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ISSN 0263-5046 (print) / ISSN 1365-2397 (online)
Integrated geothermal asset understanding — The next generation of geothermal simulation
35 Generalised survey optimisation with constraints
Rajiv Kumar, Massimiliano Vassallo, Alexander Zarkhidze, Franck Le Diagon, Gary Poole, Tristan Allen, Robert Bloor and Luis Arechiga Salinas
41 Contribution of frequency and training model on AI-based velocity prediction
Junxiao Li, Herurisa Rusmanugroho and Muhamad Alif Jamaluddin
47 Seismic-led exploration and characterisation of carbon storage sites
Julien Oukili, Nick Lee, Martin Widmaier, Omar Baramony, Roberto Ruiz and Eric Mueller
55 Upgrading vintage data in the Punta del Este and Pelotas basins offshore Uruguay and Southern Brazil
Kyle Reuber, Bruno Conti, Milos Cvetkovic, Pablo Rodriguez and Henri Houllevigue
65 Preliminary remote spatial analysis of fairy circles : an approximation of hyperspectral and geophysical data from hydrogen seeps
Juan Esteban Mosquera-Rivera, Juan Manuel Jiménez-Vergara, Carlos Alberto Vargas-Jiménez, Philip Ball and Hans Morales
79 Seisnode – A view on ocean bottom nodes from the geophysical side Jeroen Hoogeveen, Per Helge Semb and Wietze Eckhardt
85 Integrated geothermal asset understanding — The next generation of geothermal simulation
Jonathon Clearwater, Aygün Güney, Melike Sultan Yılmaz , Deniz Özbek, Ali Bas˛er, Önder Saraçogˇlu and Jeremy O’Brien
91 Drone-based methane leak screening in energy infrastructure
Alexei Yankelevich
97 From black to green gold: Leveraging diversity and innovation in the CCS era Élodie Morgan and Habib Al Khatib
103 Empowering sustainable geoscience exploration through technology and academic collaboration Nick Tranter
106 Calendar
cover: The energy industry will take stock of the energy transition at the EAGE’s Annual Conference and Exhibtion in Oslo this month.
European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers Board 2023-2024
Laura Valentina
Vice-President
Near Surface Geoscience Circle
Esther Bloem Chair
Andreas Aspmo Pfaffhuber Vice-Chair
Micki Allen Contact Officer EEGS/North America
Adam Booth Committee Member
Hongzhu Cai Liaison China
Deyan Draganov Technical Programme Officer
Wolfram Gödde Liaison First Break
Hamdan Ali Hamdan Liaison Middle East
Vladimir Ignatev Liaison CIS / North America
Musa Manzi Liaison Africa
Myrto Papadopoulou Young Professional Liaison
Catherine Truffert Industry Liaison
Mark Vardy Editor-in-Chief Near Surface Geophysics
Florina Tuluca Committee Member
Oil & Gas Geoscience Circle
Yohaney Gomez Galarza Chair
Johannes Wendebourg Vice-Chair
Lucy Slater Immediate Past Chair
Wiebke Athmer Member
Tijmen Jan Moser Editor-in-Chief Geophysical Prospecting
Adeline Parent WGE & DET SIC liaison
Matteo Ravasi YP Liaison
Jonathan Redfern Editor-in-Chief Petroleum Geoscience
Robert Tugume Member
Anke Wendt Member
Aart-Jan van Wijngaarden Technical Programme Officer
Sustainable Energy Circle
Carla Martín-Clavé Chair
Giovanni Sosio Vice-Chair
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Socco
Edward Wiarda President
Aart-Jan van Wijngaarden Technical Programme Officer
Esther Bloem Chair Near Surface Geoscience Circle
Maren Kleemeyer Education Officer
Yohaney Gomez Galarza Chair Oil & Gas Geoscience Circle
Carla Martín-Clavé Chair Sustainable Energy Circle
Caroline Le Turdu Membership and Cooperation Officer
Peter Rowbotham Publications Officer
Pascal Breton Secretary-Treasurer
Setting us on the right path to energy transition
EAGE president Edward Wiarda (2023-24) recaps his year in office.
Transition and transformation seem to be words on everyone’s lips these days in the industries and institutions in which the members of our Association are involved.
I believe we can claim that EAGE itself has been an integral part of that process, not just as a participant but as a leader among its peer professional societies in acknowledging the need to adapt and innovate to meet the challenge of energy transition and how this affects our working lives.
One way for the EAGE to facilitate the necessary acceleration of the Energy Transition is to remove and/or reduce obstacles, risks, and uncertainties. The EAGE’s recognition of the non-technical set of challenges to the Energy Transition is reflected by the inclusion of more strategic, investor, community/ society, regulation/ policy programmes, and workshops in our events, and an increasing effort to actively invite and reach out to wider non-technical audiences to attend these programmes.
I am proud to have served as president of your Association during this period of profound change in how we view the services we provide not just for those of you in the energy resources industries but all the activities involving geoscience and related engineering expertise. Of course
anything we have achieved during my term as president results from collaboration between my colleagues on the Board, our leadership team in the office, all our hardworking staff in the Netherlands and regional offices, and of course all those of you who volunteer. I can’t say enough about how much it means when people give of their time to support our conference, education and publication programmes, without which we could not function. I thank you all.
Restructuring the professional interest areas of the EAGE membership to better serve members’ needs in this evolving energy transition era has been a highlight for me in the last 12 months. I took office just as we were embedding the new Circle organisation and am pleased to report that this has received wide acceptance. Members now have the choice of the Oil and Gas Geoscience Circle (OGGC), the Near Surface Geoscience Circle (NSGC), and the Sustainable Energy Circle (SEC). Registering for multiple Circles is now a highly recommended option. This is an important feature recognising that overlap in interests frequently occurs and has tremendous value in sharing knowledge, data, ideas, solutions, business models, best practices, and technologies across disciplines and between our members.
Indeed it is an integral part of our mission to enable a multi-disciplinary approach which is desirable in so many geoscience and engineering problem-solving environments.
At the same time we are catering for the specialist professional interests of our members by building an increasingly comprehensive portfolio of self-regulating communities, populating our overlapping three-circle framework. We now have ten Technical Communities alongside our longstanding Women in Geoscience & Engineering and Young Professionals
EAGE president Edward Wiarda.
Special Interest Groups. In a sign of our changing times, our Decarbonization and Energy Transition (DET) Technical Community recently took a decision welcomed by the Board to divide itself into five new Technical Community categories – Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS), Geothermal Energy, Wind Energy, Hydrogen & Energy Storage, and Critical Minerals. This is a logical step given how each of these areas has a significant and growing presence in their own right. At this stage members wishing to serve on the committees being created for these new Technical Communities are encouraged to apply.
No doubt more Technical Communities will emerge ‘organically’ to reflect changes in our various industries, and if there is sufficient support and activity levels, the Association can only benefit from what such groupings can offer in terms of sharing knowledge, collaborating, and networking, both internally and jointly with other communities.
Another encouraging development has been the continuing growth in Local and Student Chapters. My compatriots from The Netherlands, for example, have developed an impressive Local Chapter profile in just a few years winning EAGE awards in the process, and the same could be said of our relatively new branches in Aberdeen, Oslo and Houston, all hailing from countries traditionally associated with oil and gas E&P but now grappling with the huge implications of energy transition. Especially useful and enterprising is that these Chapters make their meetings accessible online, allowing members around the world to gain valuable professional insights.
Our body of Student Chapters is also steadily growing as the next generation of
geoscience and engineering professionals realise the value of working together in preparing for professional careers and in many cases reaching out to other educational institutions. The enthusiasm is evident judged by the increasing international participation in our three major student contests – the Laurie Dake Challenge, the Minus CO2 Challenge, and of course the ever popular GeoQuiz competitions held at the Annual, other regional events, and online. We continue to be grateful to the EAGE Student Fund and PACE Event Support for enabling many of these student activities around the world.
Improved relationships between EAGE and universities with geoscience and engineering faculties around the world will be key to participating in any future reach-out programme to highschool students, their teachers in STEM courses, and even guidance counsellors and other influencers. This Herculean task is obviously daunting and too big to accomplish within a single presidential tenure. I am certain that my successor Valentina Socco, as a university professor, will embrace this high-school outreach to attract new generations of geoscientists and engineers, and I wish her all the best in her endeavours.
In this light, I should also mention that this year we are introducing an award for initiatives by young professionals which might advance energy transition to be named after the remarkable American geologist and oceanographer Marie Tharp, whose drawings helped to reveal mid-ocean ridges and advance previously suspect tectonic plate theory.
In many respects EAGE is getting back into its stride following the very difficult Covid pandemic period. To reflect the interests of our professional community, we now have four flagship events. In addition to our Annual meeting, we have our Near Surface Geoscience conference, held very successfully in Edinburgh last year and destined for Helsinki in September. There is our annual Digitalization event (held in March with great feedback), now considered the most authoritative of its kind in discussing the way forward in digital applications to make possible more efficient and sustainable oil and gas operations. I am encouraged to hear that some major energy and service companies
are embracing the OSDU initiative, an Open Source, standards-based, agnostic data platform, so helping to develop a new-generation workforce that is savvy in both geosciences and data science.
Meanwhile, the Global Energy Transition Conference & Exhibition (GET in November) is becoming very much a signature event for us underlining our support for geoscience and engineering applications relevant to reaching Net Zero emissions. This year we see the meeting broken down into four technical conferences – Offshore Wind Energy, Carbon Capture & Storage, Geothermal Energy, and Hydrogen & Energy Storage – with a unifying Strategic Programme bringing together experts to discuss the issues which touch on all these areas. In this context the launch at the Annual of a new energy transition skills tool, developed by the Education Committee and DET Communities to navigate members’ personal energy transition journeys, makes a lot of sense.
Our staff in the regions have very successfully been taking a selective approach to holding conferences and workshops, only staging those that can attract serious interest. This is essential in a period when EAGE is constantly challenged by the financial implications of changes in our professional membership, particularly in view of the reductions in the marine and land seismic sectors. To date, our conservative approach to event investment, staffing and running costs has kept us afloat. However, areas such as publications have to be kept under continual review as online possibilities test the economic model. Having said that, the first year of Geoenergy launched jointly with the Geological Society of London has been a success and opens the possibility of establishing the benchmark for publications focused on energy transition.
