First Break May 2019

VO L U M E 3 7 I I S S U E 5 I M AY 2 019

SPECIAL TOPIC

Modelling/Interpretation TECHNICAL ARTICLE Tutorial: The mechanics of waveform inversion INDUSTRY NEWS UK launches biggest ever seismic data release

Multi-Client - Data Library

BARENTS SEA TOPSEIS 3D A better view of Greater Castberg CGG, in partnership with TGS, will acquire a 5,000 km 2 multi-client TopSeis™ 3D survey over the Greater Castberg area of the Barents Sea in 2019. This will incorporate: ¬ A next-generation TopSeis configuration: − Five sources deployed on the source vessel − Additional source on the streamer vessel to provide long-offset data for FWI and deep imaging ¬ Superior imaging and AVO quality: − Rich near offsets, high trace density, low noise ¬ Fast-track PSDM data to be available in December 2019

The right data, in the right place, at the right time

datalibrary.scan@cgg.com

cgg.com/barents

FIRST BREAK® An EAGE Publication

CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD Peter Rowbotham (Peter.Rowbotham@apachecorp.com) EDITOR Damian Arnold (editorfb@eage.org) MEMBERS, EDITORIAL BOARD • Paul Binns, consultant (pebinns@btinternet.com) • Patrick Corbett, Heriot-Watt University (patrick_corbett@pet.hw.ac.uk) • Tom Davis, Colorado School of Mines (tdavis@mines.edu) • Anthony Day, PGS (anthony.day@pgs.com) • Peter Dromgoole, Statoil UK (pdrum@statoil.com) • Rutger Gras, Oranje-Nassau Energy (gras@onebv.com) • Hamidreza Hamdi, University of Calgary (hhamdi@ucalgary.ca) • Ed Kragh, Schlumberger Cambridge Research (edkragh@slb.com) • John Reynolds, Reynolds International (jmr@reynolds-international.co.uk) • James Rickett, Schlumberger (jrickett@slb.com) • Dave Stewart, Dave Stewart Geoconsulting Ltd (djstewart.dave@gmail.com) • Femke Vossepoel, Delft University of Technology (f.c.vossepoel@tudelft.nl) MEDIA PRODUCTION MANAGER Thomas Beentje (tbe@eage.org) ACCOUNT MANAGER ADVERTISING Amy Townsend (atd@eage.org) ACCOUNT MANAGER SUBSCRIPTIONS Jack McClean (jmn@eage.org) PRODUCTION Saskia Nota (layout@eage.org) Ivana Geurts (layout@eage.org) EAGE EUROPE OFFICE PO Box 59 3990 DB Houten The Netherlands • +31 88 995 5055 • eage@eage.org • www.eage.org EAGE RUSSIA & CIS OFFICE EAGE Russia & CIS Office EAGE Geomodel LLC 19 Leninsky Prospekt 119071, Moscow, Russia • +7 495 640 2008 • moscow@eage.org • www.eage.ru EAGE MIDDLE EAST OFFICE EAGE Middle East FZ-LLC Dubai Knowledge Village Block 13 Office F-25 PO Box 501711 Dubai, United Arab Emirates • +971 4 369 3897 • middle_east@eage.org • www.eage.org EAGE ASIA PACIFIC OFFICE UOA Centre Office Suite 19-15-3A No. 19, Jalan Pinang 50450 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia • +60 3 272 201 40 • asiapacific@eage.org • www.eage.org

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K18-Golf Field seismic and reservoir modelling challenges

Editorial Contents 3

EAGE News

14 Crosstalk 17

Industry News

Technical Article

31

Tutorial: the mechanics of waveform inversion Ian F. Jones

Special Topic: Modelling/Interpretation

45 Joint inversion of gravity gradiometry and magnetic data using Gramian structural constraints: A case study from the McFaulds Lake survey, Ontario

Michael S. Zhdanov and Martin Čuma 51 A full wavefield approach to marine survey planning Chloé Lazizi, Stefan Jetschny, Morten W. Pedersen and Alba Ordoñez 59 K18-Golf Field seismic and reservoir modelling challenges J.C.P. Pipping, A. Wever, R. Bachmann, V. Smirnov and S. Deneuvillers 67 Impact of grey level transformation and chosen amplitude range on GLCM-based anisotropy estimation

Christoph Georg Eichkitz and Johannes Amtmann 75 Addressing uncertainty during early stage frontier exploration: bringing regional context to basin modelling

Natasha Dowey and Christine Yallup 81 3D fault imaging using windowed Radon transforms: an example from the North Sea

Geoffrey A. Dorn 89 Spectral Decomposition AVO attributes for identifying potential hydrocarbon-related frequency anomalies

Chris Han 98

Calendar of Events

EAGE LATIN AMERICA OFFICE Carrera 14 No 97-63 Piso 5 Bogotá, Colombia • +57 1 4232948 • americas@eage.org • www.eage.org EAGE MEMBERS CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTIFICATION Send to: EAGE Membership Dept at EAGE Office (address above) FIRST BREAK ON THE WEB www.firstbreak.org ISSN 0263-5046 (print) / ISSN 1365-2397 (online)

cover: Hard rock seismic imaging at the Erzberg mine, Austria (photo courtesy of Geo5).

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European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers

Board 2018-2019

Jean-Jacques Biteau President

Michael Pöppelreiter Vi c e-President

Near Surface Geoscience Division George Apostolopoulos Chair Alireza Malehmir Vice-Chair Micki Allen Contact Officer EEGS-NA Riyadh Al-Saad O&G Liaison Xavier Garcia Committee Member Peter Bergmann Technical Programme Representative Esther Bloem Technical Programme Representative Albert Casas Membership Officer Ranajit Ghose Editor in Chief Near Surface Geophysics Musa Manzi Committee Member Andreas Kathage Liaison Officer First Break Koya Suto Liaison Asia Pacific Musa Manzi Committee Member Jiangha Xia Liaison China

Colin MacBeth Education Officer

Oil & Gas Geoscience Division

Caroline Le Turdu Membership and Cooperation Officer

Ingrid Magnus Publications Officer

Everhard Muijzert Secretary-Treasurer

Caroline Jane Lowrey Chair Caroline Lowrey Chair Michael Peter Suess Vice-Chair John Brittan Past chair Rick Donselaar TP Representative (Geology) Xavier Garcia NSGD Liaison Julianne Heiland TP Representative (Geomechanics) Francesco Perrone YP Liaison Ann Muggeridge IOR Committee Liasion Aart-Jan van Wijngaarden Technical Programme Officer Martin Widmaier TP Representative (Geophysics) Michael Zhdanov NSGD Liaison Philip Ringrose Editor-in-chief (Petroleum Geoscience) Tijmen-Jan Moser Editor-in-chief (Geophysical Prospecting) Conor Ryan Resource Evaluation Committee liaison Sebastian Geiger Resource Evaluation Committee liaison

SUBSCRIPTIONS First Break is published monthly. It is free to EAGE members. The membership fee of EAGE is € 50.00 a year (including First Break, EarthDoc (EAGE’s geoscience database), Learning Geoscience (EAGE’s Education website) and online access to a scientific journal.

Companies can subscribe to First Break via an institutional subscription.

Every subscription includes a monthly hard copy and online access to the full First Break archive for the requested number of online users.

Aart-Jan van Wijngaarden Technical Programme Officer

George Apostolopoulos Chair Near Surface Geoscience Division

Caroline Jane Lowrey Chair Oil & Gas Geoscience Division

Orders for current subscriptions and back issues should be sent to EAGE Publications BV, Journal Subscriptions, PO Box 59, 3990 DB, Houten, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 (0)88 9955055, E-mail: subscriptions@eage.org, www.firstbreak.org.

First Break is published by EAGE Publications BV, The Netherlands.

However, responsibility for the opinions given and the statements made rests with the authors.

COPYRIGHT & PHOTOCOPYING © 2018 EAGE All rights reserved. First Break or any part thereof may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying and recording, ­without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

PAPER The Publisher’s policy is to use acid-free permanent paper (TCF), to the draft standard ISO/DIS/9706, made from sustainable ­forests using chlorine-free pulp (Nordic-Swan standard).

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HIGHLIGHTS

EAGE MEMBERS

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Awesome forum sessions on offer at EAGE Annual

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New synergies yield at vibrant SAGEEP event

Ten years on: Why support for EAGE Student Fund still matters

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Two new conferences to boost Near Surface 2019

The Hague: venue for the meeting.

Two innovative conferences will be featured in this year’s Near Surface Geoscience Conference and Exhibition being held 8-12 September 2019 in The Hague, Netherlands, alongside the 25th edition of the longstanding European Meeting of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics.

Attendees can maximize their experience at the event by attending or dropping in on the First Conference on Geophysics for Geothermal and Renewable Energy Storage. Here the focus will be on the geophysical developments dedicated to the exploration of geother-

mal fields and use of renewable-energy storage, employing both surface and downhole measurements.

Another option will be the First Conference on Geophysics for Infrastructure Planning, Monitoring and BIM, which aims to bridge the gap between geoscientists, geotechnical and geomechanical engineers, and asset owners/planners in this specific field.

As ever, EAGE’s main Near Surface event will explore a wide array of topics related to the near surface field, drawing on a wealth of plenary talks, oral and poster presentations, and discussions.

FIRST

Participants will also have the opportunity to meet the people behind the most cutting-edge research across a range of topics, from current applications of geophysics to the emergence of new technologies and research trends.

Don’t forget, too, that this is an occasion to seek out the many companies showcasing their latest services and equipment at the ever-expanding exhibition alongside the conference, with field demonstrations included.

Look out also for the full workshop and field trip programme, all on the EAGE website.

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EAGE NEWS

Join us for the Annual General Meeting in London!

Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth Sciences!

EAGE’s Annual General Meeting for Members (AGMM) will once again be held during the Annual Conference and Exhibition, this year in London on 5 June.

The meeting offers an important opportunity for members to learn more about the running of the Association and raise any issues they have. For example, members may well be interested in the new Association communities which have been set up and how the new Membership Recognition Programme will work.

After the AGMM, members can participate in our ‘Meet the Committees’

In its return to a London venue EAGE’s Exhibition at the Annual Meeting will once again offer delegates a great show of latest equipment and services related to geoscience and engineering. There will be over 350 booths to visit, kicking off with the Icebreaker Reception immediately after the Opening Session with drinks, appetizers, music and entertainment.

As members know, the wide variety of exhibitors from geoscience, engineering and energy companies offers countless opportunities to find out about the latest products and technology, make new contacts and network with professionals from across the globe.

There will be plenty going on, for example, the always popular International Prospect Centre returns with national oil companies, licensing agencies and key players promoting the latest exploration opportunities around the world. The Digital Transformation and Start-up exhibition areas should also attract anyone interested in where technology advances are moving and the companies involved. A schedule of the Theatre presentation activities can be found at our Annual website.

EAGE itself is organizing some events on the exhibition floor such as the Student Travel Grant Hunt! Best place to start your Exhibition tour is at the EAGE Hub, where the daily programme is available with staff in attendance to steer delegates to what they are looking for. At the end of the day look forward to drinks served from our coffee points.

You can register for the EAGE Annual 2019 at the regular rate until 15 May 2019. Register at wwww.eageannual2019.org.

