and IS/IT consulting company in which he held 22% equity, until its sale to RPS Energy in 2008 and Welltec a/s, a Danish well engineering company, as the nominee of the private equity investor Riverside.
From 2012 to 201 he was on the board of ASX-quoted Australia Oriental Energy as a non-executive director.

He was a founder of Richmond Energy Partners, a small oil & gas research house, and several media companies that focus on the oil & gas sector, and has served as an advisor to Alliance Bernstein, Opus Executive, the Parkmead Group plc, and Kimmeridge Energy LLP. Since retiring from BP, he has undertaken asset and company valuation projects for investment banks, hedge funds and small oil companies.

Future Energy Partners Ltd
Future Energy Partners (FEP) is a unique oil and gas advisory service which prides itself on technical excellence in selected fields and supplementing business management and leadership; in the face of uncertainty.

We offer truthful, professional opinion and advice; no playback of what you already know, and no spin.

FEP was founded by 4 senior industry practitioners who consider the challenges faced by today's oil and gas environment are going to require herculean acts of leadership and technical skill in a transforming, transitioning, industry, in order to maintain an energy supply that is sustainable and even recognisable compared to recent history.

Similarly nations developing an oil and gas industry face related challenges as they seek to maximise the benefits of this new wealth-creating opportunity - in a responsible manner.

Global reach

FEP actively participates in the facilitation and conduct of seminars and webinars worldwide, for example in conjunction with its associate partner Finding Petroleum.

Our presence reaches parts of the globe, such as: the UK, the USA, Sub-Saharan Africa, with partners wherever we work.

10:15

Claire Husband - Senior Geophysicist - ARKeX

Practical Integration of Broadband Gravity (FTG) and Seismic Data

ARKeX
ARKeX provides airborne and marine geophysical surveys for the oil & gas exploration industry. It specialises in Full Tensor Gravity Gradiometry (FTG), which measures variations in the earth''s gravitational field to help image subsurface structures. FTG has a much higher bandwidth and delivers a high resolution image than conventional gravity.

10:50

Coffee & Tea; Exhibits

11:15

John Moses - Sales and Marketing Director (EAME) - Seabed Geosolutions

Data acquisition on the seabed – welcome to the Age of Enlightenment

Talk Description.
This presentation will showcase data examples from the North Sea and West Africa, as well as outline the operational elements of a recent project. The presentation will also feature the next evolution in seabed seismic technology.

Seabed Geosolutions
Seabed Geosolutions is a global provider of integrated seabed seismic solutions, delivering value in every stage of the geophysical cycle through a total project management approach designed to meet client objectives efficiently, safely and effectively. Our pioneering seabed technologies acquire high quality, full azimuth, multicomponent data with a focus on 4D reservoir monitoring and challenging environments such as obstructed areas and undershoots.

11:50

SESSION 2: Integration

11:50

Paul Cleverley - founder - Infoscience Technologies Ltd

Make room for the surprising: Catering for serendipity when searching subsurface information

I’m a Geoscientist and Information Scientist with over 30 years experience in the UK and International Digital Geoscience sector. My particular passion is Artificial Intelligence, applying Natural Language Processing (NLP) to geoscience and subsurface information for societal and industry benefit. I am a Fellow of the Geological Society of London (FGS), first elected in 1994 and participate in various international Data Science committees.

Infoscience Technologies Ltd

12:25

Ed Evans - Co-Founder and Managing Director - New Digital Business

Functional excellence depends on technical software

Talk Description.
- Understanding the software tools which geologists and geophysicists need
- Standardising the software tools used in the organisation
- Why the wrong software can lead to drilling failure
- How to map your software applications
- Giving each discipline control over the software that department uses
- How to get it implemented

Ed has over 20 years IT experience, most of it in oil and gas. Ed has expertise in project and service implementation and operation from project management to defining and implementing models for support of technical applications, data and systems.

In the last two years Ed has worked with BP, BG, ConocoPhillips, Encana and Tullow Oil on a number of key global programmes and projects.

Ed's experience comes from managing consulting service delivery at Landmark Graphics for clients in Europe, for BP Globally and as services director for Landmark in Latin America. In addition to consulting services delivery Ed was accountable for the software support help desk and for the national data bank for Brazil.

Before joining Landmark, Ed was the manager of technical systems for BG-Group after joining BG as a software programmer and IT project manager. Ed has formal training and qualifications in computer systems analysis and a degree in Geology. Ed spent three years working as a well site engineer in the Middle East and Italy.

New Digital Business
New Digital Business provides Petrotechnical Support (Applications and Data), Project Management and Consulting services which ensure the most effective use of your digital technology assets in finding and producing hydrocarbons.