I trust that I am right in concluding that our Association with all its various event, education, publishing, and worldwide communication endeavours is in good shape to support you, the membership, as together we negotiate the energy transition future. Finally, I hope that during the great upcoming Annual in Oslo I can meet as many of you as possible to thank you personally for allowing me the honour to serve the Association as your president.
Wiarda (first from left) at IPTC 2024’s Society Presidents Panel.
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Highlights of what you can expect at this year’s Annual in Oslo
On 10-13 June 2024, the geoscience and engineering community will gather in Oslo for the 85th EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition, a pivotal event known for its rich history of fostering innovation and collaboration. This year’s conference theme ‘Technology and Talent for a Secure and Sustainable Energy Future’ perfectly encapsulates our purpose and the critical discussions expected at the event being held in Norway, a leader in energy transition initiatives.
Key features at EAGE Annual 2024
Opening Session with industry leaders
Main feature of the Opening Session will be a live interview with Anders Opedal, president and CEO of Equinor, who will talk about his company’s role on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and energy transition initiatives. A discussion on energy transition challenges by a panel of young professionals and the presentation of our annual EAGE Awards are also part of the launch of this year’s event.
Exhibition
With over 90% of the Exhibition space already booked, attendees are assured of encountering an all-in-one dynamic marketplace: get to see the latest advances in many disciplines and interact with industry leaders, innovative start-ups, and representatives from global energy companies and academic institutions. At the same time, exhibitors gain an unparallel opportunity to showcase their technologies and services while engaging with a high-level audience, including key decision-makers actively seeking new solutions and potential investments.
Technical sessions
With an extensive schedule that showcases the breadth of our field, the Technical
Programme will cover everything from traditional oil and gas topics to low carbon solutions like offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and more. Attendees will have the opportunity to find out about and discuss the latest research and case studies presented by some of the foremost experts in our industry.
Strategic Programme
This series of open discussions during the week provide delegates with the opportunity to focus on strategic and regulatory challenges involving the energy transition. Topics such as attracting talent, exploration strategy and the technological advancements driving the industry forward are on the agenda, with panels featuring top executives and thought leaders.
Learning opportunities
Look for our expert-led short courses from microseismic monitoring and geologic hydrogen exploration to geothermal energy production and CO2 storage. These sessions offer valuable CPD points and are led by world authorities such as Dr Leo Eisner and Prof Philip Ringrose. Whether you’re looking to enhance your technical knowledge or explore new areas within geoscience, these courses provide a comprehensive learning experience on crucial industry topics.
Hackathon challenge
This year’s Hackathon challenges participants to creatively apply Natural Language Processing (NLP) to geoscience, offering a unique opportunity for professionals and tech enthusiasts to collaborate, innovate, and demonstrate their coding skills in real-world applications.
Interactive workshops and field trips
Experience hands-on learning through our diverse range of workshops and field trips. Confirmed outings include a visit to the ECCSEL Svelvik CO2 Field Lab and the geological wonders of the Oslo region.
Networking opportunities
From the Icebreaker Reception in the Exhibition Hall to the Conference Evening at Bygdøy with its historical museums, the Annual is set to be a hub of networking opportunities. These gatherings are perfect for making new contacts and friends, discussing potential collaborations, and sharing ideas with peers from around the world.
Community engagement
The EAGE Community Hub will be buzzing with activities throughout the conference. Engage with local chapters, special interest groups like students and technical communities, and participate in sessions aimed at career development and industry trends.
Make the most of your visit
As a delegate you can download the EAGE Event App to customise your schedules, access abstracts and presenter bios, and navigate the conference venue efficiently. Be sure to check out the exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge technologies and services that are driving our industry forward.
For more details and last-minute registration, please visit our conference website at eageannual.org. We look forward to welcoming you and exploring the many facets of geoscience and engineering together.
Opening in Vienna.
Energy Transition skills tool to be launched at EAGE Annual
For the past few months, representatives from the EAGE Decarbonization and Energy Transition (DET) Communities, in collaboration with the Education Committee, were committed to the task of developing an interactive tool aimed at delineating the requisite skills for successfully navigating a career in the evolving energy landscape. We have great news. The tool is now available to be used by all members.
Wondering how it works? By comparing current and future role skill profiles, the tool attempts to provide our members with valuable insights for their professional development. To begin, simply choose your current and desired future role from a dropdown list. Once you’ve made your choices, the tool will reveal the relation-
ships between the two roles, the technical skills required, and offer recommendations for EAGE educational programmes to acquire necessary competencies. Take into account that the tool will show you the top 10 skills common to both your current and the chosen future role.
Jean-Jacques Biteau, committee member and former EAGE president, explains: ‘All disciplines and skills related to hydrocarbon exploration and production can be directly transferred, slightly or in depth re-adapted. Those professionals wishing to move on the energy transition paths will rapidly identify the skills they need to acquire to achieve this objective and choose accordingly the adapted training programme, so the tool will definitely become a very useful and user-friendly progress for geoscientists.’
Developing the tool, however, was not an easy task. Representatives from the DET communities created an initial list with the disciplines involved in the energy sector, the roles associated with each one of them, and the technical skills needed to perform these roles. The information allowed the team to identify the competencies that could be transferred to energy transition applications, such as CCS, geothermal, wind energy, etc. ‘The Education Committee then undertook the task of linking each EAGE short course to those specific skills, assessing whether
they were fully or partially addressed. This labour-intensive effort will not only benefit the users of the tool, but also provide us with an up-to-date overview of all courses and the opportunity to identify gaps’, Maren Kleemeyer, chair of the Education Committee, says.
In order to ensure that the insights provided by this tool aligned closely with the needs of our members, a survey was prepared to better understand the domains in which they were currently working in and the skills’ mastery required to thrive in their roles. Thanks to the feedback received, the team was able to improve the skills mapping and identify additional areas where geoscientists and engineers could play a role in the energy transition. Thank you to all the members who supported this initiative by answering the survey in the last few months.
Committee member Dr Maximilian Haas recalls that some of the challenges the team had to face included ‘staying abreast of industry trends, integrating diverse skill sets, and creating a user-friendly interface. Moreover, the development process required overcoming the complexities associated with gathering data on emerging technologies and forecasting the skills that would be in demand. Striking a balance between comprehensiveness and practicality in the tool’s offerings demanded meticulous planning and continuous refinement’.
The tool will be in constant development – just like the energy sector – as new skills and roles may be added in the future. The input of members who have not filled in the survey yet will be useful for its improvement.
The tool will be presented at the 85th EAGE Annual during the ‘Interactive Session: Skills for the Energy Transition’, taking place at the Energy Transition Theatre on Tuesday 11 June, at 16:00 CEST.
Check out the tool here
By comparing current and future role skill profiles, this interactive tool aims to aid our members in navigating their personal energy transition journeys.
The idea was presented at last year’s Annual.
Five new Technical Communities focused on the energy transition to choose from
Those attending the 85th EAGE Annual in Oslo will get a chance to hear first-hand why the Decarbonization and Energy Transition (DET) Technical Community has divided itself into five specific topic areas. Look out for the meeting on Thursday 13 June at 14:30 CEST at the Dedicated Session ‘Decarbonization and Energy Transition’.
One of the five new technical communities is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). It is a network of members inter-
are included within the remit of the community: electrochemical, chemical, thermal and mechanical, together with discussions and contributions covering the broader elements of natural hydrogen systems, stimulated geological hydrogen production, policy, and emerging energy value chains. ‘EAGE members will gain access to cutting-edge insights and best practices in these dynamic sectors,’ says Dr Maximilian Haas, committee member.
resources, and expanding professional networking opportunities within the wind energy sector,’ committee members Katie Ireland and Benjamin Bellwald say.
Finally, reflecting a broadening of interests and some of the most pressing challenges in the energy landscape, the Technical Community on Critical Minerals was created by joining forces with members from the former Community on Mineral Exploration Geophysics.
ested in all actions (lab research, site analysis, tech innovation, regulations, etc.) enabling greater, faster, and safer CO2 geological reservoirs for achieving negative emissions. Committee member Audrey Ougier-Simonin invites members to get engaged with the group: ‘We’ll share our knowledge (geoscience, engineering, policy…), create a hub for all related skills, and endeavour to become a key network to shape and influence this critical pillar of climate actions.’
The Hydrogen and Energy Storage Technical Community reflects a vital element in addressing the challenges of rising energy demand, intermittent renewable power generation and the requirement to reduce global GHG emissions. The full range of energy storage technologies
The new Technical Community on Geothermal Energy covers advances, trending topics, case studies, and novel geothermal applications, whether shallow or deep, for heat or power production, conventional or not. This includes the cross-uses of technologies and skills from other subsurface uses, and the joint exploitation of geothermal energy and other resources.
An additional perspective is presented by the Technical Community on Wind Energy, a network of members interested in harnessing wind power for renewable energy.
‘We are excited to launch a pioneering community that will foster a collaborative environment for sharing knowledge, accelerating career development with industry-specific
Dr Anna Lim, committee member, emphasises that ‘our intentional multi-disciplinary approach not only reflects members’ diverse interests but also fosters creation of new ideas and a balanced understanding of this complex field. We aim to leverage the committee’s diverse expertise to offer community members thorough insights into the ever-changing realm of critical minerals, covering the entire value chain, especially in energy transition applications’.
To be part of one of our new technical communities, make sure you update your affiliations by scanning the QR code.
Join the new communities
Get up to speed with the evolving energy transition landscape by joining the new EAGE Technical Communities.
Changes at the top for our journals
EAGE is pleased to announce the three new editorial leadership roles appointments for our journals F irst Break , Geophysical Prospecting and Geoenergy, effective from June 2024.
First Break
Clément Kostov takes over from Gwenola Michaud as the new chair of First Break Editorial Board.
Clément Kostov is a consulting geophysicist, based in France, and has served as associate editor for EAGE’s First Break and Geophysical Prospecting and for SEG’s Geophysics. He has co-organised several research workshops and technical sessions at EAGE and SEG conferences. In 2021, Kostov received the ‘Geophysics Reviewer of the Year’ Award from SEG. Kostov has had a 30+ years career with SLB in research and technology development, with assignments as technical expert and as manager, working in the UK, US, France and Russia. Kostov’s interest in applied geosciences began during his undergraduate studies at the École des Mines de Paris and developed through graduate degrees from Stanford University in Applied Earth Sciences (MSc ’85) and in Geophysics (PhD ’90).