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session, which gives you the chance to catch up with our different committees, and learn all about their work and how they are helping to shape EAGE’s selection of activities, services and benefits for membership.

The AGMM is open to all members and begins at 12:10 Room SG20/22 on Wednesday 5 June 2019 at the ExCeL Venue in London. It is preceded by a private informal meeting of some of EAGE’s longest serving members.

Check out www.eageannual2019.org to learn more.

Meet our growing Communities at the EAGE Annual 2019 EAGE’s Special Interest Communities are constantly evolving! At this year’s EAGE Annual in London (3-6 June 2019) you have the perfect opportunity to meet representatives from all our communities.

In addition to our longstanding and ever expanding Women in Geoscience and Engineering Special Interest Community and Young Professionals Special Interest Community, this year you can learn all about two brand new communities focusing on ‘Decarbonization and Energy Transition’ and ‘Artificial Intelligence’.

These two recently launched communities are aimed at preparing EAGE for the future, tapping into our incredible membership network to fuel fresh initiatives. Meantime you can engage with our young professionals through their dedicated session, or the interactive symposium ‘Your Career’, which will tackle the importance of digital skills in the contemporary workplace.

Here a group of experts will guide participants – aged 35 and under – to explore the opportunities of the digital transformation, how this impacts geoscience careers and the business sector.

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Our popular Women in Geoscience and Engineering Special Session returns with an exciting panel including keynote speaker Robbie Gries, founder and president of Priority Oil & Gas, and is sure to address some of the most pressing issues impacting women in the geoscience and engineering workplace.

Our Decarbonization and Energy Transition Community kicks off with its very first dedicated session, discussing a range of topics on green geoscience, decarbonization trajectories and much more. Check out www.eageannual2019.org for the latest developments.

Don’t forget that you can learn all about our communities and their upcoming activities and how to get involved at the EAGE Community Hub in the Exhibition Hall at the Annual.

Our staff will be on hand to answer all your queries. If you are interested in getting actively involved as a committee member, both the Women in Geoscience and Engineering and the Decarbonization and Energy Transition groups will be looking for volunteers for their 2019-2021 term.

Awesome forum sessions on offer at EAGE Annual

A shot from Copenhagen’s EAGE Forum.

They used to be known as our Executive Sessions at the Annual Meeting, but this year in London, we are calling them EAGE Forums to make it clear that everyone can learn from the great line-up of speakers and the discussion they provoke on industry hot topics.

There are three Forums in prospect.

The first on 4 June (08:30-10:30) entitled ‘Delivering the World’s Low Energy Carbon Needs’ could not be more topical. It features panel speakers Neal Anderson, CEO, WoodMackenzie; Luca Bertelli, chief exploration officer, Eni; Emily Shuckburgh, climate scientist and mathematician, British Antarctic Survey, and Luke Warren, CEO, CCSA. The moderator will be journalist Sebastian Chrispin.

The obvious big issues will be guidance on the future balance of energy types - renwables, nuclear, coal, oil and gas in the short, mid and long term; impact of electrification on the industry; barriers and catalysts for change; effectiveness of technologies for reducing carbon emissions (CO2 and methane); and how transformation is going to be paid for.

Tuesday afternoon’s Forum on ‘The roles of geoscientists and engineers in the changing energy and technology landscape’ (13:30-16:30) makes a natural follow-up to the previous session. It should be special as the moderator is Prof Iain Stewart of University of Plymouth, who not only is a star broadcaster and communicator on earth sciences but a vocal commentator on the changing future of geoscience studies. Prof Stewart will be joined Sophie Zurquiyah, CEO, CGG; Iain Manson senior client partner, global energy sector, EMEA region; Korn Ferry, Ann Muggeridge, professor in reservoir physics and EOR, Imperial College London and Naphtali Latter, account manager, Halliburton.

Their discussion is likely to focus on the challenge of identifying how geoscience and engineering roles will change in

the coming years and most importantly how can the industry attract and retain talent, an increasing concern in the era of coming digitization and the need for a more digital savvy geoscientist.

The Wednesday Forum (08:30-10:30) focuses on the increasingly challenging issue of ‘New Technologies for geoscience and Engineering’ at a time when oil companies are looking at digital technologies as well as operational improvements to gain efficiencies in project deliveries at lower cost. Moderated again

by Sebastian Chrispin, the panel of heavy hitters is made up of François Alabert, VP Geotechnology Solutions, Total, Michael Cousins, VP Geotechnology Solutions, ExxonMobil; Ulisses T. Mello, director research, IBM; Per Arild Reknes, executive vice president, operations and technology, PGS; Rebecca Wiles, head of upstream technology, BP; and Darryl Willis, vice president, Google Cloud, Oil, Gas & Energy.

Visitors are invited to interact by asking questions through our App! The Forums will be live streamed via the EAGE Annual website. Main sponsors enabling these great forum sessions are BP, ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco, Shell and Shearwater Geoservices.

Best buy at the Annual bookshop Looking for the best prices on geoscience books? Is there a book you have been meaning to buy and haven’t got around to it? Whatever the case, make sure you visit the EAGE Bookshop at the EAGE Community Hub to take advantage of a range of discounts available for members.

As usual there will be a great variety of titles on offer, many of them published

by EAGE. Visitors can purchase hard copies as well as e-books, and there will be a reading area so you can take the time to browse, read and relax in between the many great sessions on offer throughout the conference.

As always, there will also be several books offered at bargain prices, so be

sure to save some extra space in your luggage!

And remember, if a title is not available on site, a range of available books can easily be ordered through the easy-to-use EAGE bookshop website: www.bookshop.eage.org. Bookshop staff will be available throughout the week to answer any questions you have.

If you are interested to know more about the various journals that EAGE publishes, you should also come to the Bookshop. Flip through the sample copies and if you decide to subscribe, the forms are available to make certain you will receive your first issue (online or in print) as soon as possible.

EAGE NEWS

Anticipation builds for first IPTC 2020 in Saudi Arabia The 12th edition of the International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) will be something special. It is set to take place from 13–15 January 2020 at the Dhahran EXPO venue in Saudi Arabia, with Saudi Aramco serving as the exclusive host. As such it will be the first-ever international multi-disciplinary, inter-society meeting to be held in Saudi Arabia.

The conference theme for IPTC 2020 - ‘Vision to Prosperity: A New Energy Era Emerges’ - highlights the continuous effort

in the oil and gas industry to make the new global energy vision a reality. The word ‘vision’ is tied to the new era of energy that relies on conventional resources as well as unconventional resources, clean energy, and the 4th industrial revolution. It is also connected to the 2030 Saudi Prosperity Vision.

There has been an overwhelming response to the event with nearly 3000 paper submissions from industry professionals in 50 countries, representing over 200 companies,. The top three topics will

be drilling and completions, development and production, E&P geosciences, while topics such as integrated reservoir engineering and geoscience, unconventionals, and midstream gas have also received a significant number of submissions. The conference agenda is expected to have more than 70 technical sessions covering over 500 technical papers.

IPTC is sponsored by four industry professional associations – AAPG, EAGE, SEG and SPE.

Heriot-Watt students coming to town The students at Heriot-Watt University illustrate the opportunities offered through

Members of the student Chapter.

chapter involvement. For this reason, we are happy to share the following report from the president of the Chapter, Qi Zhang.

A 9 years old EAGE Student Chapter, based in the Institute of Petroleum Engineer of the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh – United Kingdom. Our chapter is composed by an international and multicultural postgraduate student community involved in petroleum industry orientated programmes.

Through the support of the EAGE Student Fund we have been able to develop a number of activities recently.

In 2018, as part of its activities a visit to Edinburgh Observatory was organized. Academically, the Chapter hosted

a course by Ian Jones, as a part of his EAGE Education Tour.

The vision of the chapter is to become the primary source for students geoscience career planning and a premier network for the oil industry. The mission of the Chapter is to develop knowledge and skills through educational activities and discussions, and build connections with the EAGE community.

The Chapter is currentely constructing a webpage to post all its news and events: https://etlp.hw.ac.uk/students/eage-chapter/ For more information, contact Chapter president Qi Zhang -qz8@hw.ac.uk.

EAGE Education Calendar 6 MAY

EAGE EDUCATION TOUR 5

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA

8 MAY

EAGE EDUCATION TOUR 5

LIMA, PERU

10 MAY

EAGE EDUCATION TOUR 5

SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA

15 MAY

DLP-WEBINAR BY ODDGEIR GRAMSTAD

ONLINE

20 MAY

EAGE EDUCATION TOUR 12

BELFAST, UK

27 MAY

DLP-WEBINAR BY TILMAN KLUVER

ONLINE

11 JUNE

EAGE EDUCATION TOUR 13

MANCHESTER, UK

14 JUNE

EAGE EDUCATION TOUR 11

WUHAN, CHINA

19 JUN-2 JUL

EDUCATION DAYS BEIJING: MULTIPLE SHORT COURSES PROGRAMME

BEIJING, CHINA

24 JUN-2 JUL

EDUCATION DAYS KUALA LUMPUR: MULTIPLE SHORT COURSES PROGRAMME

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

27 JUN-9 JUL

EDUCATION DAYS PERTH: MULTIPLE SHORT COURSES PROGRAMME

PERTH, AUSTRALIA

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.EAGE.ORG AND WWW.LEARNINGGEOSCIENCE.ORG.

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EAGE NEWS

New Synergies Yield at vibrant SAGEEP event

Demo time at the SAGEEP event in Portland, Oregon.

A sunny week in Portland, Oregon set the stage for the first collaboration between Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society (EEGS) and EAGE for the organization of the annual Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems (SAGEEP) which has a 32 year history.

SAGEEP is quite an intimate event that brings together near surface professionals mostly based in the US, this year joined by more international participants than in the past. As co-organizer, EAGE was responsible for a number of aspects of the event such as registration and promotional material.

EAGE also inspired the introduction of a three conference format that has proved successful at the EAGE’s own annual Near Surface event, most recently in Porto and due to take place in Sep-

tember in The Hague. By all accounts the addition of separate Shallow Marine/ Coastal Geophysics and Geohazard conference sessions was welcomed and helped to build an exhibition with over 40 booths.

Marcel van Loon, executive director, EAGE said: ‘This was a great start to our collaboration with EEGS on SAGEEP. The introduction of the three-conference format made for good energy and a busy exhibition. Attendance generally was up, and we were even blessed with sunny weather.’

Dennis Mills, general chair, SAGEEP 2019, was impressed with EAGE’s support for the event: ‘It all turned out very well, and I have received very positive feedback. So we look forward to teaming up with EAGE again in Denver in 2020.’

A sunny afternoon made for a good delegate turn-out for the equipment

demonstrations held outside the event venue on the banks of the Columbia River. Local passers-by were doubtless intrigued by the range of hand-held and small four-wheeled imaging devices busily surveying a patch of Portland’s city greenspace.

The final day field trip took participants on a tour of accessible, snow-covered surrounds of Mount St Helens, the active stratovolcano that erupted so spectacularly in 1980 killing over 57 people and causing destruction of homes, bridges, roads and railways.

The elevation from the mountain’s summit was reduced from 2950 m to 2549 m.

The event was bookended by a number of short courses ranging from the use of drones for geology and geophysics to foundation non-destructive testing.