13:00

Lunch & Exhibits, followed by SESSION 3: Analysis & Interpretation

13:45

Martin Houghton - Energy Sector Lead, Analytics & Data Management - Hewlett-Packard

How advanced analytics and data management can improve exploration operational performance and capital effectiveness

Talk Description.
Martin will discuss the innovative use of technology and all forms of digital content to deliver new capabilities that could enhance sub-surface performance. Examining examples from within the industry and other sectors facing similar challenges, Martin will share how technology can deliver powerful analytics to fully exploit the huge quantity and variety of available data. See the video

Hewlett-Packard
HP Digital Oilfield Intelligence solutions enable your company to take advantage of new information, technologies and business models. These oil and gas solutions transform data into business insight that can be shared across your enterprise. You can integrate information into a single data warehousing platform that can be accessed in real time. With these business intelligence solutions, you can produce oil more efficiently, forecast product demand, predict oil logistics and increase profit.

14:20

John Howell - Professor; chairman of Petroleum Geology - University of Aberdeen

Reservoir analogues in the 21st Century: laser scanners, UAVs and virtual outcrops

Talk Description.
Analogues are an integral part of filling the uncertainty gap in subsurface reservoirs. Recent advances in remote sensing and digital data collection methods have revolutionised the way outcrops and modern systems are studied, leading to a new generation of analogues.

The talk will focus on:
- Novel data collection techniques
- Virtual outcrops
- Application of virtual outcrop data to reservoir studies
- Developing a database of reservoir analogues

John Howell is a Professor in Petroleum Geology at the University of Aberdeen, specialising in the use of analogue data in reservoir studies. He completed his PhD in 1992 and since then has been at the interface between academia and industry. He spent 10 years in the University of Liverpool and 10 years at the University of Bergen.
He was a founder of Rocksource ASA, a small independent Norwegian E&P company, where he served on the senior management team as Production Manager and laterally Chief Geologist.

University of Aberdeen

14:55

Ken Armitage - MD - Geodirk

Geologic rock property normalisation of seismic

Talk Description.
• Prime cause of E&P inefficiency is wrong inter-well forecast of poro-perms, largely risk contingent upon knowing geology as causes spatial property change.
• G&G defines geology via well and sequence shape models, then simulates collective variations potentially caused by (some 15 factorial) changes in sedimentation, lithofacies and /or structural geology, compaction, digenesis, fluids etc.
• To significantly enhance E&P success requires processing of seismic into better geologic, then poro-perm, and fluid models.
• Seismic now provides relatively accurate pseudo sonic log, time, velocity, depth data per 12.5m trace, at <12.5m vertical. P & S velocity data can be gathered pre stack. Seismic provides excellent seismic stratigraphic shapes, potentially enabling quantitative interpretation (QI) to better define geology of deposition and burial changes.
• Where inter-well cells compact normally relative to well data, conversion to inter-bedded lithologies and their poro-perms should be low risk. Therefore, normalisation, per seismic volume having similar burial compaction controls, allows equilibration by depth shift, with well based ‘normal’ depth compaction. This allows conversion of seismic to geo and petro information that is risk dependent primarily on quantification of burial depth equilibration shift.
• Expert geo-detectives need to process seismic +/- well data to filter presence / absence of such geo-causes of property change, relative to burial-change ‘norm’ then generate a normalised, single most probable geo-petro model. QI filters cellular data to quantify separate and net effects of causes of burial changes. Then, cellular seismic numbers = cellular geologic numbers of deposition and burial changes = cellular petro-physical numbers, in one, most probable, multidisciplinary integration, containing presence / absence of geo-risks.
• Integrating, analysing, visualising and correctly interpreting extra multi-disciplinary measurements goes beyond desktop applications available today. So, we beta tested, in > 30 data sets each >600km3, ‘apps’ to process cellular evidence crucial for geo-detection, for current workstations.

Geodirk
GeoDirk found the common denominator between seismic, geology, poro-perms & fluids. Plus or minus well data or complex geology, these step changes are audited # to convert seismic into all key G&G parameters, at >80% accuracy / sample. (# viable data quality)

15:30

Close

Sponsors of this event

ARKeX
ARKeX provides airborne and marine geophysical surveys for the oil & gas exploration industry. It specialises in Full Tensor Gravity Gradiometry (FTG), which measures variations in the earth''s gravitational field to help image subsurface structures. FTG has a much higher bandwidth and delivers a high resolution image than conventional gravity.