Geophysical Prospecting
Alireza Malehmir takes over from Tijmen Jan Moser as the new editorin-chief of Geophysical Prospecting
Alireza Malehmir is professor of applied geophysics at Uppsala University and research director of Smart Exploration Research Centre. He has an undergraduate degree in mining engineering with specialisation in mineral exploration and a PhD in geophysics. He has conducted more than 20 projects for near-surface and CCS applications in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, etc. Malehmir was the project leader of the award-winning Smart Exploration project and is a co-leader of FUTURE, a European-South African tech-type mineral exploration collaborative project. Malehmir has (co)authored 130+ peer-reviewed journal publications. Occasionally, Malehmir acts as a consultant, through his Nordic Geophysics startup, for utilising innovative seismic imaging solutions for societal applications.
Geoenergy
Sebastian Geiger takes over from Jonathan Redfern as the new editor-in-chief of Geoenergy, our co-owned journal with the Geological Society of London.
Geiger is professor for sustainable geoenergy and Energi Simulation chair at the Department of Geoscience and Engineering at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). He worked for 16 years at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland as an Energi Simulation chair. Geiger received a PhD from ETH Zurich in Switzerland and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from Oregon State University in the US and the University of Freiburg in Germany. Geiger received the EAGE’s Alfred Wegener Award in 2017. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s national academy of science and letters (from 2020), and the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK (from 2022).
Welcoming the new editors-in-chief, Peter Rowbotham, EAGE Publications Officer said: ‘Journals are recognised as a key benefit to our members. EAGE prides itself on the quality of our journals, which always score highly in Impact Factor assessments. I am delighted to see continued focus on review duration and valuable feedback
to authors for paper enhancements. This is only possible through the voluntary efforts of the whole editorial and reviewer teams who I thank sincerely, and call on all members to consider volunteering their time for the future success of our journals.’
Congratulations to Clément Kostov, Alireza Malehmir and Sebastian Geiger
Our publications for you
and wishing them all the best as they embark on their new positions. Meanwhile our sincerest of thanks go to Gwenola Michaud, Tijmen Jan Moser and Jonathan Redfern for all the tremendous work over the years they have contributed to First Break, Geophysical Prospecting and Geoenergy, respectively.
EAGE prioritises disseminating cutting-edge research and industry insights to its members. Our members benefit from a wealth of resources, including the monthly distribution of First Break, the Association’s flagship publication. In addition, EAGE offers authoritative peer-reviewed journals like Geophysical Prospecting and Geoenergy, alongside Basin Research, Near Surface Geophysics, and Petroleum Geoscience which are available in an online-only format. EAGE members have the option to subscribe
to these journals as part of their membership benefits, ensuring access to the latest developments and advancements in the fields of geoscience, engineering, and energy.
Petroleum Geoscience Geoenergy
GET short courses on the road to energy transition
EAGE Short Courses will play a key part in providing a comprehensive programme at the 5th EAGE Global Energy Transition Conference & Exhibition (GET2024). To coordinate with the themes of GET2024, our short courses will offer an invaluable supplement to the four technical conferences.
In the Exploration of Subsurface Natural Geologic Hydrogen and Stimulation for Its Enhanced Production course, Dariusz Strąpoć will cover the exploration of subsurface natural geologic hydrogen, contrasting its carbon footprint against the price of various hydrogen sources.
EAGE Online Education Calendar
In the Reservoir Engineering of Geothermal Energy Production course, Dr Denis Voskov will lead participants through the fundamentals of geothermal energy production and reservoir simulation techniques, accompanied by practical exercises in Jupyter Notebooks using an open-source simulator.
In his An Introduction to Offshore Wind , Jeroen Godstchalk will offer a comprehensive introduction to offshore wind energy, emphasising the crucial role of geoscientists and offering insights into offshore wind farm development, design factors, and the business case surrounding such projects.
Finally, Prof Philip Ringrose will guide attendees through the intricacies of CO2 storage project design with a focus on saline aquifer systems in the CO2 Storage Project Design and Optimisation (Saline Aquifers) course. From project timelines to monitoring methods, this course provides a holistic understanding of CO2 storage optimisation.
These authoritative short courses are just one more reason to join us at the 5th EAGE Global Energy Transition Conference & Exhibition.
is wind power.
GET2024: An exceptional programme awaits you this November in Rotterdam
Set to take place in Rotterdam on 4-7 November 2024, the EAGE Global Energy Transition Conference & Exhibition (GET2024) is expected to be an event of unprecedented scale and importance.
Attendees are promised an outstanding programme that includes four technical conferences focused on Carbon Capture and Storage, Geothermal Energy, Hydrogen and Energy Storage, and Offshore Wind Energy. This setup will ensure an extensive programme for each of the individual key topics, without compromising GET’s unique focus on cross-uses and integration between energy transition
applications. The event serves as an ideal forum for professionals, geoscientists and engineers, to gather, exchange insights on the latest advancements, and deliberate on the persisting hurdles in these crucial fields.
We invite you to contribute to the Technical Programme and engage with key stakeholders in discussion of the energy transition landscape. The call for abstracts is open until 30 June 2024. Additionally, to make the event more
You are invited to GET2024
accessible, GET2024 will, for the first time, offer free exhibition visitor passes, allowing an even broader audience to engage with major players from the global energy sector. Registration is open, with early bird rates available until 1 September 2024. For more information on the conference, including technical conferences, registration details, topics, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit the website at www.eageget.org.
Yolande Verbeek, chair of the GET2024 Executive Committee and COO of Energy Beheer Nederland (EBN), extends this invitation.
Our chosen conference theme, ‘Accelerating the Path to a Sustainable Energy Future’, encapsulates the essence of our collective mission. It underscores the urgency of our actions and emphasises the pivotal role played by the EAGE community in shaping societies worldwide. Together, we are architects of change, stewards of innovation, and guardians of the well-being of generations to come.
Allow me to highlight two fundamental imperatives:
1. Balancing short-term needs: Ensuring secure and affordable access to natural gas remains a cornerstone of a stable energy system. As we navigate this transition, we recognise the importance of maintaining reliability while simultaneously advancing toward a renewable-based energy.
2. Mitigating carbon emissions: Our commitment extends beyond the present. We acknowledge that a carbon-neutral
society is not a distant dream but an urgent necessity. The geoscientists and engineers among us play a pivotal role in this dual journey – navigating both the fossil fuel landscape and the carbon-free future.
In my capacity as a board member of EBN, I witness first-hand the cacophony of voices in the media – each claiming expertise, each advocating for a different path. I am convinced that our collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and commitment to sustainability will move us ahead.
GET2024 provides a unique platform to engage, interact, and exchange ideas. Let us connect, challenge assumptions, and lay the groundwork for a resilient future. Anticipate a robust Technical Programme – one that bridges disciplines, integrates knowledge, and helps to set a direction toward global decarbonisation.
As we gather in Rotterdam, I look forward to engaging in lively discussions that will influence the field of geosciences in our dynamic and constantly changing world.
A session at last year’s event.
Full poster programme expected.
Stand by for the Laurie Dake Challenge final
We’ve got down to the final six teams who on Sunday 9 June will fight out the final of the Laurie Dake Challenge 2024 in Oslo. The competition began with 28 teams employing their ingenuity to come up with the best net-zero emissions development plan for the Volve field offshore Norway using a data set provided generously by Equinor.
The finalists for the Laurie Dake Challenge 2024 have been announced as University of Stavanger, The University of Manchester, TU ClausthalI, IFP School, Universidade Federal Fluminense and University of M’hamed Bougara Boumerdes.
These top-tier teams have demonstrated exemplary skills, dedication, and creativity throughout the challenge, earning them a spot in the final round. Their final reports
will not only highlight their technical prowess but also underscore their commitment to sustainable energy solutions and net-zero emissions strategies.
Thanks go to Equinor for their invaluable contribution to this challenge, and to the distinguished members of the jury panel – Hedda Elise S. Svendsen (Local Advisory Committee - Equinor), Philip
Ringrose (Local Advisory CommitteeNTNU), Egil Tjåland (Local Advisory Committee - NTNU), Odd Petter Skogly (Local Advisory Committee - Shell), Floriane Mortier (Local Advisory Committee - Equinor), Bill Richards (Chair, EAGE Students Affairs Committee - Dalhousie University), Thomas Finkbeiner (Co-chair, EAGE Students Affairs Committee - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)), Giancarlo Bernasconi (EAGE Students Affairs Committee - Politecnico di Milano), and Clairet Guerra (EAGE Students Affairs Committee - SLB).
The winners of the Laurie Dake Challenge 2024 will be announced during the Opening Session of the Annual on Monday 10 June.
Minus CO2 Challenge 2024 calls upon students to bring geothermal solutions for power generation
This year our Minus CO2 Challenge for students will focus on geothermal electrical power generation in the Netherlands. The
challenge invites students from all over the world to showcase their creativity, problem-solving skills, and geoscience knowledge in developing innovative solutions for geothermal power generation. Whether you’re a budding geoscientist, engineer, or environmental enthusiast, this challenge offers a unique platform to make a real impact on the energy transition landscape.
Participants will have access to valuable resources, expert guidance, and a supportive community throughout the challenge. Detailed information about the challenge, including rules, guidelines,
and submission criteria, can be found on our website at eage.org/students/minusco2-challenge. The application deadline is 21 June 2024.
We encourage students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to join forces and tackle the pressing challenges of reducing CO2 emissions through geothermal energy. The winning team will not only gain recognition for their innovative ideas but also have the opportunity to present their final report at our prestigious 5th EAGE Global Energy Transition Conference & Exhibition (GET2024).
Bill Richards (EAGE Students Affairs Committee chair) recapped last year’s challenge at GET2023 in Paris.
Finalist teams Laurie Dake Challenge 2023, Vienna, Austria.
Mineral Exploration and Mining gets the spotlight at NSG2024
Our 5th Conference on Geophysics for Mineral Exploration and Mining will be an important feature at this year’s Near Surface Geoscience Conference & Exhibition (NSG2024) being held in Helsinki on 8-12 September.