EAGE Student Calendar 22 MAY

STUDENT LECTURE TOUR

LATIN AMERICA BOGOTA, COLOMBIA

24 MAY

STUDENT LECTURE TOUR

LATIN AMERICA HUILA,, COLOMBIA

27 MAY

STUDENT LECTURE TOUR

LATIN AMERICA CIUDAD DE MEXICO, MEXICO

29 MAY

STUDENT LECTURE TOUR

LATIN AMERICA RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

2-6 JUN

81ST EAGE CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

LONDON, UK

2 JUN

LAURIE DAKE CHALLENGE FINAL

LONDON, UK

3 JUN

MINUS CO2 CHALLENGE FINAL

LONDON, UK

4 JUN

GEO-QUIZ 2019

LONDON, UK

16-20 JUN

THE 8TH INTERNATIONAL GEOSCIENCES STUDENT CONFERENCE (GSC)

UPPSALA, SWEDEN

17 JUN

REGIONAL GEO-QUIZ 2019

UPPSALA , SWEDEN

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION PLEASE CHECK THE STUDENT SECTION AT WWW.EAGE.ORG

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EAGE NEWS

Ten years on: Why support for EAGE Student Fund still matters The EAGE Student Fund (ESF) celebrates its 10 th anniversary this year. Since its inception, the fund has supported students worldwide with new knowledge, skills and an international network to become the next generation’s geoscientific experts. To understand the activities involved, there’s no better place to start than asking Paul Sava, chairperson of the ESF, who students may recognize as one of the Geo-Quiz masters at EAGE events. munity and participate in its activities. At the same time, future geoscience careers are unlikely to resemble those of the past.

The scientific and technological landscape is rapidly changing.

A key responsibility and challenge is to provide support for the EAGE strategic growth initiatives in line with the changing nature of the geoscience profession, while ensuring that activities and financial support reach all regions.

This goal can only be accomplished by bringing together and raising support from all constituencies including individual members, companies and academia.

Foundation head: Paul Sava.

How did you become involved with the EAGE Student Fund?

As professor and Green Chair of exploration geophysics at Colorado School of Mines, I am a geophysicist with a broad interest in developing technology for imaging the interior of the Earth using seismic and radar wavefields. My students and I also work on new methods for geophysical instrument deployment, as well as on design of new seismic acquisition sensors.

My involvement with ESF started when I was education officer on the EAGE Board. I became a member and chair of the ESF Fund Board in 2014.

You have been chair of the ESF for half of its 10 years of existence. What are the main challenges for Fund and students themselves in the upcoming years?

The EAGE community has grown rapidly over the years, reaching a larger group of geoscientists worldwide. Many new members are students who seek to integrate in the worldwide EAGE professional com-

As a long established teacher in the field, what is the most valuable aspect of the EAGE Student Fund for students?

If I were a student today I have no doubt that obtaining support to be present at the EAGE Annual Meeting in order to interact with other members of EAGE would be my number one priority. The ability to learn from and network with my fellow members at the largest gathering of the Association would boost my professional profile, as well as give me an opportunity to participate in the growth and outreach of EAGE.

Why should people or organizations contribute to the mission of the ESF today?

All of us have benefited along our professional careers by support and encouragement from colleagues and mentors of prior generations. As EAGE members, we see the strength of our organization in the future closely aligned with a vibrant and engaged community of young geoscientists who will soon take over from us and lead the Association forward.

Likewise, companies supporting ESF, see a professional, dynamic, informed, and responsible new generation of geoscientists.

The EAGE student community is a perfect environment from which to recruit those who will not only strengthen our organizations, but also help reimagine and reposition them for a future we can hardly envisage.

Our collective investment in the future generation of geoscientists and engineers is the best thing we can do to guarantee the stability and success of our professional organization. Quoting Abraham Lincoln, ‘Investment in knowledge pays the best interest’. This is the core role of ESF, which I hope to be embraced by all members of the EAGE community.

Supporting the EAGE Student Fund Over the course of the last decade, the ESF helped thousands of students to develop their international network, discover new skills and support them to kick-start their careers in earth sciences. If you also want to support the future generation of geoscientists, please consider making a donation at eagestudentfund.org/donate or learn more about the Funds’ activities at EAGEstudentfund.org.

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EAGE NEWS

October date for Russian Far East workshop

Sakhalin landscape.

EAGE will hold the Fifth International Scientific Workshop ‘Far East Hydrocarbons 2019’ in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on 1–3 October 2019.

The previous workshop in 2016 was largely supported by companies operating in Sakhalin. Owing to their remoteness, these are companies that appreciate the need for such meetings and know

well technical programme will focus on joint efforts of geologists and geophysicists to tackle industry challenges covering a wide range of topics — from the studies of petroleum basins to field operations.

Abstracts for submission are invited on the following topics: Geophysical prospecting (field seismic surveys; mod-

ern seismic data processing techniques; non-seismic surveying techniques); Complex geological data analysis and hydrocarbon system modelling; Petrophysical interpretation of logging data, and petroelastic modelling; Offshore geological surveying; Basin analysis and hydrocarbon system modelling; and Offshore geology and hydrocarbon prospects.

Problems in offshore development are also proposed for discussion in themes such as well drilling; engineering, construction, and support works; geotechnical surveying; reservoir modelling; and production engineering.

The Call for Abstracts is open until 1 July 2019. We anticipate lively discussions and exchange of latest research results and look forward to providing the participants an opportunity to admire the beauty of nature and warmth of hospitality of the Russian Far East. Don’t miss the chance to join the event!

From Pau to Alaska: focus on geothermal energy

French Local Chapter meet.

‘Exploration for Geothermal Resources: Insights from Alaska’ provided the topic for the second lecture of the year for EAGE Local Chapter Pau on March 19 at the Auditorium of the Hélioparc Technopole.

Dr Amanda Kolker, senior exploration geologist, who recently joined the geothermal team of the US National Renewa-

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ble Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, was the presenter. After introducing the different types of geothermal resources and utilizations, Dr Kolker took the audience through two case studies of geothermal resources exploration and development workflows in Alaska: a conventional one in a volcanic setting on Akutian island and a non-conventional one, the Chena Hot Spring, located in a faulted basement setting inland Alaska.

She showed how the typical initial phases of a geothermal project development, namely prospection, exploration, resources evaluation, confirmation, system design and construction, can make use of a variety of techniques and methods according to the geological play concept that is being explored and developed. The final part of the talk focused on the challenges

2019

facing the geothermal energy industry and the obstacles to massive geothermal deployment, calling for a paradigm change, for instance, appreciation of the value to the society and the environment services (e.g., its limited impact on climate) that geothermal energy is rendering and make this renewable and continuous energy more economically viable.

Capture Small Changes Extract more with GeoStreamer multisensor broadband 4D

A Clearer Image | www.pgs.com/4D

EAGE NEWS

Giant Carbonate Reservoir Workshop makes successful debut in Abu Dhabi Yousef Mousa (Saudi Aramco) reports on the First EAGE Workshop on Characterization and Workflows for Giant Carbonate Field Developments of the Middle East held in Abu Dhabi on 17-21 February, 2019, sponsored by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Saudi Aramco.

Participants at the First EAGE Giant Carbonate Reservoirs Workshop.

Co-chairs Christoph Lehmann (BP and ADNOC Onshore) and Yousef Mousa (Saudi Aramco) welcomed delegates from the Gulf region, Middle East, East Asia, various companies from Europe, and academics to the three day technical programme.

Two keynote presentations opened the sessions, the first by Hammad Al Zaabi (ADNOC), which focused on the digital transformation with the role of new logging tools (NMR, multi-azimuth resistivity, and distance to boundary tools). He emphasized the need to improve the digital rock physics domain and use artificial intelligence in 3D seismic to extract appropriate hydrocarbon indicators, noting that this would still require people, breaking down silos, and better usage of upscaling methods.

The second keynote by Dr Aus Al Tawil (Saudi Aramco), discussed the subsurface imaging whitelist reminding the audience of how small the volume of data is that they are working with in relation to the actual field size. He also identified the continuing interest in fractures (particular-

ly layer-bound) and the use of pre-stack seismic data to extract more quantitative models. He quoted the mantra ‘The minute you complete a model it is obsolete’ and cited the practical challenges of updating reservoir models in real time, especially with horizontal wells, which has required the development of new visualization tools (curtain cross sections) and 2D conformal (structural) modelling-while-drilling to make holistic update to the model in real time.

The workshop presentations were conducted over seven sessions designed to represent a workflow from static reservoir description to dynamic models. This incorporated the use of outcrop analogues to help define geobodies in the subsurface, develop depositional and diagenetic concepts in one-dimension, building the sequence stratigraphic framework in the two-dimension, the use of fracture characterization and its effect on the development of a field, the impact of petrophysical characterization of carbonate reservoirs, the role of seismic reservoir characterization and its implication for carbonate rocks, and finally, a look at the advances made in carbonate reservoir modelling and reservoir simulation.

The poster sessions illustrated case studies of carbonate reservoirs from different regions where these workflows were applied. Each day had a discussion session where participants could follow up on tech-

nical questions on the material presented.

They also had the opportunity to bring in their experience to the workshop.

In the light of the positive feedback received from workshop attendees, the committee was encouraged to start planning a follow up event in early 2021.

The workshop was bookended by a short course and two field trips. Before the workshop Prof Patrick Corbett presented a short course on ‘Carbonate Reservoir Characterization and Modelling’ addressing key issues and challenges encountered when creating a static and dynamic reservoir model. The course was attended by students from local universities along with young professionals from various oil companies. Examples from case studies were used and discussed to maximize the experience and help the participants gain insight and broaden their knowledge on the workflows.

One post event field trip took participants to the Abu Dhabi tidal flats under the guidance of Hesham Shebl (ADNOC-Technical Centre), where the participants got to look at a modern day analogue of the tidal flat system. The second field trip was to Jebel Hafeet, led

by Dr Henry Ewart Edwards (ADNOC Offshore) and Dr Christoph Lehmann (BP/ ADNOC Onshore). They explained the complex stratigraphic patterns and facies changes that develop in an active tectonic setting along an anticline.

The EAGE Student Fund supports activities that help bridge the gap between the university and professional environments for students of geosciences and engineering. Thanks to our Student Fund contributors we can continue supporting students around the globe and through this securing the future of our industry. For more information to become a Student Fund contributor, please visit eagestudentfund.org or contact us at students@eage.org.

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CROSSTALK

BY AN D R E W M c BAR N E T

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Near surface wave of fortune Regulatory agencies are obviously aware of the advisability of Time is long overdue for near surface geophysics to regain some more systematic monitoring to ensure the integrity and longevity of of the spotlight monopolized for decades by the advances made our civil infrastructures. The technology from a range of geophysin seismic acquisition and processing technology for hydrocarbon ical methods such as ground-penetrating radar, sound-wave propaexploration. gation methods, and electrical impedance measurements is readily That’s why an announcement by CGG last month harbours available, yet systematic programmes of inspection and monitoring more significance than may appear at first sight. The company’s in the public and private sector have in the past not been common.

Sercel division is said to have developed a super-sensitive, MEMSThe usual reasons put forward for this are the expense and the based seismic sensor technology for structural health monitoring reluctance of both governments and the private sector to commit no (SHM) as well as an application for earth monitoring. The SHM more funds than necessary to maintenance/precautionary projects product is a step forward in a new collaboration with APAVE, an that have no immediately demonstrable return on investment. A international infrastructure risk control company, to develop a new theme that emerged at the recent SAGEEP conference in Portland, integrated solution for structural monitoring.