Seabed Geosolutions
Seabed Geosolutions is a global provider of integrated seabed seismic solutions, delivering value in every stage of the geophysical cycle through a total project management approach designed to meet client objectives efficiently, safely and effectively. Our pioneering seabed technologies acquire high quality, full azimuth, multicomponent data with a focus on 4D reservoir monitoring and challenging environments such as obstructed areas and undershoots.

Hewlett-Packard
HP Digital Oilfield Intelligence solutions enable your company to take advantage of new information, technologies and business models. These oil and gas solutions transform data into business insight that can be shared across your enterprise. You can integrate information into a single data warehousing platform that can be accessed in real time. With these business intelligence solutions, you can produce oil more efficiently, forecast product demand, predict oil logistics and increase profit.

Geodirk
GeoDirk found the common denominator between seismic, geology, poro-perms & fluids. Plus or minus well data or complex geology, these step changes are audited # to convert seismic into all key G&G parameters, at >80% accuracy / sample. (# viable data quality)

Registered Delegates

Gordon Stove Co-Founder & Managing Director Adrok United Kingdom	Martin Houghton Managing Partner HP United Kingdom	Salisu Uba Student Robert Gordon University United Kingdom
Scott Petrie Director Analysis Logic Limited United Kingdom	Ian Bolton Information Systems Architect HP Enterprise Services United Kingdom	Laura Muir Senior Lecturer Robert Gordon University
Claire Husband Senoir Geophysicist ARKeX	Mark Kuszpit Business Sales IFB	Alan MacLennan Lecturer Robert Gordon University
Eoghan Cameron PSCM Category Lead, Reservoir Development & Technology, North Sea BP Exploration Operating Company Ltd. United Kingdom	Elizabeth Patock Director, EDM for Energy IHS Markit United Kingdom	Austin Okeke Robert Gordon University United Kingdom
Ben Spurgeon Geophysicist Bridgeporth	Paul Cleverley Researcher Infoscience Technologies Ltd United Kingdom	Tim Jones Director, Global Business Development Schlumberger United Kingdom
Phil Cruttenden Production Geoscience Workflow Advisor CGI	Prasanna Kumar Narayanaswamy Senior Project Manager Infosys Limited	Fiona McDonald Account Manager Scottish Enterprise United Kingdom
Dave Telfer Programme Manager CGI	Laura Pallares Schilt Geologist Innovative Engineering (IESL) United Kingdom	John Green IT Manager Seismic Image Processing United Kingdom
Craig Lindsay Director Core Specialist Services Limited United Kingdom	Giuseppe Astarita Technology Analyst ITF Energy United Kingdom	Peter Brand Subsurface Manager TAQA United Kingdom
Ken Davies Chief Geophysicist Dana Petroleum United Kingdom	Hamed Amini QI geophysicist LR Senergy	Dave Day Service line Manager TAQA United Kingdom
Jane Hodson DataCo United Kingdom	Linda Stromberg Applications Geoscientist LR Senergy	Sheena Hickey Data Manager TAQA Bratani United Kingdom
Panas Kalliantas DEJ	Roseleen Kelly Senior Geophysicist LR Senergy	James Dodson Account Manager TGS United Kingdom
Åge Løklingholm Managing Director Envision AS	Ed Evans MD NDB Ltd United Kingdom	Chris Anderson Sales Director TGS United Kingdom
kathy strachan Ops Geologist Fairfield Energy United Kingdom	Adam Watt Data Manager NDB Ltd United Kingdom	Audrey Hughes Seismic Information Manager Troika International Ltd.
Jan Madgett Principal Geophysicist Fairfield Energy Ltd	Diego Smart GeoData Analyst New Digital Business United Kingdom	John Howell Professor University of Aberdeen United Kingdom
Karl Jeffery Editor Finding Petroleum / Digital Energy Journal United Kingdom	Adam Winpenny Data Manager New Digital Business Ltd United Kingdom	Marc Taylor Professional Services Leader Venture United Kingdom
Susan Rice Senior Geophysicist Fugro Survey Limited United Kingdom	Eustace Amanze Tender Buyer Nigerdock FZE United Kingdom	Julie Branston Region Manager, EUR & Russia WesternGeco United Kingdom
Chris Almond Fugro Survey Limited United Kingdom	Lindsay Wilson Project Manager Oil and Gas innovation Centre United Kingdom	Peter Marks Data solutions lead, Drilling, Completions and Wells Practice Wipro Technologies United Kingdom
Ken Armitage MD GeoDirk Ltd United Kingdom	David Bamford Petromall Ltd	Matthew Holsgrove Subsurface Consultancy Manager Wipro Technologies United Kingdom
John Brennan HP	Tom Kenison Graduate Geologist Premier Oil United Kingdom