For delegates this will be an occasion to update on the exciting potential of mining interests of Fennoscandia covering several countries. The region, known for its vast natural resources, faces unique challenges in mineral exploration, notably the exploration of new significant discoveries of base
metals and rare earth elements (REE) critical for advancing green technologies and achieving the Net Zero By 2050 target.
Fennoscandia’s unique geological features and potential for significant mineral discoveries make it a focal point for the conference. Discussions will cover not only the technical aspects of mineral exploration but also the environmental and safety considerations that accompany mining in such a diverse region. The blend of academic insight, industry innovation, and regulatory perspectives promises a comprehensive overview of the current state and future possibilities
of mineral exploration and mining in Fennoscandia.
This year’s NSG2024 full programme includes: three parallel meetings (30th European Meeting of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, 4th Conference on Airborne, Drone and Robotic Geophysics, and 5th Conference on Geophysics for Mineral Exploration and Mining), three workshops (Digital Outcrop Modelling, Transient Electromagnetic, and Hard Rock Physics). Field trips are being planned, more details will be released soon.
Register now via eagensg.org and join us in forging new frontiers in geophysics and mining.
First Symposium on Geosciences for Sustainable Energy in America provides much to experience
The First EAGE on Geosciences for New Energies in America is set to take place in the vibrant city of Mexico City during the second semester of 2024. This ground-breaking event will encompass dedicated sessions on key topics, including Geothermal Energy, CCS, Water Management (with a focus on water footprint), and the pivotal role of Mineral Exploration.
The symposium will also offer valuable opportunities for professional development with the inclusion of the Third EAGE Workshop on Near Surface Geoscience & Mineral Exploration in Latin America and the Third EAGE Workshop on Geothermal Energy in Latin America. These workshops invite researchers, scientists, and industry professionals to
submit abstracts and contribute to the advancement of knowledge and innovation in these critical areas.
A bonus will be the planned additional side event activities, such as short courses and an interesting field trip, which promise to enhance the overall symposium experience.
This first symposium will be offering valuable exhibition opportunities for companies operating within the geosciences and renewable energy sectors. The exhibition space will serve as a hub for companies to demonstrate their contributions to advancing the field and promoting sustainable energy solutions in the Americas. As an exhibitor you can showcase your organisation’s innovations, projects, and
services to a diverse audience of industry leaders, researchers, and decision-makers.
The First EAGE Symposium on Geosciences for New Energies in America is not just an event; it intends to be a significant milestone on the journey towards a sustainable and resilient energy future. Save the date and join us in Mexico City.
Beautiful sunset over a field in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Boliden Kevitsa is a multimetal open pit mine operating in one of Finland’s biggest mineral deposit areas.
Blötberget iron-oxide mine (Ludvika Mines) in central Sweden is a subject of a renewed exploration for iron ores and associated rare earth elements (REE).
Fibre-optic sensing and practical reservoir monitoring prove rewarding topics for GeoTech 2024
Mahmoud Farhadiroushan (Silixa) and Mark Thompson (Equinor) report on the Third EAGE Geoscience Technologies and Applications Conference (EAGE GeoTech 2024), held on 8-10 April in The Hague, the Netherlands.
While GeoTech was originally conceived during the time of the Covid pandemic, in 2021, whereby three workshops were run online and in parallel, the most recent edition of GeoTech investigated the potential to join two separate topics, but with overlapping interests. So this time we ran the 4th EAGE Workshop on Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing and the 4th EAGE Workshop on Practical Reservoir Monitoring coalescing around one joint event.
We had over 70 participants, from over 15 countries, and over 30 presentations and posters, representing academia, the vendor community and operators meeting for three days. They were able to
share, discuss, and investigate learnings and ideas in the intimate format that a workshop can provide.
The initial one-day course on distributed fibre optic sensing (DFOS) covered a wide range of topics including the fundamental principles of the physics behind the technology, the manufacturing processes for fibre optic cables, by Bill Jacobsen (AFL) and investigated potential applications of the technology by Mahmoud Farhadiroushan (Silixa). Live demonstrations of fusion splicing and OTDR testing of optical fibres were kindly provided by Vincent Volmer and Coen Vandal from Maunt Netherlands and for measuring strain curvature using DFOS by Vincent Lanticq (enabled by video conferencing from the FEBUS Optics test centre in Pau).
After the course, the workshop kicked off with three keynote speakers setting the scene for the rest of the workshop.
Alex Calvert (TotalEnergies) discussed, with examples, the potential for seabed based distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) to provide cost effective passive and active monitoring solutions for both carbon capture and storage (CCS) and oil and gas business cases. Hilde Nakstad (Alcatel Submarine Networks) presented the broader range of applications that fibre optic sensing can serve, while David Kessler (Seismic City), rounding off the
day, demonstrated the potential for imaging uplift of seismic data using advanced imaging techniques.
The second, fully packed, day started with a session investigating the broad application space that DFOS can be applied to, connecting the themes of temperature, borehole, and water. Athena Chalari (Silixa) started the session with a range of examples where fibre has been used for geothermal applications. Keeping to the theme of temperature Maciej Kłonowski (PGI) shared his experiences using distributed temperature sensing (DTS) to log geological boreholes in Poland. With the borehole of continued interest, Isabelle Pellegrini (Ziebel) presented how DAS could be used for profiling two-phase water-oil flow in a horizontal well, while Destin Nziengui Bâ (Institut des Sciences de la Terre) presented an experiment that has used seismic interferometry on DAS data acquired, passively, to monitor a water storage basin in Lyon. Broadening the theme beyond DAS, Chin Tee Ang (Herriot Watt University) shared experiences using advanced machine learning to predict structural and stratigraphic elements from seismic data. Evolving the theme and focusing in on the use of DFOS for seismic in borehole applications, an extended session was started by Brett Bunn (Geospace) who
The conference was a great success with lots of fruitful discussions.
A delegate presenting his research at the poster session.
shared results from a newly developed fibre optic multi-component point sensor deployed for vertical seismic profiling. This was followed up by a presentation from Sebastien Soulas (Avalon Sciences) who showed the results of a comparative test of different DAS interrogators against multi-component VSP in controlled experiments at their borehole test facility in Southwest England. Next, Rafael Guerra (SLB) demonstrated the use of DFOS integrated into a suite of logging tools such that VSP could be acquired in a vertical exploration well in the North Sea without the need for a dedicated VSP operation. Harry Moore (CGG) refocused the session towards monitoring by presenting results of the use of DFOS for timelapse (4D) VSP at the Johan Sverdrup field. Keeping to the theme of monitoring, Boris Boullenger (TNO) showed how DAS could be used for seismicity, investigating the ability to derive moment magnitude from strain measurements in a borehole. Bringing the session to a close, Mirko Van Der Baan (University of Alberta) shared insight into the use of low frequency DAS, in a monitoring well, to observe the behaviour of fracture propagation during hydraulic fracturing treatments.
The third and final day of the workshop saw, again, three keynotes starting the day. This time from the operators, Equinor, Petrobras and Shell. Mona Hanekne Andersen (Equinor) reflected on the ever-changing role of reservoir monitoring in response to the energy transition. Paolo Schroeder Johann (Petrobras) followed on with the history of the broad deployment of ocean bottom seismic in Brazil, especially for pre-salt carbonate reservoirs in ultra deep water. Closely following Paolo, Samantha Grandi (Shell) detailed the concept for On Demand Ocean Bottom Nodes (OD OBN).
Measurements on the seafloor were further investigated by presentations encompassing gravity measurements, seafloor deformation and ocean bottom seismic measurements using DFOS. Hugo Ruiz (Reach Subsea) presented the experiences of using timelapse gravity to monitor gas fields and CCS. Filipe Borges (Reach Subsea) followed on from Hugo with a complementary presentation on the accurate measurement of seafloor deformation in the Gulf of Mexico to correct for errors in deriving water depth for seismic ocean bottom nodes. Finally in this session Risto Siliqi (Alcatel Subsea
Harry Moore (CGG) again took to the floor as a keynote speaker sharing his experiences gained from seismic imaging and processing of DFOS data. He used the keynote opportunity to describe challenges he has observed in the data he has worked with. Tone Holm-Trudeng (TGS) gave a further keynote on her experiences providing monitoring services while navigating the changing business environment during the energy transition.
Networks) presented investigations into the use of DFOS as an ocean bottom seismic sensor.
The final presentation session started with a talk from Arvid Nottveit (NORCE) who presented a framework to assess the requirements for monitoring of CCS. Continuing on with the theme of CCS, Sandrine David (TGS) showed the potential to use the extended high resolution (XHR) mini-streamers for monitoring the
CO2 plume at the Sleipner field while Cian Ryan (CGG), complementing Sandrine’s presentation, showed not only the challenges encountered in processing such a short offset data, but also the solutions available, again proving that ‘it can be fixed in processing’. Camille Chapeland (TU Delft) presented fibre optic shape sensing that measures strain curvature to derive geometry on a UHR seismic streamer. Mark Schons (Shearwater) rounded off the session with a presentation highlighting 4D QC of streamer seismic data during the acquisition where the QC results were also delivered to the client for ultra-fast track interpretation.
The workshop was characterised by informality and a willingness to investigate and openly discuss the themes and topics presented. Each session was summarised by a discussion with two dedicated panel debates, one investigating how DFOS products could be delivered with quality and at speed, while the second panel debate investigated how the competing needs for oil and gas, CCS and renewables could be addressed in an ever-congested offshore environment. The workshop ended with a poster session combined with farewell refreshments, enabling continued discussions in an informal setting.
We would like to thank everyone who made this edition successful: EAGE event coordination team, the committee members, the staff at the venue, all our sponsors and especially all our keynote speakers, presenters and attendees who showed a lot of enthusiasm and were involved in several interactive discussions.
Sharing knowledge during a technical talk.
High attendance at the poster session.
Make Perth your August events destination
If you’re looking for a week of events to keep you up to date with the status of the geosciences in the era of energy transition, then Perth, Western Australia this August will be the place to be.
That’s when EAGE is pulling out all the stops starting with the 3rd EAGE Conference on Carbon Capture & Storage Potential from 12-13 August. This promises to be an occasion of critical
discussions around the potential, innovations and strategies related to CCS.