Oregon, based mainly on US experience, was that geophysical These developments signal an intriguing pivot in the company’s solutions were still not routinely used in some business direction from its traditional focus on state departments responsible for infrastructure seismic acquisition equipment for the oil and ‘We should be maintenance despite all sorts of advice to do so. gas industry and by extension a change in the taking a less This was put down to a more universal landscape for near surface geophysical methods. experience, namely a gap between geotechnical It of course makes total sense for Sercel cavalier approach engineering professionals who commission to explore new markets given the persistentto the condition of projects and the geoscience community. Comly depressed outlook for equipment sales in munication is one issue here. Geophysicists its traditional business for land and offshore infrastructure’ deal in probabilities, while engineers demand seismic surveys, where it has long been the certainty. A somewhat inconclusive session at SAGEEP discussed established leader. Getting into infrastructure monitoring is one of the effectiveness of placing near surface geophysical methods into the avenues where near surface geophysics has some cost effective site investigation workflows. What emerged was reiteration of some solutions and others not yet fully exploited. The CGG release refers familiar challenges which near surface practitioners have always to ‘high-potential’ markets for SHM and earth monitoring, and that had to grapple with. remains the challenge.

First of all, despite coming under the same general discipline Common sense dictates that we should be taking a less cavalier with only a little crossover, near surface geophysics professionals approach to the condition of the infrastructure that makes our daily, operate in a different universe from their counterparts in the predominantly urban, lives possible. Yet, inertia rules. High rise resource extraction business. The cost of entry into the market is buildings, bridges, tunnels, railway lines, dams, drinking water and minimal, the equipment deployed is micro-scale compared with waste water systems, etc, upon which we rely, do not on the whole oil and gas seismic acquisition, and a large number of the projects fail except in exceptional circumstances such as natural disasters, come from government and other institutional sources rather than fire or flooding. The first skyscrapers in Chicago and New York private companies with low margins. As a result, the market has built well over 100 years apparently show no sign of wilting. never appealed to big corporations, so the near surface geophysics Communal complacency is therefore understandable, when there is profession, in so far as it can be identified amid its very diverse no overt reason for public concern.

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CROSSTALK

Such initiatives focused on infrastructure issues form only part activities, is generally represented by modest-sized suppliers of of the roadmap for what could be a renaissance for near surface equipment and services, consultants and academia. Consequently geophysics. Energy transition is having its impact. EAGE’s second technology advance has been slow. parallel meeting being held alongside Near Surface 2019 will be The good news is that a higher profile for near surface the inaugural Geophysics for Geothermal-Energy Utilization and geophysics seems to be on the way, prompted by an increased Renewable-Energy Storage. The promise here is that exploration community concern worldwide about our environment, stimulated of new target reservoirs for subsurface storage (heat, chill, fluids by worries about climate change, pollution, dependence on oil and including CO2 and H2, pressurized air) and geothermal systems, as gas, population density, etc. well as the monitoring of operational sites, require dedicated stateThe explosion of interest in building information modelling of-the-art geophysical survey and monitoring networks.

(BIM) is just one example of how the response to these issues is Should such expectations be on track, this may help to taking off. In this case it is about harnessing digital solutions to accelerate the rethinking and rebranding of geoscience education. provide the possibility of improved monitoring of infrastructure.

The academic community has been slow to break down the silo In theory, this should lead to increased near surface geophysical approach in its departments. Until recently at least, students have input. Countries around the world have embraced the concept. For been more or less coerced into following either seismic and related example, in December 2015, Alexander Dobrindt, German Minister technologies for finding and producing oil and gas, or near surface for Transport at the time, announced a timetable for the introduction techniques with little liaison between the two. Not surprisingly, the of mandatory BIM for German road and rail projects from the end seismic section, so to speak, has in the past been overwhelmingly of 2020. the most popular.

EAGE is on trend. Along with the main event at Near Surface The appeal of near surface has relied more on the diversity of Geoscience 2019 in the Hague, there will be a parallel conference applications (geotechnical investigation, hydrology, mines, archaeon Geophysics for Infrastructure Planning Monitoring and BIM. ology, UXO, forensics, etc) and methods (in With SEG in December it will be holding addition to reflection and refraction seismic, a conference in Singapore on Geophysical ‘This may help to gravity, magnetics, electric resistivity and Aspects of Smart Cities.

Ten years ago, the US National Institute accelerate the rethinking electromagnetics including ground penetrating radar). Seasoned professionals in the of Standards and Technology (NIST) called and rebranding of field also say that being able to control and for advances in state-of-the-art of sensing geoscience education’ see a near surface project through from start technologies. At that time the country had to finish is attractive compared with the long 1 million milles (1.6 million km) of water lead times in obtaining results from exploration seismic surveys. mains, 600,000 bridges, and 4 million miles (6.4 million km) of Spin-off from the energy transition and the coincidental digital public roadway. It argued that the technologies needed to achieve transformation impacting all sectors of human endeavour may well continuous monitoring of structural integrity with costs low enough serve to recruit a new generation of students favourable to near to permit wide-scale, permanent deployment require transformative surface. Meanwhile, the oil industry has lost some of its gloss for research. The idea seems to be taking root around the world. potential geoscientists who worry about its perceived environmental The concept of the smart city was a popular talk at SAGEEP, unfriendliness and lack of job security. presented by Nigel Cassidy, professor of geotechnical infrastructure Prospective near surface geophysicists can potentially be excited engineering. Classic inefficiencies he alluded to were the annual by the green and sustainable possibilities of non-invasive methods cost of digging up roads in the UK which is estimated at £5 billion, aimed at improving the environment. The tools at their disposal and the more than 30% of UK buried infrastructure which is either should soon include all the good things coming out of Big Data, unmapped or mapped inadequately. the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Smart cities will leverage digital data, artificial intelligence Hopefully, students can also look forward to being exposed to the and machines to create efficiencies, improve sustainability, create need for a more integrated, shared discipline approach to resolving economic development, and enhance quality of life factors for environmental and engineering issues. people living and working in the city. This approach opens up the It would be foolish to raise expectations too high in outlining the possibility of new approaches to geophysical monitoring, for examfavourable groundswell even if other auguries such as the increasing ple, passive seismic using the noise of the natural/built environment. numbers in EAGE’s Near Surface Division are encouraging. In Prof Cassidy featured the £27 million government-funded many respects we are talking potential rather than actual. The analNational Buried Infrastructure Facility at the University of Birmingogy of surfers weighing the ocean conditions comes to mind. We ham. Opening in 2020, it is said to be a unique soil-structure intercan’t tell yet whether we are in for a bomb (big wave) or a series of action laboratory for innovation, research, testing and knowledge ankle busters (waves too small to ride). Best prediction is probably exchange. It includes geophysics and hence should encourage the somewhere in between. dialogue with engineering disciplines.

Views expressed in Crosstalk are solely those of the author, who can be contacted at andrew@andrewmcbarnet.com.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

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Lebanon launches 2nd licensing round

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Norway sets out case for exploration near the Arctic

UK announces huge release of free seismic data The UK Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has launched one of the largest ever single open releases of data with the launch of the UK’s first UK Oil and Gas National Data Repository (NDR).

Freely available to everyone, the NDR is an online platform which is home to 130 terabytes of well, geophysical, field and infrastructure data, (equivalent to around eight years’ worth of HD movies) covering more than 12,500 wellbores, 5000 seismic surveys, and 3000 pipelines.

The NDR aims to help achieve maximum economic recovery of the estimated 20 billion barrels of oil and gas that remains, unlocking new investment, new technology and more exploration activity. In addition, the NDR will play an important role in the energy transition, including for example enabling future carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) projects.

Nic Granger, director of corporate at the OGA said: ‘The world is arguably entering a “fourth industrial revolution”, with data at its heart. The National Data Repository is a UK first and is an important milestone in our vision to enable open, transparent data. The platform makes data available for machine learning and artificial intelligence and offers the opportunity to uncover new prospects and previously overlooked plays.’

The data release includes 5000 seismic surveys carried out on the UKCS.

Simon James, chief information officer at the OGA added: ‘The NDR creates research opportunities for both technology and analysis. For the industry, it means access to a huge data pool to harness digital technology, relieves them of the regulatory requirement to retain information, and enhances collaboration.

For the OGA, it means sustainable curation, maximizing data for MER while enabling compliance monitoring.’

The data can be found at ndr.ogaauthority.co.uk.

Meanwhile, the OGA has released regional maps and supporting data for the Mid North Sea High area, offshore UK. These data represent the latest delivery from the OGA’s Regional Geological Mapping project which has been carried FIRST

out in collaboration with Lloyd’s Register over the last three years.

The OGA is also releasing the final data from the two-year post-doctoral Frontier Basins Research Mid North Sea High project that was carried out at Heriot-Watt University. The Heriot-Watt research project has produced a set of regional time interpretation grids based on the OGA’s released 2D seismic data, an extensive set of field and well summaries, and regional play maps.

The data from the OGA Regional Geological Mapping project have been published under the Open Government Licence. The data from the Heriot-Watt post-doctoral research project have been released under the OGA User Licence Agreement.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

BP establishes $100 million fund to cut greenhouse gas emissions BP has established a $100 million Upstream Carbon Fund for projects to deliver new greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in its upstream oil and gas operations.

In April 2018, BP set targets aimed at reducing its emissions and advancing the energy transition, including achieving 3.5 million tonnes of sustainable GHG emissions reductions across the BP Group from 2016 to 2025 and targeting a methane intensity of 0.2%.

In the year since, BP’s total direct GHG emissions fell by 1.7 million tonnes CO2 equivalent, despite a 3% growth in upstream oil and gas production on the same basis. By the end of 2018, BP had generated 2.5 million tonnes of sustainable GHG emissions reductions throughout its businesses since 2016. BP’s methane intensity for 2018 was 0.2% – in line with the target.

Upstream chief executive Bernard Looney said: ‘A year ago we challenged everyone at BP to reduce emissions in our operations and they have responded overwhelmingly. This $100 million investment is designed to build on that momentum. It will fund ideas both big and small because everything counts in our transition to a lower carbon future and everyone at BP has a role to play.’

Under the new initiative, funding totalling up to $100 million will be made available over the next three years to support new projects in the upstream business that will generate additional GHG emission reductions. Businesses and employees throughout BP’s Upstream operating businesses are being invited to come up with ideas and propose projects for this funding.

The Upstream Carbon Fund will be in addition to the $500 million that BP

invests in low carbon activities each year, including its alternative energy business.

BP is also a founding member of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, which brings together 13 of the world’s largest energy companies and has set up a $1 billion investment fund to address methane emissions and other issues.

BP’s targets for reductions in operational emissions are part of its ‘reduce-improve-create’, or RIC, approach to the energy transition, which also aims to improve its products to allow customers to reduce their emissions and to create and grow new low carbon businesses. The projects that are awarded funding will help to deliver the further emissions reductions necessary to achieve the RIC targets.

In January, BP announced that its 36,000 employees will win bonuses for progress towards the sustainable emissions reductions target.

Latest US Gulf of Mexico sale attracts $244 million in high bids The US region-wide Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 252 generated $244,299,344 in high bids for 227 tracts covering 1,261,133 acres in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Thirty companies participated in the lease sale, submitting $283,782,480 in bids.

‘Today’s lease sale shows strong bidding by established companies, which indicates that the Gulf of Mexico will continue to be a leading energy source for our nation long into the future,’ said the Interior’s assistant secretary for land and minerals management Joe Balash Lease Sale 249 in 2017 generated $121 million in high bids, while Lease Sale 250 in 2018 had $124 million in high bids. Lease Sale 251 had $178 million in high bids.

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Lease Sale 252 included 14,699 unleased blocks, located from 3 to 231 miles offshore (5-372 km), in the Gulf’s Western, Central and Eastern Planning Areas in water depths ranging from nine to more than 11,115 feet (three to 3400 m).

‘The Gulf of Mexico remains a premier basin, covering about 160 million acres. It holds about 48.5 billion barrels of oil and 141 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered and technically recoverable gas,’ said acting US Bureau of Ocean Management director Walter Cruickshank.

Meanwhile, the US BOEM is offering 78 million acres for a region-wide lease sale scheduled for August 2019 to include all available unleased areas in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

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Lease Sale 253 will include approx.

14,699 unleased blocks, located from three to 231 miles offshore, in the Gulf’s Western, Central and Eastern planning areas in water depths ranging from nine to more than 11,115 feet (three to 3400 m).

The Gulf of Mexico OCS, covering about 160 million acres (65 million hectares), is estimated to contain about 48 billion barrels of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and 141 trillion cubic feet (4 trillion m3) of undiscovered technically recoverable gas.

As with previous sales, the terms for all current lease sales include a 12.5% royalty rate for leases in less than 200 m of water depth, and a royalty rate of 18.75% for all other leases.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Lebanon launches much delayed second offshore licensing round Seismic contractors are vying to offer energy companies data to support applications for Lebanon’s newly announced second offshore licensing round in the highly prospective Levantine Basin.

PGS, the official data provider for the round, is offering more than 10,000 km2 of matched, fully migrated and merged 3D seismic data from its PSDM MegaSurvey.

It also has 8800 line km of 2D GeoStreamer seismic (acquired 2009 and 2011) tied to the 3D surveys. Data rooms are available in PGS offices globally and in Beirut at the Ministry of Energy and Water and the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA).

Meanwhile, Spectrum has acquired and interpreted more than 5000 km2 of modern multi-client 3D data offshore Lebanon, covering 3 of the 4 blocks anticipated to be included in the second licensing round. Through this data, Spectrum has shown that the Early Miocene reservoir indicates a string of three-way dip closed and one-way fault closed structures that range in size from 20 to 50 km2, capped by thick Late Miocene mudstones. These are similar in size to the Tamar structure (9 TCF) to the south but less highly faulted.

After several delays since the first offshore licensing round in 2017, the Lebanese government has approved the opening of the country’s much-anticipated second offshore licensing round. Interested companies will be expected to submit their bids by 31 January 2020.

The LPA has detailed five offshore blocks to be offered in the 2nd round – Blocks 1, 2, 5, 8 and 10.

PGS is the official data provider for Lebanon’s offshore exploration blocks.

Tenders will not be preceded by a separate pre-qualification process, as was the case in the 1st round, in order to streamline the process and allow oil companies additional time for evaluation. Provisional block winners are expected to be announced during April 2020.

The legal framework for the second round has largely remained unchanged from the first but pre-qualification criteria have been slightly loosened to encourage greater participation.

After the Zohr discovery, which opened up a different play type to those of the Leviathan and Aphrodite discoveries, much of the eastern Mediterranean has had a renewed focus of

exploration activity. With this increased level of interest, Lebanon’s second offshore licensing round provides a timely opportunity to gain access to favourable acreage in this emerging region.

ExxonMobil, along with partners Qatar Petroleum, recently announced a multi-TCF discovery of gas in the Glaucus-1 well offshore Cyprus. The well encountered a gas-bearing reservoir of ~133 metres with in-place resources estimated to be 3-5 TCF. This discovery brings the total announced gas reserves in the region up to 70 TCF. Guidance on the application process, covering legal, technical, commercial, quality, health, safety, and environmental aspects, will be made available soon.

Shearwater awarded Barents Sea seismic survey Shearwater has won a contract for a Barents Sea seismic acquisition survey with full data processing from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).

The company’s Reveal software will be used for full onboard and onshore

processing enabling close collaboration.

Shearwater has previously processed 2D surveys for the NPD in the area and the experience gained will be used to support execution of this new project, said Irene Waage Basili, CEO of Shearwater.

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The one-month survey will start in the third quarter of 2019 and will be carried out by the vessel Amazon Conqueror, which is equipped with Isometrix technology and will be active in the North Sea this summer.

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Polarcus starts 3D survey off South Africa Polarcus has started a new 3D seismic acquisition over the Paddavissie Fairway on the Total-operated Block 11B/12B offshore South Africa.

Jan Maier, VP exploration of client Africa Energy, said: ‘The progamme will better define prospects within Block 11B/12B offshore South Africa.

The recent success at the Brulpadda primary and secondary targets significantly de-risks other similar prospects already identified on the existing 2D seismic data. With this new 3D seismic programme, the reservoir zones will be better imaged for the selection of future drilling locations. The 3D seismic acquisition programme will last until the end of April.’

The Brulpadda discovery is located on Block 11B/12B in the Outeniqua Basin 175 km off the southern coast of South Africa. The block covers an area of 19,000 km2 with water depths ranging from 200 to 1800 m.

The Block 11B/12B joint venture partners have contracted Polarcus to perform the 3D marine seismic acquisition programme with the seismic vessel Polarcus Asima.

Meanwhile, Polarcus’ vessel utilization for Q1 2019 was 92% compared with 82% in Q1 2018 and 87% for the full year of 2018.

Finally, the vessel Vyacheslav Tikhonov, formerly named Polarcus Selma, has been redelivered to Polarcus by the bareboat charterer Sovcomflot.

Polarcus said that it expected the vessel to be redelivered towards the end of April 2019 so that it can be redeployed on seismic acquisitions for Polarcus. It said in a statement: ‘With evident signs of market improvement, the company is in dialogue with customers on various projects and will explore opportunities for the vessel over the summer season.’

Pakistan to launch licensing round Pakistan plans to offer onshore gas concessions in the coming year. More than 30 onshore gas blocks have been identified and the government plans to auction a large chunk of them in one or two licensing rounds by the end of 2019, said Nadeem Babar, head of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Task Force on Energy Reforms.

Conventional gas reserves are estimated at 20 trillion cubic feet (tcf), or 560 billion m3, and shale gas reserves, which are untouched, at more than 100 tcf.

The Pakistan government is also drawing up its first-ever shale gas policy, with licensing rounds to follow later this year.

Eni and ExxonMobil are already part of a joint venture exploring for gas offshore Pakistan in the Arabian Sea and it is hoped that other western energy companies will return to the region after leaving more than a decade ago because of Islamist violence.

Shearwater wins 4D contract in the North Sea Shearwater GeoServices has won a contract for a 4D seismic survey at the Troll Unit by Equinor to be conducted this summer.

The Troll Unit survey will last approximately two months and be conducted by the Amazon Conqueror using Shearwater’s Isometrix system.

‘The award of the Troll Unit project from Equinor adds to our extensive 4D and Isometrix programme for the 2019 summer season. We are encouraged by our strong seasonal backlog which reflects an overall increase in 4D survey activity,’ said Irene Waage Basili, the CEO of Shearwater GeoServices.

Meanwhile, Shearwater has won a seismic acquisition and depth processing contract from Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı (TPAO).

The survey contract covers an area of 2200 km2 and includes fast-track pro20

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cessing, followed by full time and depth processing. Work will commence in Q2 2019 and will be conducted by the Polar Empress.

‘We are very pleased to see the Polar Empress contracted by TPAO for this 14-streamer survey, following on from

efficient operations elsewhere completing ahead of schedule. Achieving operational efficiency within each project and maximizing utilization over a programme of projects is key to our results,’ said Irene Waage Basili, the CEO of Shearwater GeoServices.

Illustration of the Troll field, where the vessel Amazon Conquerer will be operating for two months.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

BP and Environmental Defence Fund team up to cut methane emissions BP and the Environmental Defence Fund (EDF) have announced a three-year collaboration to advance technologies and practices to reduce methane emissions from the global oil and gas supply chain.

The agreement enables collaboration on projects that test technologies and emerging strategies to continue to improve methane management.

Bernard Looney, BP’s Upstream chief executive, said: ‘We’ve made great progress driving down emissions across our own business, including meeting our industry-leading methane intensity target of 0.2%, but there is much more work to do and partnering with the committed and capable team at EDF will help us to develop and share best practices.

Fred Krupp, EDF president, said: ‘The scale of the methane challenge is enormous, but so is the opportunity. Whether natural gas can play a constructive role in the energy transition depends on aggressive measures to reduce emissions that include methane. EDF and BP don’t agree on everything, but we’re finding common ground on methane. BP has shown early

ambition to lead on methane technology.

We hope to see more as BP delivers on its own stringent methane goal and we work together to spread solutions industry-wide.’

BP and EDF are working to identify third-party analytical and technological demonstration projects, and BP will assist with funding. EDF will provide input on science, technology and policy.

BP will grant up to $500,000 to a multi-stakeholder research initiative led by Colorado State University (CSU) that will improve the pathways to regulatory acceptance for emerging methane detection and quantification technologies. Advances such as drone-based methane monitoring and stationary continuous monitoring offer the potential to speed detection time, enabling more emissions to be found and fixed with enhanced efficiency. Developing a robust analytical model in addition to protocols for rigorous, independent field-testing are key milestones for this year.

The second goal is leveraging digital technologies. Solutions such as machine learning, artificial intelligence and aug-

mented reality can embed methane management into the digital transformation that companies are implementing to adapt and compete in a changing landscape, said BP. In 2019, EDF and BP will scope and announce a digitalization project for methane that will harness innovation that improves operations and reduces emissions. Results and key lessons will be published to maximize industry benefits.

BP and EDF will also collaborate on projects aimed at increasing the understanding of joint ventures, identifying best practices and potential opportunities for reducing methane emissions in non-operated assets. A 2018 EDF report found that companies such as BP can extend the impact of their methane reduction targets by supporting emissions reductions in joint venture projects with other oil and gas operators.

In 2019, BP and EDF will convene a workshop to learn about practices for emission reductions at non-operated assets and identify potential opportunities to expand the coverage of methane efforts and commitments.

EMGS negotiating on $30 million acquisition contract EMGS is participating in an exclusive tender process for a long-term acquisition contract, which could be $30 million over a two-year period. The tendering process is expected be completed in the second quarter of 2019.

Meanwhile, the company has won a contract $2.5 million contract from Spirit Energy Norway on behalf of the PL1031 licence group, for an extension of the scope of its acquisition. The final contract value is expected to be $3.4 million.

The vessel Atlantic Guardian has started mobilization for the survey in the Barents Sea. The acquisition was expected to commence early April and be completed within the second quarter of 2019.

Finally, EMGS has signed a $1 million agreement for its second full-scale CSEM well calibration study project in co-operation with Equinor.