Then we are following up on 14-15 August with two parallel workshops on highly topical themes. The 4th EAGE Workshop on Fibre Optic Sensing for Energy Applications will explore the latest advances including technology trends and case studies. At the same time, we will be introducing the 1st EAGE/SUT Workshop on Integrated Site Characterisation for Offshore Wind in Asia Pacific, part of a global series in collaboration with the Society for Underwater Technology, which will focus on offshore wind development in the region.
These three events set the stage for a knowledge-rich and interactive month in Perth for industry professionals committed to advancing their expertise.
Learn more details
Vlastislav C ˇ ervený student prize applications invited
It is with great pleasure that the EAGE Local Chapter Czech Republic announces the 12th edition of the Vlastislav Červený Student Prize. Since 2011 this student competition has celebrated brilliance in theoretical and applied geophysics with two prize categories for Best Master and Best Bachelor Thesis. New candidates are now welcome to apply until 11 October 2024.
Eligible applications must refer to thesis works defended within the period between 5 October 2023 and 10 October 2024 at any university from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia or Poland. The aim of the competition
is to encourage application of scientific knowledge to real problems and innovation. The evaluation criteria include thesis
innovation, presentation of the results and applicability to industry.
The prize is sponsored by the main sponsor Inset and additional sponsors are EAGE (PACE programme), Seismik s., G IMPULS Praha spol and the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University. EAGE also contributes to the prize by supporting the prize ceremony in Prague and offering a free online course to each winner from its vast LearningGeoscience education library, to pursue new knowledge and skills.
For more information and applications, make sure to connect with LC Czech Republic or visit www.eagelc.cz/ prize.html.
The EAGE Student Fund supports student activities that help students bridge the gap between university and professional environments. This is only possible with the support from the EAGE community. If you want to support the next generation of geoscientists and engineers, go to donate.eagestudentfund.org or simply scan the QR code. Many thanks for your donation in advance!
Timothée Delcourt (ETH Zurich) secured the first prize in the 2022-2023 competition with an innovative thesis on low-dimensional parameter estimation.
Perth skyline, Western Australia.
Skiing was not the way to the top Personal Record Interview
Assuming the merger with PGS is approved, Kristian Johansen as CEO of TGS will be heading the largest remaining company in the marine seismic business. From small town northern Norway, his journey to the top has encompassed a potential professional skiing career, study in the US, marrying the boss and experience in the investment banking world.
Upbringing in Norway
I grew up in a small town in Northern Norway called Narvik. My hometown is north of the Arctic circle, which means that I got used to cold and dark winters, but with spectacular nature and midnight sun for a few months every summer. When I was younger, I never understood why people would travel from all over the world to see the Northern Lights, it felt quite normal to me. I grew up in what I would consider an academic home with a dad who was a civil engineer building bridges and tunnels and a mom who was a school administrator and politician. She became the first female mayor of my hometown, which is something I’m still quite proud of.
Skiing aspirations
Sports and particularly cross-country skiing were an important part of my childhood and although I never made it to the Olympics, I represented my country in several international events. I never regretted spending so much time pursuing my skiing career and even today I use a lot of learnings from sports in managing people, performance and understanding the importance of hard work. If you’ve ever competed in a 50 km cross country skiing race, you will realise that most other physical and mental challenges can be managed.
Student years
Recognising that I could never make a good living out of skiing, I was lucky to get a full scholarship from the University of New Mexico to combine university
studies with sports. While climate change was somewhat of a shock, I found school and particularly business studies to be very interesting and I realised that I could use some of my key skills from sports such as endurance, focus and dedication to build a career in business
Early career
I was offered a job with Exxon in Norway before graduating with my MBA and I met my wife (who was actually my first boss) at work. Not sure if that would pass Exxon’s current ‘me too’ guidelines! My career developed fast after a brief career with Exxon and I worked in investment banking in Oslo and London and had two CFO positions with public companies in Norway before joining TGS in 2010.
TGS first impressions
While I had some knowledge about the oil and gas industry from my time at Exxon and working in investment banking, I had a steep learning curve in terms of learning the seismic industry. However, I joined a fantastic company with great people who were extremely supportive and included me in the decision-making processes from day 1. I have come across a lot of companies over the years, but I’m truly convinced that TGS is something very special. I still feel like we’re a big family willing to go above and beyond to help each other succeed.
Difficult times
I’ve been with TGS for more than 13 years and have experienced multiple
up-and-down cycles. While I’m triggered by the competitive nature of the industry and the fact that market conditions change rapidly, I find downsizing and restructurings to be very stressful. Both in 2016 and in 2020, we had to carry out significant right-sizing of the workforce due to external factors and while most people understand why this is needed, it’s always extremely painful for everyone involved.
Way forward
The seismic industry is getting smaller and there are not many companies left. My hope is that we can develop closer partnerships with our clients, think longer term and gradually move from the transactional nature of our relationships today. I strongly believe everyone would benefit from that in the future.
Beyond work
A lot of my time is spent in the office or travelling around the world to see employees, clients and investors. While my 16-year-old daughter still lives at home, my 18-year old son moved to California last year to attend Pepperdine University and play sport on a scholarship (golf in his case), just like his dad. Whenever I have spare time, I love watching him play golf tournaments, play golf with friends or simply spend time with my family. We love the US and our daily life in Houston, and have no plans to move back to Europe. We are privileged to be able to spend our summers in Norway, when Houston gets too hot.
Kristian Johansen
CROSSTALK
BY ANDREW M c BARNET
BUSINESS • PEOPLE • TECHNOLOGY
Spare a thought for Norway’s early days
A meeting in Norway for our Annual Conference & Exhibition was long overdue. The last time was 2003 in Stavanger, so this year in Oslo is a good moment to remind ourselves of the country’s continuing achievements in the energy resources field not just in the past two decades but focusing much earlier when the possibility of commercial oil and gas offshore was first mooted. Who would have thought that Norway would become such an energy powerhouse, least of all Norwegians themselves.
There are many storylines. For example, sparing no blushes, a number of historians including well-known geology professor Knut Bjørlykke in the Norwegian Journal of Geology have brought up the instance in 1958 when the Geological Survey of Norway at short notice advised the Foreign Office during negotiations on the Law of the Sea that there was no chance of finding oil and along the Norwegian coast. The conclusion was excusable based on conventional wisdom of the time, as per Prof Hans Holtedahl (University of Bergen) who had written in 1955 that that at least part of the nearshore shelf below the thick Quaternary sediments was underlain by basement rocks, a continuation of those on land. In retrospect, according to Prof Bjørlykke, it would have been better to state that there was no information to support or disprove the prospects for oil offshore Norway. He noted that in his student days at the University of Oslo (1957-63) the geology of the North Sea and offshore Norway was barely mentioned in lectures, i.e., petroleum geology was not on the curriculum.
and the UK (allowing subsequent major fields such as the Frigg and Stafjord in the middle of the North Sea to be developed on a shared basis). On April 13 the same year 78 offshore blocks were announced in the first round of licensing.
The oil adventure could not have happened at a better time for Norway. Economic historian Helge Ryggvik in A short history of the Norwegian oil industry (jstor.org) points out that the country was heading for a crunch as cheaper manufacturing in Japan and South Korea was threatening its shipbuilding and shipping interests, a major contributor to the country’s post-war growth. Happily both the capital from Norwegian shipping circles and related technological skill in the shipbuilding industry played an important role when Norwegian firms converted themselves to serve the new oil sector.
‘No chance of finding oil and gas’
Just four years later, doubtless inspired by the discovery of the discovery of the Groningen gas offshore the Netherlands in 1959, Phillips Petroleum came knocking on the Norwegian government’s door seeking exclusive rights to license those parts of the North Sea likely to be included in the Norwegian shelf – with an offer of $160,000 a month.
The idea did not wash with the government which in May 1963 asserted its sovereignty over the Norwegian Continental Shelf and by March 1965 had agreed median lines with Denmark
This has certainly been true for the ownership and supply of vessels to the Norwegian marine seismic business over several decades. The country’s fishing industry was quick to adapt to the technical demands of towed-streamer seismic vessels. Anders Farestveit, legendary CEO of GECO until its takeover by Schlumberger in 1986, and serial investor in Noregian business and technology, said in an interview with First Break in December 2006: ‘Today you can argue that something like 75% of the activity emanates in some way from Norway in terms of operations, research, and equipment manufacture’. The situation is even more marked today with the expectation that a newly merged TGS and PGS will dominate the market with Shearwater GeoServices. What has never been properly appreciated is that Norway’s marine seismic contractors and suppliers did much to facilitate the international oil industry’s push into frontier areas and ability to maximise production from existing resources.
Norway’s oil path was also determined by early political decisions to keep a measure of control over developments. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and Statoil (as a participant in all licences) were established as early as 1972. Through various
devices the government in the early days was also able to favour Norwegian suppliers as they entered the market.
Who knows, the referendum in 1972 rejecting membership of the European Community may also have provided more latitude for successive governments in making oil policy in the long-term national interest compared with the UK. which opted to maximise its revenues early (admittedly in different economic and political circumstances). One can only applaud the creation in 1990 of Norway’s oil fund, officially, the Government Pension Fund Global, the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world, now worth some $1.6 trillion and owning 1.5% of all stocks worldwide
First oil in the Norwegian sector was found in 1967 by Esso drilling on block 25/11-1 in 125 m water depth 165 km west of Haugesund. Years later after further drilling this became the Balder field.
The Ekofisk discovery in 1969 on block 2/4 really kicked off Norway’s involvement in the oil business with first oil production in 1971. Today production licences in the Greater Ekofisk Area with numerous satellite field extensions operated by ConcoPhillips have been extended to 2048. Over its life so far, the development’s history has provided something of a microcosm of the achievements, technology challenges and hazards that Norway’s offshore oil industry has had to face. The field was discovered by the ODECO Ocean Viking, a semi-submersible drilling rig, one of the first in the world, built by Norwegian company Aker.
towed out and installed separately at sea. In 1995 the Troll A platform was the last Condeep. At 472 m from lowest point to the top of the flare boom, it was said to be the tallest sructure every towed by mankind.
Over time Ekofisk, or events associated with the field, would be a reminder of the hazards offshore along with the revenues from production.. The original development concept proved fallible. In 1984, Phillips Petroleum found that the platforms and collecting tank in its largest North Sea oil field Ekofisk had sunk 20 feet into the sea bed. To protect the field’s central storage tank, a massive sea wall, a circular concrete structure more than 460 ft in diameter and 350 ft high was built and installed. Measures were also taken to elevate seven of the steel platforms of the production complex.
‘Rig construction was one of Norways’s first successes’
The Ekofisk storage tank also raised the decommissioning issue for these enormous structures, optimistically designed to be refloatable and brought ashore for demolition. That was probably never going to happen, so the tank like the concrete of abandoned Brent and Frigg field platforms is being left in situ. Earlier in April 1977 the worst oil well blowout in the North Sea occurred at the Ekofisk Bravo platform, due to an incorrectly installed downhole safety valve. It caused a leak of an estimated 80,000-126,000 barrels of oil and famously added to the legend of Red Adair and his team who helped to cap the well.
Economic historian Helge Riggvik in The Business History Review, Vol. 89, No. 1 (Spring 2015) identifies rig construction as one of Norways’s first successes once the oil and gas potential offshore Norway was appreciated. In 1974 The first Aker H3 rig was built at a newly established shipyard in Verdal, inside the Trondheim fjord and that year had orders for building 25 rigs, 11 of them on licence from other groups, several in other countries. The majority of that generation of Aker’s semi-submersibles were bought by Norwegian shipowners who also placed orders for different kinds of rig concepts in several European shipyards, thereby building the capacity to dominate the rig market on both the Norwegian and British continental shelves.
The other extraordinary technology innovation in the early development of Ekofisk was the introduction of a massive 236,000-ton concrete tank (designed by French engineering company CG Doris, built in Norway) to store oil when bad weather prevented offshore loading and before a pipeline to Teeside, UK was operational. The concept did not seem so outlandish to many Norwegian firms used to building hydroelectric dams using concrete as the main material.
Norwegian Contractors effectively took over the North Sea market (apart from three ANDOC designs built in Scotland) and over 25 years built 17 of the distinctive Condeep gravity-based production bases with storage upon which topsides could be
Tragedy was to follow on 27 March 1980 when the Alexander Kielland accommodation platform serving the Ekofisk field capsized in stormy seas resulting in the death of 123 of the 212 on board at the time. The accident prompted a major review of structural safety and emergency response. One outcome was the testing of the now well-established free-fall lifeboat at the NUTEC facility, Bergen.
Fifty years or so since that first production started from Ekofisk in 1971, Norway’s achievement in offshore governance, operational competency and advancing technology can be measured by oil and gas having been produced from a total of 123 fields on the Norwegian shelf. At the end of 2023, 92 fields were in production: 67 in the North Sea, 23 in the Norwegian Sea and two in the Barents Sea. Four new fields started production in 2023. The sector accounts for 24% of GDP, 19% of total investments, 36% of state revenues, and 52% of total exports (not including the service and supply industry). Indirectly, the petroleum sector contributes around 200,000 jobs throughout Norway. The country also features a strong energy-related research and academic base.
The challenge now is Norway’s next step – how to fulfil its ambition to be an international leader tackling climate change, reconciling this with its status as one of the world’s largest oil and gas producers and recently one of Europe’s saviours after interruptions to gas supplies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Views expressed in Crosstalk are solely those of the author, who can be contacted at andrew@andrewmcbarnet.com.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Energy industry confidence remains high despite uncertainty, says DNV
DNV’s annual Industry Insight survey shows that 73% of senior energy professionals are confident about industry growth in 2024, a figure that has remained steady at around 74% since 2022.
However, political uncertainty, as the world readies for a slew of election this year, has been highlighted by the energy sector in DNV’s analysis of the views of nearly 1300 senior energy professionals around the globe.
Rising costs and supply chain disruptions are also threatening the viability of many projects, dampening short-term optimism for electrification and renewables.
The oil and gas sector, in contrast, is witnessing a resurgence in confidence, reflecting the industry’s pivotal role in meeting global energy demand while navigating the transition to cleaner fuels.
Oil and gas sector confidence has risen from 58% in 2022 to 68% in 2024. This recovery reflects the industry’s pivotal role in meeting global energy demand while navigating the transition to cleaner fuels. Established oil and gas companies have also gained from branching out into decarbonisation and renewable energy.
Ditlev Engel, CEO energy systemsat DNV said. ‘Key drivers of optimism include the relentless march toward decarbonisation and electrification, offering
long-term clarity amid near-term uncertainty. The industry’s optimism about the path ahead is well-founded – especially since the requisite technologies are already within our reach.’
While the industry as a whole maintains a positive outlook, specific sectors, such as electric power and renewables, have witnessed notable declines from previous peaks.
DNV’s survey stresses that nearly twothirds of the energy sector views global political uncertainty as the primary threat to success over the coming year. Specifically, DNV’s study reveals that nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents perceive the 2024 wave of elections and potential policy shifts as one of the steepest barriers
to growth. Political uncertainty, which ranked as the 13th major concern in 2022, surged to sixth place in 2023.
2024 marks a record year for elections, with over two billion people heading to the polls. The prospect of continued policy upheaval is of particular concern in the Americas, with 71% of Latin American and 67% of North American energy professionals highlighting political issues, reflecting the polarised landscape of energy and climate politics. Given its importance to the global energy sector, the outcome of the upcoming elections in the United States holds particularly significant implications for energy industry sentiment and strategic planning, said DNV.
Respondents said cost is the biggest barrier to achieving energy transition.
‘For decades, the energy sector has faced enduring political risks, evolving from localised tensions to global challenges affecting every aspect of the industry’, added Engel. ‘Amidst fluctuating prices, disruptions in supply chains, wavering investor confidence, and shifting regulations, stakeholders stress the importance of maintaining a long-term perspective, anchored in stable supply contracts. A key challenge is to secure lasting regulatory support and clear visibility into the future to rapidly deploy existing technologies.’
Optimism among respondents in electrical power has dipped from 87% to 76%, while renewables have experienced a similar downward trend, from 87% to 78%. This decline mirrors a broader shift in industry growth expectations and organisational confidence, with rising costs and supply chain disruptions posing significant hurdles to project viability and the pace of energy transition. Notably, the electric power industry faces a pronounced shortage of skilled talent, hindering progress in energy transition and digital initiatives, said DNV. Meanwhile, renewables grapple with regulatory hurdles and intensifying market competition.
There has also been a fall in optimism regarding organisational decarbonisation targets, with 62% believing that financial costs are the greatest barrier to reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement.
‘The price of carbon is still too low globally, and the political difficulty of having energy consumers face the cost of carbon in their everyday decisions is one of the reasons why the energy transition will move slower than many people hope,’ said Eirik Wærness, senior vice-president and chief economist, head of global external analysis at Equinor. ‘Carbon border adjustment mechanisms are needed to encourage every government around the world to put a price on carbon. That is easier said than done, particularly in emerging market democracies, where there are so many urgent priorities.’
TGS/PGS merger moves closer
TGS and PGS have confirmed that the Norwegian Competition Authority cleared their proposed merger.
With respect to the UK, the UK Competition Market Authority is still in its phase I review. The deadline for the CMA to announce clearance or phase II review is 11 June 2024.
Kristian Johansen, CEO of TGS said: ‘TGS has had a good dialogue with the Norwegian Competition Authority since announcement of the transaction and is pleased to have received the required clearance. We now look forward to receiving clearance also from the UK authorities in due course, and moving towards completion of the merger’.
Shearwater
Rune Olav Pedersen, president and CEO of PGS said: ‘The Norwegian competition authorities decided in mid-February to assess the TGS-PGS merger transaction in a more detailed phase II review. We are pleased they have now approved the merger’.
The parties continue to expect and work towards completion of the merger occurring during the second quarter of 2024.
Completion of the merger otherwise remains conditional on the closing conditions described in the merger plan. The statutory creditor notice period for the merger has expired, and the shareholders of both parties have approved the merger.
enhances full waveform inversion software
Shearwater Geoservices and Mondaic have entered a strategic collaboration for development and use of full waveform inversion solutions to enhance high-resolution subsurface imaging.
As part of the agreement, Shearwater has acquired exclusive and perpetual rights for the use and further development for subsurface applications of Mondaic’s wavefield simulation and inversion codes. Shearwater has also acquired an equity stake in Mondaic.
‘Holding position as a processing and imaging service provider and further expanding the capabilities of our proprietary processing and imaging software Reveal are central components of Shearwater’s strategy,’ said Simon Telfer, Shearwater’s SVP software, processing and imaging.
Full waveform inversion is expected to play a strategic role for characterisation and monitoring of subsurface carbon storage sites and in site surveys for wind farms, the company added.
Mondaic will be furthering the application of the jointly developed
codes for ultrasonic non-destructive testing, material characterisation, medical imaging, and other non-subsurface applications. During 2024 Shearwater’s acoustic finite differences full waveform inversion will be gradually replaced by Mondaic’s elastic spectral elements code that can model subsurface wavefield and waveforms to the highest level of precision.
‘Due to its unlimited modelling capabilities, this technology offers a higher level of inversion precision than conventional approaches. It is not only computationally efficient but also scalable, catering to a wide range of needs and complexities,’ said Sergio Grion, chief geophysicist – processing technology of Shearwater
TGS will use Mondaic software.
3D Energi wins approval for 3D survey offshore Australia
3D Energi Sauropod 3D seismic environmental plan covering 3447 km2 offshore Western Australia has received regulatory approval from the country’s National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environment Management Authority (NOPSEMA).
The acquisition and processing of ≥510km2 of 3D seismic data over the most prospective areas of the permit forms a minimum commitment for the primary term work program of WA-527-P.
The approved EP allows for a maximum full-fold acquisition area of 3447km2 over the western half of WA-527-P and provides for acquisition in 2024 or 2025, between January-May (inclusive). The survey acquisition is anticipated to take approximately two months.
Noel Newell, executive chairman of 3D Energi, said: ‘The approval of the Sauropod MC3D Environmental Plan represents an important step forward for the project given the recent regulatory uncertainty surrounding environmental permitting.
3D Energi holds a 100% participating interest in WA-527-P exploration permit, which covers an area of 6580 km2 over shallow Commonwealth waters of the Bedout Sub-Basin, where water depths generally range from 100 to 150 m.. The permit is located 195 km west of Broome, on the Northwest Shelf, adjacent to the 2018 Dorado Discovery and along trend from the recent 2022 Pavo oil discovery.
‘We have long recognised the exploration potential of the Bedout and remain excited about the exploration potential of WA-527-P and the Dorado lookalike features identified within the permit on reprocessed 2D seismic data.