The objective is to integrate CSEM data from EMGS’ global multi-client library with seismic- and well data, thereby allowing the company’s customers to better understand and assess each opportunity going forward whether and how CSEM should be applied to further de-risk their exploration portfolios.

CEO of EMGS, Bjørn Petter Lindhom, said: ‘We are confident that customers who undertake such a study will achieve an even better understanding of the value of CSEM information, and the added returns and reduced costs which

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can be achieved when using the product, thereby strengthening their willingness to invest in such information.’

EMGS vessel utilization for the first quarter 2019 was 11% compared with 37% for the first quarter in 2018.

In the first quarter of 2019, the company’s vessels were allocated 11% to proprietary work and no time was spent on multi-client projects. In the first quarter of 2018, the vessels were allocated 37% to multi-client projects and no time was spent on proprietary work.

EMGS had two vessels on charter and recorded six vessel months in the quarter. In the first quarter 2018, the company also had two vessels on charter

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Sercel announces equipment upgrades Sercel has launched two solutions to enhance delineation of reservoirs and improve productivity.

The company has launched a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) seismic solution, which is believed to be the first integrated distributed acoustic solution designed exclusively for borehole seismic applications.

Designed in partnership with Fotech Solutions, SigmaWave is fully integrated with Sercel’s existing downhole seismic tools and enables continuous, real-time seismic measurements along the entire length of a fibre-optic cable. Whether by retrievable or permanent deployment, it is now possible to visualize and monitor the well in real time and instantly generate SEG-Y files.

Pascal Rouiller, Sercel CEO, said: ‘Our launch of the SigmaWave integrated DAS solution offers the borehole industry a complete seismic acquisition system that

is robust and provides accurate data in a ready-to-use format, for a wide range of applications and at an accessible cost. It will enable our clients to improve the description of their reservoirs to enhance recovery.’

Meanwhile, Sercel has launched a Vibrator Auto-Guidance solution, designed to increase vibroseis productivity by up to 10%.

The solution, believed to the be the first of its kind, will be fitted to all Sercel Nomad seismic vibrator trucks and works by optimizing a truck’s travel time to the next vibrating point (VP) and reducing baseplate dead time. This provides an increase in source efficiency and consequently a cost saving for acquisition.

By positioning the Nomad vibrator with the highest degree of accuracy (within 1 m of the surveyed position), the Vibrator Auto-Guidance also ensures that the data collected is of the highest possible quality.

DAS is designed for borehole seismic applications.

During operations, the truck’s deceleration is adjusted and controlled automatically. This reduces both its travel time between VPs and any operator-induced delays. Additional time is saved by reducing dead time spent on deploying and recovering the baseplate. The descent of the baseplate is anticipated by the system and commences before the truck has come to a complete standstill.

ION starts 2D programme offshore Central America ION Geophysical is shooting a 2D multi-client reimaging programme off the Pacific coast of Central America. The Maya Reprocessing programme covers unexplored open acreage that has not had E&P activity in 40 years. Previous exploration wells along the margin suggest the presence of an active petroleum system in the Pacific forearc basins. E&P companies can use the data to evaluate

the prospective areas identified from the reimaged data, said ION. The programme covers ~9000 km of data that extend from the Tehuantepec Basin of Southern Mexico to the Sandino Basin of Western Nicaragua and creates a calibrated data set. The programme is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

‘We have repeatedly proven the value we can deliver by seamlessly integrating

and reimaging existing data sets,’ said Joe Gagliardi, senior vice-president of ION’s E&P Business Development. ‘This approach provides a cost-effective way for our clients to evaluate prospectivity of new areas. A broad range of E&P companies are looking to add new low cost reserves to their portfolios and are interested in exploring some new frontiers.

IGas finds shale gas in UK East Midlands IGas has encountered a hydrocarbon-bearing shale sequence of more than 250 m, including the upper and lower Bowland Shale, from its the SR-01 well at Springs Road in north Nottinghamshire, in the UK East Midlands. Significant gas indications were observed throughout the shale section and addi22

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tionally within sands in the Millstone Grit sequence.

The company has now completed this phase of the data acquisition, which included the recovery of 150 m of shale core and an extensive wireline logging programme across the Millstone Grit, and Upper and Lower Bowland Shale.

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Petrophysical and core analysis is being conducted and will be utilized for future appraisal and development of the East Midlands area.

IGas is now drilling into the tertiary target, to prove the potential for multiple hydrocarbon-bearing horizons within the Gainsborough Trough.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Seabird expands fleet as seismic acquisition market recovers Seabird has boosted its fleet after announcing several contract wins as the market for seismic acquisition continues to recover.

It is considering chartering and buying more vessels.

In 2018, total duration on received tenders was up 52% compared to 2017, and the company experienced a 40% increase in days on contract in the same period. Rates on new contracts across the three operating segments are up 15-30% year on year.

‘As a consequence of increased demand in all regions, SeaBird turned down work in the first quarter of 2019 due to scheduling conflicts based on its current fleet capacity of four operating vessels,’ said a company statement. ‘To be able to pursue a strong and diversified pipeline of contract leads in all segments, the company is evaluating several attractive opportunities for vessel capacity expansion.’

Options include adding the BOA Galatea and BOA Thalassa to the operational fleet; they are currently owned by BOA SBL, a subsidiary of BOA Offshore.

‘These vessels are well suited for source and 2D operations, as well as EM seabed logging, for which BOA Thalassa is currently contracted with EMGS ASA until September 2019, with options to extend for three times six months.’

SeaBird has received ‘irrevocable acceptances from a majority of BOA SBL bondholders for a sale of the vessels’.

In addition, the company is considering entering into other negotiated charter

arrangements for capacity expansion at flexible terms.

The company has won a $6.5 million contract for a niche 3D survey in West Africa. The 80-day survey is expected to start in the second quarter of 2019. SeaBird will time-charter Nordic Explorer for

source operations. Separately, SeaBird has also agreed a 21-day off-hire period for the Voyager Explorer related to a technical stop in January 2019.

Meanwhile, Seabird has announced that the contract for the Eagle Explorer with CGG has been extended by 80

BOA Thalassa in Trondheim, 2008.

this survey and is also expected to charter the vessel for subsequent opportunities in the second half of 2019. As part of the charter agreement, SeaBird will receive 9 km of ION DigiStreamer equipment from the owners of Nordic Explorer.

SeaBird has also secured a source contract for an OBN survey in the Gulf of Mexico. The three-week contract was due to start in early April. SeaBird’s Harrier Explorer has been working on this survey since February 2019. She will now be joined by the Osprey Explorer, which recently completed other work in the region, for a period of simultaneous

days until 15 August 2019, with further options for CGG to extend with up to 60 days.

The Eagle Explorer has been on a 160-day contract with CGG since it was acquired in November. It completed tenyear class docking in December 2018 and is currently working as a source vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. The extension is for another survey as source vessel in Northern Europe.

Finally, the company has announced a licensing sale of seismic data over Rio Grande Rise in Brazil. SeaBird’s share of the sale is approx. $0.8 million.

UK project will integrate oil and gas with renewables The UK OGA has launched a new project to explore closer links between oil and gas production and offshore renewables.

With the aid of a £900,000 grant from the UK government’s Better Regulation Executive’s Regulators’ Pioneer Fund, the project will look at the mix of energy sources and storage solutions needed for the transition to a low carbon economy in

areas including: powering of offshore oil and gas platforms from renewable sources; monetization of offshore produced gas via in-situ power generation; offshore hydrogen production and transportation, as a clean-energy storage solution and carbon dioxide capture, transportation and storage, using legacy oil and gas infrastructure.

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The OGA is working with the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Crown Estate, Ofgem and other stakeholders to test for potential technical and regulatory opportunities to maximize the value of the UK Continental Shelf through energy integration. The project will conclude in spring 2020.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

UK needs $260 million to extend the life of its offshore oilfields Some $261 billion will need to be spent in existing operations and new opportunities on the UK Continental Shelf to add a generation of productive life to the basin, says Oil & Gas UK’s (OGUK) Business Outlook 2019.

However, the industry group’s report found that continued uncertainty in commodity markets is reinforcing investor caution, with forecasts indicating a conservative outlook for prices. Against this backdrop, exploration and production companies remain focused on cost while striving for further business and operational improvements.

While the report finds 62% of companies have an improved outlook for 2019, many areas of the supply chain are still experiencing challenges as industry emerges from one of its most difficult downturns.

The report shows that production has increased by 20% over the past five years, after 14 years of decline; companies are looking to maintain unit operating costs at current levels, with operating expenditure running at around $9.1-9.8 billion through 2019; momentum is building around exploration activity, with up to 15 explo-

ration wells expected in 2019, including several potentially high-impact prospects.

Supply chain revenues are anticipated to stabilize aided by new capital approvals and operational investment. However, pressures remain in some areas of the supply chain.

The largest ten E&P companies accounted for just over half of production in 2018 compared to more than two-thirds in 2008, reflecting an increasingly diverse corporate landscape.

Production from the UKCS continues to provide around 60% of the UK’s oil and gas demand reducing reliance on imports. However, drilling activity – key to progressing resources to production – remains at a record-low rate Despite the low level of activity, up to 485 million boe have been discovered so far from exploration wells drilled in 2018 – a similar total to discovered volumes in Norway but with 20 fewer wells.

More new projects were approved in 2018 than the previous three years combined, unlocking more than £3.3 billion of new capital investment and more than 400 million boe of new reserves – a similar number are expected in 2019.

Deirdre Michie, Oil and Gas UK chief executive.

OGUK chief executive Deirdre Michie said: ‘Our Business Outlook Report 2019 shows that industry’s approach during the downturn is delivering results. Following 14 years of decline, production has increased by a fifth over the past five years. Cost improvements are being sustained and there is building momentum around exploration, with more new opportunities being drilled and the largest two conventional discoveries for a decade made in the second half of 2018.

‘However, challenges remain across parts of the supply chain, with revenues and margins still under pressure and cash flow stretched. If capabilities and resources are to stay anchored here in the UK, there must be a competitive proposition for supply chain companies to invest in too.’

Eni finds gas in Egyptian Mediterranean and oil offshore Angola Eni has announced a new gas discovery in the Nour exploration prospect in the Eastern Egyptian Mediterranean, about 50 km north of the Sinai peninsula.

Nour-1 well, drilled to a depth of 5914 m, found 33 m of gross sandstone pay with good petrophysical properties and an estimated gas column of 90 m in the Tineh formation of Oligocene age. ‘Intense data acquisition’ has been carried out.

Eni is the operator with a 40% stake, BP holds a 25% stake, Mubadala Petroleum a 20% stake while Tharwa Petroleum Company a 15% stake.

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Meanwhile, the company has announced a major oil discovery in Block 15/06, at the Agogo exploration prospect in Angola’s deep water. The new discovery is estimated to contain between 450 and 650 million barrels of light oil in place.

After mapping from Eni’s proprietary seismic imaging technologies, the 4450-m Agogo-1 NFW well was drilled 180 km off the coast and about 20 km west from the N’Goma FPSO (West Hub).

Agogo-1 NFW proved a single oil column of about 203 m with 120 m of net pay 2019

of high quality oil (31° API) contained in a sub salt diapirs setting in Lower Miocene sandstones with excellent petrophysical properties. The data acquired in Agogo-1 NFW indicate a production capacity of more than 20,000 barrels of oil per day.