The recent 2022 Pavo discovery along trend from the permit further highlights the prospectivity of these plays along the basin margin, and the prolific nature of the greater petroleum system offshore Western Australia.. The Sauropod 3D will be critical to the full
evaluation of the prospectivity recognised to date and the further delineation of potential drilling targets.’
The Sauropod MC3D is critical to the evaluation of the full prospectivity of WA-527-P, especially for the delineation of potential Dorado lookalike traps identified on reprocessed 2D seismic within the permit,’ said 3D Energi. The Dorado oil discovery in 2018 was the largest oil discovery on the Northwest Shelf in 30 years and has spurred a resurgence in exploration activity in the basin. The trapping mechanism at Dorado involves the erosional truncation of the Archer Formation sandstone reservoirs by large channels, subsequently backfilled with shales during a rapid rise in sea level, and there are strong indications for a northern extension to the Dorado channel system into WA-527-P.
WA-527-P exploration permit and approved Sauropod 3D EP area (red dotted outline).
The EP area for the Sauropod 3D survey also covers several large leads on the western side of WA-527-P, including Salamander which is the third largest undrilled structure in the basin. Some 349 MMbbls of prospective resources (best estimate) has been identified across three main leads, including Salamander, Whaleback and Jaubert. Further exploration appraisal and evaluation is required to determine the existence of a significant quantity of potentially moveable hydrocarbons.
The company is continuing discussions with interested farm-in parties and is collaborating with CGG around vessel availability.
Global M&A activity is set to top $200 billion in 2024, says Rystad
After the biggest first quarter for global upstream dealmaking in five years, the industry could see another $150 billion of merger and acquisition (M&A) deals in the remainder of 2024, says Rystad Energy.
Its research shows that global M&A deal value has crossed the $64 billion mark already this year, representing the strongest first-quarter performance since 2019 and a 145% increase on the first quarter of 2023, fuelled primarily by consolidation in the US shale sector.
Deals in North America totalled $54 billion in the first quarter of the year, about 83% of the worldwide total, with the region continuing to be the driving force for the remainder of 2024, with nearly $80 billion of assets still on the market. The US shale sector is expected to be the engine driving this activity, accounting for 66% or slightly more than $52 billion of assets on the market.
The Permian Basin has dominated recent dealmaking, but other shale plays look set to attract significant investments in the near future, with about $41 billion of non-Permian opportunities on the market. This includes the potential sale of Bakken-focused Grayson Mill Energy, Uinta-focused XcL Resources, ExxonMobil’s Bakken portfolio, EQT’s remaining non-operated Marcellus portfolio and certain Haynesville assets from Shell and BP.
ExxonMobil, Chevron, Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) and Diamondback Energy’s portfolio adjustments are set to invigorate short-term M&A activity. These companies have all made significant recent acquisitions and now plan to divest non-core assets, paving the way for growth among regional upstream players. For instance, Chevron intends to divest approximately $10 billion to $15 billion of assets by 2028, while Oxy plans to divest between $4.5 billion and $6 billion.
Atul Raina, vice-president of upstream research, Rystad Energy, said: ‘The Permian has been the focal point for M&A activity in recent times, but that focus is waning as available assets in the basin become scarce. But with appetite still strong, deal-hungry players are looking outside the basin for acquisitions. A power
shift could be on the cards, with non-Permian assets taking centre stage in the future North American deals pipeline.’
Outside the US, deal activity also remained strong in the first quarter of this year, with $10.5 billion changing hands, a 5% yearon-year increase. This was dominated by oil and gas upstream majors BP, Chevron, Shell and TotalEnergies, which collectively accounted for $5.2 billion. Demand for gas-producing resources is high, representing about 66% of total resources bought and sold in the first quarter of 2024.
Although North America dominated the global M&A landscape, there was notable activity in Africa, with transactions surpassing $5.3 billion, fuelled by oil and gas upstream majors. The largest deal was Shell’s divestment of its 30% stake in the SPDC joint venture in Nigeria to the Renaissance consortium, which includes about 520 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of gas resources, for $2.4 billion. The region also witnessed oil and gas majors’ appetite for exploration opportunities, with TotalEnergies acquiring a 33% operated stake in Block 3B/4B offshore South Africa and an additional interest in two blocks offshore Namibia.
South American M&A ticked up in the first quarter of 2024, with a total of $752 million-worth of assets changing hands, said Rystad. This follows a quiet period of dealmaking as only $790 million was spent in the full year of 2023, excluding Chevron’s $53 billion acquisition of US independent Hess. This decline was primarily due to a divestment halt at Brazilian national oil company Petrobras.
However, this halt has fuelled regional growth opportunities, as Brazilian upstream companies are pursuing alternative expansion plans, said Rystad. Merger negotiations involving four of Brazil’s top 10 independents — 3R Petroleum, PetroReconcavo, Enauta and Seacrest Petroleo — are contnuing, indicating a possible consolidation wave to come.
In light of continued fossil fuel demand, Middle Eastern NOCs, including ADNOC, Saudi Aramco and QatarEnergy, are bolstering their gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) portfolios, allowing them to cut emissions and diversify their domestic economies away from a reliance on oil revenues. ADNOC and Aramco are actively exploring further expansion opportunities in the LNG sector, including potential investments in the West.
QatarEnergy announced the North Field West (NFW) development earlier this year, aimed at boosting Qatar’s LNG capacity to 142 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), surpassing the previous target of 126 Mtpa. Echoing QatarEnergy’s approach with previous expansion projects like the North Field East and North Field South, the NOC is expected to seek international operators’ participation in the NFW project. Simultaneously, ADNOC and QatarEnergy are pursuing international expansion alongside their longstanding partners, BP and TotalEnergies.
Horisont Energi’s Gismarvik CO2 Hub has been included in the EU list of Projects for Mutual Interest (PMI) as part of the European Nautilus CCS network. The PMIs are cross-border energy infrastructure projects between the EU and non-EU countries.
Consolidation in the shale sector is driving growth.
BRIEFS
German prosecutors are investigating allegations that oil and gas company Wintershall Dea misled the public about its sustainability efforts. The Frankfurt prosecutors’ office has opened a proceeding, which Wintershall Dea claims is unfounded. The group Environmental Action Germany (DUH) filed a criminal complaint in February claiming that Wintershall Dea violated its reporting duties regarding its environmental and climate impact. Wintershall Dea either misrepresented or omitted legally required elements in its annual report, the DUH alleged.
Eni is combining its upstream oil and gas business in the UK with Ithaca Energy in a transaction expected to give the Italian energy major a leading position in the UK Continental Shelf. The merger will close in the third quarter, creating a company with production of more than 100,000 boepd and potential to grow to more than 150,000 boepd in the early 2030s.
The Biden administration has finalised a plan to prevent oil development across more than half of the US government’s petroleum reserve in Alaska.
Petrobras and bp have signed an agreement to promote discussions and collaboration on sustainable fuels, carbon credits, refining and exploration and production. The companies will also collaborate on research and development.
TotalEnergies is acquiring the remaining 50% stake in Malaysian independent gas producer SapuraOMV for $530 million. In January the energy major signed an agreement with OMV to acquire its 50% interest in SapuraOMV for $903 million.
The UK North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has fined Perenco $280,000, the highest ever financial penalty it has handed out, for venting 59 tons of gas for more than a month from its onshore gas processing plant at Dimlington on the UK east coast. ‘The company had permission to vent 235 tons from January 1-December 31, 2022, but exceeded that limit on November 6,’ said the NSTA.
European countries sign CCS collaboration agreement
Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden have agreed to collaborate on building an infrastructure for cross-border transport and geological storage of captured CO2.
In 2021, Norway and the Netherlands signed an arrangement on energy cooperation around the North Sea, including carbon capture and storage. Similar arrangements are in place between Norway and Belgium (2022) and Norway and Denmark (2023), as well as a joint declaration between Norway and Sweden in 2022. In addition, in 2022 and 2023 Denmark, Belgium as well as Netherlands signed arrangements for the transport and storage of captured carbon across borders.
Now, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden have established an arrangement on cross-border transport of CO2 with Norway, while Sweden has signed an agreement with Denmark,
‘This removes some of the obstacles on the way to a well-functioning carbon capture and storage-market in the wide North Sea region,’ said the partners in a statement.
‘Storage of CO2 is a cost-effective means of reducing emissions on time to reach the EU climate targets. This cooperation between Norway and the Netherlands on cross-border CO2 transport, is an important step in the development of an open European CCS market. I am
hopeful that this declaration will soon be followed by concrete project between the Netherlands and Norway,’ said Rob Jetten minister for climate and energy in the Netherlands.
Norway’s minister of energy Terje Aasland, said: ‘The capacity is enormous. It is crucial that we put in place solutions for transport of CO2 across national borders. This is an important day for the first full-scale European CCS project ‘Longship’.’
Denmark’s minister for climate, energy and utilities Lars Aagaard, said: ‘In order to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors, we need carbon capture and storage. In order to reach climate neutrality by 2050 in Europe, we need carbon capture and storage on a larger, international scale. Today’s arrangements are two great steps in the right direction.’
Sweden’s minister for climate and environment Romina Pourmokhtari, said: ‘Beside extensive mitigation, the capture and storage of CO2 will be necessary to curb the climate crisis. CCS and BECCS will play a key role towards the EU’s objective for climate neutrality in 2050 and negative emissions thereafter. Sweden has a great potential för BECCS and we already have projects underway. These agreements are essential for Sweden and its industry in realising a fossil free future.’
Fugro’s net-zero target validated by Science Based Targets initiative
Fugro’s near- and long-term emissions reduction targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Fugro’s net-zero target spans all three emission scopes towards net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the value chain by 2050.
Fugro’s targets include, among others, an absolute near-term reduction target for scope 1 and 2 of 55% by 2033 compared to 2022, and an engagement commitment
to ensure that 60% of suppliers by spend will set SBTs targets by 2028.
Fugro said it remains ‘dedicated’ to its roadmap, introduced in 2020, to achieve net-zero carbon emission operations by 2035 for scope 1 and 2¹. Examples are the roll-out of Fugro’s uncrewed vessel fleet, and the conversion of its vessel, Fugro Pioneer, to green methanol. www.fugro.com/about-us/sustainability/roadmap-to-net-zero
ENERGY TRANSITION BRIEFS
TotalEnergies and Vanguard Renewables are creating a joint venture to develop, build, and operate renewable natural gas (RNG) projects in the US. The companies will advance 10 RNG projects over the next 12 months, with a total annual RNG capacity of 0.8 TWh (2.5 Bcf). The partners will consider investing in some 60 projects with total capacity of 5 TWh (15 Bcf) per year.
The Danish Energy Agency has awarded contracts to three companies for CCS projects. Together, the projects will ensure the capture and storage of 160,350 tonnes of CO2 annually during the period 2026 to 2032. The agency has entered into a contract with BioCirc CO2 ApS and Bioman ApS for the capture and storage of CO2. The Danish Energy Agency has also awarded a contract to Carbon Capture Scotland Limited.
Horisont Energi’s Gismarvik CO2 Hub has been included in the EU list of Projects for Mutual Interest (PMI) as part of the European Nautilus CCS network. The PMIs are cross-border energy infrastructure projects between the EU and non-EU countries.
CO280 and Aker Carbon Capture have signed an agreement with Microsoft to explore opportunities for scaling the value chain of carbon removal in the US and Canada. The companies will deploy large-scale projects to meet global net zero targets. They will also collaborate to address the technological, regulatory, and commercial challenges and opportunities for creating carbon removal.
The US has announced two offshore wind energy auctions off the coast of Oregon and in the Gulf of Maine.The two sales proposed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) have the potential to generate more than 18 GW of offshore wind energy.
AGR has won a contract from geothermal energy supplier Innargi to provide technical consultancy for three geothermal appraisal wells that are being drilled in Aarhus, Denmark.
The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) has launched a licensing round for the Eastern Newfoundland Region.
Call for bids No.NL24-CFBO1 (exploration licences, eastern Newfoundland Region) consists of 41 parcels and a total of 10,287,196 hectares, 32 of which have been made available under previous calls for bids or relinquishment of lands that have subsequently reverted back to Crown reserve. The remaining nine parcels are new and were designed over Sector NL06-EN, with consideration given to stakeholder input from a previous call for nominations.
Bidding deadline is 6 November, 2024. Licences are expected to be awarded in early 2025. The sole criterion for selecting a winning bid will be the total amount of money the bidder commits to spending on exploration of the parcel during Period I (the first six years of a nine-year licence). The minimum bid for the parcels offered is $10,000,000 in work commitments.
Some of the parcels in this 2024 Call for Bids overlap the Northeast Newfoundland Slope Marine Refuge. The C-NLOPB will continue to work closely with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and others in the protection of environmentally significant areas. ‘Emissions-related considerations will be assessed as part of the regulatory review process when companies propose specific plans,’ said C-NLOPB.
The C-NLOPB said it will continue to engage with fisheries stakeholders, DFO, other federal and provincial agencies and other affected stakeholders throughout the land tenure process. ‘Any companies acquiring exploration licences pursuant to this Call for Bids will be required to engage with fishing interests before any oil and gas activities are authorised.’
Based on an assessment of nominations and land tenure considerations, the C-NLOPB has decided not to proceed with a Call for Bids in the Jeanne d’Arc Region in 2024.
Canada is hoping for more deep-water oil and gas exploration offshore Newfoundland.
Photo: Geoff Greenway.
Nigeria launches offshore leasing round
Nigeria has opened its 2024 Bid Round with 12 blocks on offer, six on the continental shelf, four deep offshore blocks and two onshore blocks in the Niger Delta.
PGS is offering multi-client seismic data over 10 of the blocks, from MegaSurvey full-stack PSTM to the currently in-processing Nigeria Vision, a fully reprocessed PSDM dataset, which is accompanied by pre-stack products, and will be available to license in Q3, 2024.
Through depth reprocessing, enhanced imaging of targets can be achieved with improved illumination of complex structures associated with the diapiric movement of the Akata Shale Formation. New modern broadband reprocessing results in seismic data rich in frequency content, with velocity
model building enabling clearer imaging of structures, faults, and traps.
PGS is also offering several recently reprocessed PSTM datasets, including the Nigeria MegaSurveyPlus.
Oil and gas round-up
Equinor has completed appraisal well (7324/7-4) on the Wisting discovery in the Barents Sea. The objective was to acquire data on the reservoir and cap rock, for use in evaluation and development of the discovery. The Wisting discovery was proven in Middle Jurassic and Upper Triassic reservoir rocks in the Realgrunnen Subgroup in 2013. The discovery is being evaluated for development along with the Hanssen discovery in the same production licence. Well 7324/7-4 encountered the reservoir in the Stø and Nordmela formations with a total of 39 m, with good reservoir quality. Extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out. Appraisal well 7324/7-4 was drilled to a vertical depth of 870 m below sea level and was terminated in the Fruholmen Formation in the Upper Triassic. Water depth is 396 m.
Shell has reported first quarter earnings of $7.7 billion, reflecting strong operational performance across the business. CFFO of $13.3 billion for the quarter includes a working capital outflow of $2.8 billion. Commencing a $3.5 billion share buyback programme, expected to be completed by
Q2 2024. Cash capex outlook remained unchanged at $22-25 billion.
Vår Energi has discovered oil in the Balder area of the Central North Sea, with estimated recoverable resources of between 13 and 23 million barrels of oil. The discovery has the potential to be tied into nearby existing infrastructure in the Balder area. The Ringhorne North discovery also de-risks more drillable prospects in the area and opens up potential development synergies with other nearby Vår Energi-operated discoveries such as KingPrince and Evra-Iving. The Ringhorne North exploration well and two additional side-track/appraisal wells were drilled by the semi-submersible rig Deepsea Yantai in the Central North Sea, 8 km north of the Vår Energi-operated Ringhorne field, about 200 km northwest of Stavanger. Licence partners are Vår Energi (50%), Aker BP (20%), Harbour Energy (15%) and Sval Energi (15%).
ExxonMobil has made a final investment decision for the Whiptail development offshore Guyana, after receiving government and regulatory
AVO compliant pre-stack data can be licensed as part of these datasets and helps to reveal subtle depositional features, significantly derisking exploration.
approvals. Whiptail, the sixth project on the Stabroek block, is expected to add approximately 250,000 barrels of daily capacity by the end of 2027. The $12.7 billion Whiptail project will include up to 10 drill centres with 48 production and injection wells. ExxonMobil holds a 45% interest in the Stabroek block. Hess holds 30% and CNOOC holds 25%.
Canacol Energy has discovered gas at Chontaduro-1. The Chontaduro-1 exploration well, located on the 100% operated VIM21 exploration and production contract, encountered 123 ft of net gas pay. The well reached a total depth of 9625 ft measured depth. The well encountered 123 ft true vertical depth of net gas pay with average porosity of 21% within the primary Cienaga de Oro sandstone reservoir.
Hibiscus Petroleum’s Bunga Aster-1 exploration well has encountered 17.5 m of oil-bearing sandstone with up to 46 m of potential oil column. Initial assessments indicate good reservoir characteristics. This marks the second significant discovery within a 12-month period, after the discovery of Bunga Lavatera in 2023.
PSTM reprocessing provides a significant uplift in imaging across the structurally complex Niger Delta, said PGS.
TECHNOLOGY AND TALENT FOR A SECURE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUTURE
Submit an article
This month we present an array of papers that demonstrate the industry’s commitment to providing technology and talent for a secure and sustainable energy future.
Julien Oukili et al discuss the value of recent technological advances in seismic acquisition and processing for CCS site screening projects, using multiple case studies from offshore North-West Europe.
Kyle Reuber et al present the seamless merge and calibration of >25,000 km² from four separate, vintage 3D seismic volumes into a single volume interpretation tool.
Mosquera-Rivera et al present a remote sensing analysis to identify potential concentrations of natural hydrogen by observing fairy circles.
Jeroen Hoogeveen et al present a methodology for bringing down the costs of OBN surveys through access to larger numbers of compact nodes with sufficient endurance to allow more efficient survey designs, negating the need for rolling and reducing source effort.
Jonathon Clearwater et al present 3D geological models to define the spatial distribution of rock types in the resource and using insights from geochemistry, geophysics and reservoir engineering data, to indicate reservoir boundaries, flow paths and other key features of the geothermal system.
Alexei Yankelevich analyses legislation and technology options and explains dronebased methane screening, which may significantly optimise current methane detection and quantification surveys.
Élodie Morgan et al explore the relationship between technology and talent in advancing carbon capture and storage solutions while leveraging skills developed in the oil and gas sector.
Nick Tranter discusses how STRYDE is working with global academic institutions to support research in science and sustainable energy.
First Break Special Topics are covered by a mix of original articles dealing with case studies and the latest technology. Contributions to a Special Topic in First Break can be sent directly to the editorial office (firstbreak@eage.org). Submissions will be considered for publication by the editor.
It is also possible to submit a Technical Article to First Break. Technical Articles are subject to a peer review process and should be submitted via EAGE’s ScholarOne website: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fb
You can find the First Break author guidelines online at www.firstbreak.org/guidelines.
Special Topic overview
January Land Seismic
February Digitalization / Machine Learning
March Reservoir Monitoring
April Underground Storage and Passive Seismic
May Global Exploration
June Technology and Talent for a Secure and Sustainable Energy Future
July Modelling / Interpretation
August Near Surface Geo & Mining
September Reservoir Engineering & Geoscience
October Energy Transition
November Marine Acquisition
December Data Management and Processing
More Special Topics may be added during the course of the year.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
10-13 Jun 85 th EAGE Annual Conference and Exhibition www.eageannual.org
25-26 Jun GeoDays 2024 geodays-2024.b2match.io
July 2024
30-31 Jul EAGE Workshop on Advanced Petroleum Systems AssessmentsIn Pursuit of Differentiated Barrels www.eage.org
2024 12-13 Aug 3 rd EAGE Conference on Carbon Capture & Storage Potential www.eage.org
14-15 Aug 4th EAGE Workshop on Fiber Optic Sensing for Energy Applications www.eage.org
14-15 Aug 1st EAGE/SUT Workshop on Integrated Site Characterization for Offshore Wind in Asia Pacific www.eage.org
18-23 Aug Goldschmidt 2024 conf.goldschmidt.info/goldschmidt/2024/meetingapp.cgi