The discovery opens new opportunities for oil exploration below salt diapirs in the north-west part of the prolific Block 15/06.

The Block 15/06 joint venture comprises Eni (operator, with a 36.8421% stake), Sonangol P&P (36.8421%) and SSI Fifteen (26.3158%).

INDUSTRY NEWS

PGS shoots large 2D survey offshore South Africa PGS is shooting a 2D GeoStreamer seismic survey off southern Africa stretching from the Namibian border to Cape Agulhas in South Africa covering large, untested areas and highly prospective reservoirs.

The project will span 11,000 line km in a highly prospective area with proven source rocks and potential for significant discoveries to unlock remaining potential from shallow to ultra-deep waters, and the multiple prospective plays that exist within the Orange Basin, said PGS. This largely under-explored area has proven hydrocarbons and the potential for large discoveries, such as the recent Brulpadda in neighbouring block 11B/12B, it added.

Both oil and gas prone source rocks are present throughout, with hydrocarbon accumulations discovered in the Kudu and Ibhubesi gas condensate fields and the A-J oil field. Broadband imag-

BRIEFS Tim Eggar has been appointed chairman of the UK Oil and Gas Authority, replacing the interim chairwoman Frances Morris-Jones who resumes her previous role on the OGA board as a non-executive director.

ing is expected to reveal large untested areas and highly prospective traps and reservoirs. Structural plays include growth-fault related structures, rotated fault blocks within the continental shelf, and stratigraphic plays with deepwater fans, turbidite sandstones and slope truncations prograding into the basin.

‘In addition to providing an excellent basis for exploration decisions, this new South Africa dataset will provide a cost-effective solution for new ventures exploration in a proven prolific area,’ said Alex Vartan, VP AMME New Ventures for PGS. Prefunding partners will have the chance to influence the design, timing, and targets of the project, he added.

PGS has more than 26,000 line km of modern 2D GeoStreamer data offshore South Africa, acquired since 2014. Coverage extends from the Greater Outeniqua in the south through the Transkei Basin and into the Durban Basin in the east.

Magseis Fairfield has won a contract for a three-month data acquisition programme in the Gulf of Mexico. The survey is due to commence in the third quarter of 2019.

‘The programme in the Gulf of Mexico further strengthens our order backlog for 2019 and reflects the increasing interest in ocean bottom seismic nodal surveys.

It will be our fifth acquisition programme in the Gulf of Mexico in 2019,’ said Per Christian Grytnes, Magseis Fairfield CEO. Egypt has launched the Offshore Red Sea International Bid Round 2019, which includes ten exploration blocks. South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company (Ganope) manages petroleum activities of the Red Sea. Interested companies can review the technical data and purchase the data packages. The closing date for the submission of bids is 1 August 2019.

ConocoPhillips is reported to be in talks to sell a package of North Sea assets to Chrysaor Holdings after discussions with UK billionaire Jim Ratcliffe over a $3 billion deal collapsed.

TGS and PGS shoot 2D surveys offshore Canada TGS and PGS are shooting the North Tablelands 3D and Southeast Grand Banks 2019 2D multi-client projects in offshore East Canada.

North Tablelands 3D will cover 5000 km2 and together with the 2018 Tablelands 3D survey, spans most of the open acreage included in the November 2020 bid round. Acquisition will be performed by the PGS vessel Ramform Atlas, utilizing PGS’ Geostreamer technology. The project is expected to commence in early June 2019.

Southeast Grand Banks 2019 2D will comprise 13,300 km primarily covering open acreage in upcoming bid rounds in South Eastern Newfoundland (2021) and Southern Newfoundland (2022). Acquisition will be

performed by MV Sanco Atlantic and the project is expected to commence in early June 2019.

After this ninth consecutive season of data acquisition offshore East Canada, the jointly-owned library will have more than 189,000 km of 2D GeoStreamer data and approximately 48,000 km2 of 3D GeoStreamer data.

An expansive well log library is also available in the region, along with advanced multi-client interpretation products that will improve play, trend and prospect delineation.

‘We will continue to prioritize this high potential region and look forward to playing a vital role in future developments,’ said Kristian Johansen, CEO, TGS.

Colombia has signed two exploration and production contracts with Royal Dutch Shell in offshore areas of the Caribbean Sea that will require the company to make initial investments of $100 million. Shell will explore Blocks COL 3 and GUA OFF 3, which cover about 880,000 hectares.

ExxonMobil is understood to be in talks on the sale of a suite of oil and gas fields in Nigeria as the company focuses on new developments in US shale and in Guyana.

The disposals are expected to include stakes in onshore and offshore fields and could raise up to $3 billion. ExxonMobil is one of the largest oil and gas producers in Nigeria, with 106 operated platforms

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Norway sets out case for exploration near the Arctic The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has set out a technical framework for oil and gas exploration towards the Arctic in a bid to ‘contribute to a knowledge-based approach to the debate’.

Its report Petroleum Activity in the High North shows that historically, investment returns are more than double.

‘Significant values have been created from the petroleum activity in the Barents Sea. To date, around 155 exploration wells have been drilled there, and the NPD research has revealed that every 1000 kroner invested in exploration in the Barents Sea has yielded 2100 kroner in return,’ said director general Bente Nyland.

The report puts the debate into a historical context by showing that petroleum activity has taken place in the High North since the first exploration wells were drilled near the coast in the Laptev Sea in Russia in the 1930s. In Norway, petroleum activities in the High North started in 1979, and production started from the Snøhvit field in 2007.

Norway is one of five Arctic coastal states, but due to the Gulf Stream most of its sea areas remain ice-free year-round.

The climate in the High North in Canada, the US, Russia and Greenland is consid-

Gas processing facility in the Snøhvit field, one of two fields in production in the Norwegian Barents Sea.

erably more challenging, with ice sheets partly or completely covering the area throughout the year.

Two fields are in production in the Norwegian part of the Barents Sea – the Snøhvit gas field and the Goliat oil field.

The Johan Castberg field is being developed and will start to produce in 2022, according to plan. ‘Several discoveries

have been made that are relevant candidates for development, and there are still considerable undiscovered oil and gas resources. The companies must explore if these resources are to be proven,’ says the report.

The NPD has calculated that as much as 65% of the undiscovered resources on the Norwegian Shelf lie in the Barents Sea.

Ikon Science digitizes its training tutorials Ikon Science is offering its physics and reservoir characterization training classes online.

Ikon’s most subscribed courses, covering the rock physics and reservoir characterization workflows, are available with seismic data conditioning and AVO inversion already in the pipeline.

The rock physics course covers the fundamentals of rock physics theory, along with practical examples using the RokDoc software platform. The e-learning encompasses data loading, calibrating rock physics models, predicting wireline logs,

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performing fluid substitutions, estimating seismic wavelets, and forward modelling in half-space, 1D and 2D. This provides insights into the petrophysics, geology and geophysics, and then combines them to instill a deeper understanding of the subsurface.

The reservoir characterization course takes rock physics models to another level, focusing on the calibration of model meshes, forward and reverse modelling, lithological depth trends and 3D model creation.

It moves on to the various reservoir characterization tools available in RokDoc,

2019

including 3D Bayesian classification, elastic property projections, AVO analysis and modelling geology directly from seismic data.

The seismic data conditioning and AVO inversion course covers the fundamental theories of wavelet estimation, data conditioning and deterministic inversion. The theory is then applied to real-world data to create elastic property volumes, including acoustic impedance, shear impedance and density, as well as derivative products, such as Poisson’s ratio and extended elastic impedance.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Emerson partners with the EU’s Smart Exploration Project The EU’s Smart Exploration Project has teamed up with Emerson to develop cost-effective tools and methods for mineral exploration by providing the software provider’s SKUA-GOCAD licences to project partners. The software will allow partners to create highly accurate models of the subsurface for mineral exploration and extraction.

GOCAD, a seismic, geological and reservoir modelling solution, was enhanced in 2010 with the addition of SKUA geologic grids. With the SKUA-GOCAD integrated product suite, geoscientists and mineral explorers can create accurate subsurface models by incorporating surface, near surface, and subsurface geologic data without unwarranted simplifications.

‘We are grateful to Emerson for becoming our first Smart Exploration Project Friend. This partnership grants us full usage of the SKUA-GOCAD solution suite, ensuring the smooth transmission and deployment of data.

This will result in a more time-efficient

delivery of results among the partners and to the outside world,’ said Alireza Malehmir, project co-ordinator for Smart Exploration.

Aymen Haouesse, director of modelling at Emerson’s E&P software business, said: ‘Together we can develop new methods that reduce time and support sustainable economic growth in the EU and beyond. This is in addition to the Smart Exploration objectives of procuring a greater yield from raw material

operations while drastically reducing environmental impact.’

The Smart Exploration project is funded by EU’s Horizon 2020 Programme that began in December 2017. The project involves 27 partners from research and academic institutions as well as mining companies, and EAGE is a partner to the Smart Exploration project and leafing dissemination activities.. Their joint goal is to bring 47 innovations into the mineral exploration field.

CGG completes big 2D survey offshore Gabon

The company has acquired 9800 line km.

CGG has completed acquisition of its 9800 km long-offset broadband 2D multi-client seismic survey in the highly prospective Gabon South Basin.

Fast-track data sets will be delivered in batches from the end of April, giving

interested oil companies sufficient time to appraise blocks offered in Gabon’s 12th offshore licensing round planned for September 2019.

This data set will help to define the full extent of existing and new plays in the region. It will also aid in understanding the thickness variations in the sediment overburden for source rock and maturity analysis. Broad bandwidth data will not only increase resolution and improve characterization of the turbidite systems that represent potential exploration targets, it also provides deep imaging penetration with low frequencies to help describe the nature of the crust. New insights from this data will expand and update CGG’s Gabon South FIRST

Basin JumpStart integrated geoscience package.

Sophie Zurquiyah, CEO, CGG, said: ‘The vast offshore acreage of Gabon includes unexplored areas with good potential for a hydrocarbon system. However, there is often not enough high-quality geological and geophysical data to effectively reduce the exploration risks. This new 2D survey, which received significant industry pre-funding, puts the right data in the hands of our clients at the right time, enabling them to de-risk opportunities and select the appropriate blocks during the current licensing round. It also extends CGG’s data coverage from our recent 3D survey further inshore, which led to two successful discovery wells.’

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Emerson and Repsol launch alliance to improve subsurface imaging Software company Emerson and energy company Repsol have established a strategic alliance to deliver advanced subsurface geophysical imaging technologies to reduce the time to prospect and produce first oil.

The first phase of the collaboration will provide advanced solutions for velocity determination, including full waveform inversion and advanced solutions for seismic imaging developed in the Repsol Technology Lab. In addition, the collaboration can be extended to a broader range of Repsol subsurface technologies.

‘The strategic partnership between Emerson and Repsol will enable the oil and gas industry to benefit from the deployment of our proprietary core technologies related to the enhancement of seismic processing and interpretation,’ said Tomás García Blanco, executive managing director of exploration and production for Repsol. ‘Our collaboration will build technology bridges between the domains of seismic imaging and interpretation, bringing high-end technology awareness and access to a broader geoscientist community.’

TGS reports fourth quarter operating profit of $68 million TGS has reported lower-than-expected profits in the fourth quarter of 2018, but said demand from oil companies would continue picking up this year.

TGS’ earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose to $68 million, rising from $51.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, but lagging market expectations of around $78 million.

Late sales rose year-on-year nearly 6% to $152 million in the fourth-quarter.

‘While there continues to be some uncertainty related to important factors such as US onshore production, oil price and E&P (exploration and production) budgets, we are confident that the positive trend from 2018 will continue this year,’ TGS said in a statement.

The company said it expected its investments in new multi-client surveys, to rise by 20% to $300 million in 2019. Pre-funding revenues are expected to cover about 40-45% of the investments, it added.

In 2018, TGS spent $250 million on multi-client surveys with pre-funding levels at 42%, compared with the previous guidance of $260 million and around 40% respectively.

INDUSTRY NEWS

CGG launches smarter mining tool

MineScope is expected to improve site safety.

CGG has launched MineScope, a suite of satellite-derived services that enable mining companies and third-party consultants to make smarter geological, geotechnical and safety decisions throughout the mining life-cycle.

Recent tailings dam incidents in Australia and Brazil highlight the need for reliable geospatial intelligence that can strengthen awareness of site activities, geotechnical processes and evolving hazards.

MineScope, which has been devised

by CGG’s NPA Satellite Mapping initiative, is a suite of remotely captured, geospatial services that can improve exploration efficiency and situational awareness by reducing risk during the planning, auditing and monitoring of mine operations.

For exploration activities, NPA Satellite Mapping’s mineral mapping expertise isolates potential mineral reserves prior to field-based reconnaissance and validation, saving time and money in the earliest stages of a mining project.

For ‘pit-to-port’ operations, clients benefit from pit and stockpile volume calculations, tailings parameters, and ground deformation and slope stability (InSAR)

measurements, together with satellite imagery and topographic data.

Richard Burren, director of NPA Satellite Mapping, CGG said: ‘Since the launch of the first Landsat satellite in 1972, NPA Satellite Mapping has been at the forefront of providing intelligence derived from satellite imagery to the mining sector. In 2019 we continue to push the boundaries of what is achievable from today’s satellites and the expertise of our highly-experienced earth observation specialists, culminating in the development of MineScope.’

Meanwhile, CGG has renewed its donation of its HampsonRussel seismic reservoir characterization software to CERENA/Instituto Superior Tecnico (IST) at the University of Lisbon.

MSc and PhD students at the university use the software to learn and develop reservoir characterization techniques on real-world data and conduct further research into seismic inversion.

Golden Software updates graphing and plotting software

Judge rules against US opening up Chukchi Sea to licensing

Golden Software has introduced new plotting to its graphing software for analysing and displaying data sets.

Grapher 14 includes enhanced plotting – the ability to plot data in rows and columns, perform one-button Durov class plots and easily generate multi-plot reports. Bar charts are more versatile, offering variable bar widths and differentiated fill colours for negative and positive.

At the request of geologists, geophysicists, mining and oil-and-gas professionals, it is now possible to add X=F(Y) fit curves to model borehole log data. Fit curves can now also be added to class plots to model all or individual classes.

Break Axes are enhanced so users can customize the break mark and add a break distinguisher to the plot itself.

Ternary plots have also been upgraded

A federal judge in Alaska has overturned US President Donald Trump’s attempt to open vast areas of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans to oil and gas leasing.

US District Court Judge Sharon Gleason has upheld President Barack Obama’s policies putting the Arctic’s Chukchi Sea, part of the Arctic’s Beaufort Sea and a large swath of Atlantic Ocean off-limits to oil leasing.

Trump’s attempt to undo Obama’s protections was ‘unlawful’ and a violation of the federal Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Gleason ruled. Presidents have the power under that law to withdraw areas from the national oil and gas leasing programme, as Obama did, but only Congress has the power to add areas to the leasing programme, she said.

to enable users to rotate the axis direction, a useful option in geochemical analysis.

Meanwhile, Grapher 15 Preview will give users greater control over how values in Box-Whisker plots are graphed. In addition, there will be new mathematical options to expand on the functionality of the summation plot.

Users will be able to vary colour fills above and below the intersection of two plots; specify custom colours via RGB values to colour scatter plot symbols; and assign colours from a gradient to scatter plot symbols based on numeric worksheet values.

Grapher exports integrate seamlessly with all Golden Software packages, including Surfer for data visualization and mapping, Voxler for 3D data rendering, and Strater for subsurface modelling.

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multi-client seismic

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In addition to a Multi-Client library of over 50,000 km of new seismic data over the Austral Malvinas and Argentina Basins, Spectrum is now adding a new 20,000 km 2D seismic survey in the Colorado and Salado basins.

This crucial new data will assist in future license block selection and support full interpretation from Moho to water bottom. It will be processed with PSTM, PSDM and Broadband products with first deliveries in Q2 2019.

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Special Topic

MODELLING/INTERPRETATION The industry must do a better job of finding new oil and gas in more challenging reservoirs and in an environmentally responsible way. Modelling and interpretation therefore has an even bigger role to play in making sure that explorers can find the sweet spots and stay competitive. Several of the latest high-performance computer and algorithmic innovations enhancing the ability to accurately model and interpret basins – with more integrated seismic, geological and engineering data – are showcased.

Michael S. Zhdanov et al demonstrate how the effectiveness of the interpretation of potential field data can be improved by jointly inverting the gravity and magnetic data.

Chloé Lazizi et al present a full wavefield approach to survey design, providing an insight into optimal acquisition parameters.

J.C.P. Pipping et al demonstrate how they gained a better understanding of the seismic data in the K18-Golf Field.

Christoph Georg Eichkitz et al study the type of grey level transformation and accompanying amplitude to arrive at a recommendation for the most effective parameters.

Natasha Dowey et al describe how regional geological and tectonic context provides a fundamental framework for developing predictions.

Geoffrey A. Dorn presents a flexible approach to fault imaging using windowed radon transforms applied to the F3 volume from the Southern North Sea. Chris Han uses model-based techniques to predict AVO effects for different frequencies and then applied this information to aid interpretation of anomalies observed on iso-frequencies sections.

Submit an article

Special Topic overview January

Land Seismic

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.

February

Reservoir Monitoring

March

Petroleum Geology

April

Passive Seismic & Unconventionals

May

Modelling/Interpretation

June

Embracing Change - Creativity For The Future

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 ia EAGE’s ScholarOne website: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fb

July

Renewable Transition

August

Near Surface Geoscience

September

Machine Learning

October

Reservoir Geoscience and Engineering

November

Marine Seismic & EM

December

Data Processing

You can find the First Break author guidelines online at www.firstbreak.org/guidelines.

More Special Topics may be added during the course of the year.

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Interpretation and Model Uncertainty. 80th EAGE Conference & Exhibition, Extended Abstracts.

The Industry is Evolving

SO ARE WE! Today’s oil and gas industry must embrace change to find new solutions for project and operational certainty. At Emerson, we integrate new technology into our subsurface solutions and geoscience services to drive top quartile performance for our customers.

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CALENDAR

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 29-30 OCTOBER 2019

Asia Petroleum Geoscience Conference & Exhibition (APGCE 2019) www.eage.org Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

May 2019 6-8 May

39 th Euroheat & Power Congress www.euroheat.org/events/ehp-congress-2019

Nantes

France

7-9 May

Second EAGE Workshop on Deepwater Exploration in Mexico: Knowledge transfer and collaboration from shelf to deepwater www.eage.org

Cancun

Mexico

13-17 May

GeoConvention 2019 www.geoconvention.com

Calgary

Canada

19-21 May

Second EAGE Workshop on Pore Pressure Prediction www.eage.org

Amsterdam

Netherlands

3-6 Jun

81st EAGE Conference & Exhibition 2019 Embrace Change - Creativity for the Future www.eage.org

London

United Kingdom

17-19 Jun

EAGE/AAPG Workshop on Reducing Exploration Risk in Rift Basins www.eage.org

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

17-20 Jun

First EAGE Workshop on Assessment of Landslide and Debris Flows Hazards in the Carpathians www.eage.org

Lviv

Ukraine

EAGE/SPE First Borneo Deepwater Symposium – Managing Deepwater Assets through Geosolutions www.eage.org

Bandar Seri Begawan

Brunei

June 2019

July 2019 29-30 Jul

EAGE Events

98

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2019

CALENDAR

August 2019 18-23 Aug

Goldschmidt 2019 www.goldschmidt.info/2019/

Barcelona

Spain

19-22 Aug

16th International Congress of the Brazilian Geophysical Society & EXPOGEf www.sbgf.org.br/congresso/

Rio de Janeiro

Brazil

September 2019 2-5 Sept

2 nd Australasian Exploration Geoscience Conference (AEGC2019) www.2019.aegc.com.au

Perth

Australia

2-6 Sept

Fourth EAGE Conference on Petroleum Geostatistics www.eage.org

Florence

Italy

2-7 Sept

29 th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry www.imog.eaog.org

Gothenburg

Sweden

8-12 Sept

Fifth International Conference on Fault and Top Seals 2019 www.eage.org

Palermo

Italy

8-12 Sept

EAGE Near Surface Geoscience Conference and Exhibition 2019 www.eage.org

The Hague

Netherlands

9-12 Sept

24th World Energy Congresss www.worldenergy.org

Abu Dhabi

UAE

9-13 Sept

Geomodel 2019 21st conference on oil and gas geological exploration and development www.eage.org

Gelendzhik

Russia

10-12 Sept

EAGE Workshop on The Interpretation of Attributes to Impact Decision Making www.eage.org

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

18-22 Sept

10 th Congress of Balkan Geophysical Society (BGS) www.bgs2019.org

Albena Resort

Bulgaria

26-28 Sept

First EAGE Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Workshop www.eage.org

Paris

France

October 2019 1-3 Oct

Sakhalin – Far East Hydrocarbons 2019 www.eage.org

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Russia

6-9 Oct

16th SAGA Biennial Conference & Exhibition www.sagaconference.co.za

Durban

South Africa

7-9 Oct

Fourth EAGE Workshop on High Performance Computing for Upstream in the Middle East HPC Through the 4th Industrial Revolution www.eage.org

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

14-17 Oct

Third Borehole Geology Workshop www.eage.org

Muscat

Oman

15-17 Oct

Third EAGE Workshop on Well Injectivity & Productivity in Carbonates www.eage.org

Doha

Qatar

24-25 Oct

First EAGE Workshop on Pre-Salt Reservoir in Rio de Janeiro www.eage.org

Rio de Janeiro

Brazil

29-30 Oct

Asia Petroleum Geoscience Conference & Exhibition (APGCE 2019) www.eage.org

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

30-31 Oct

First EAGE/AAPG Forum on Human Resource Role in the E&P Industry www.eage.org

Manama

Bahrain

Sochi

Russia

November 2019 5-8 Nov

ProGREss’19: Exploration as a Business Oil and Gas International Exploration Conference www.eage.org

EAGE Events

Non-EAGE Events

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2019

99

INCLUDING

REGULAR REGISTRATION DEADLINE:

1 5 M AY 2 0 1 9

EMBRACING CHANGE CREATIVITY FOR THE FUTURE

3-6 JUNE 2019 WWW.EAGEANNUAL2019.ORG

3 - 6 JUNE