AUGUST 10, 2006

Industry Highlight: Wireless 3-D Architecture Systems for Land
Seismic Operations (Excerpted from "Array of New Technologies, Improved Business Conditions Transforming Land Seismic," The American Oil and Gas Reporter, July 2006, p. 117-125)

This article is an excellent summary of new directions in land seismic, and wireless acquisition systems are a major area where change is occurring. Three wireless systems (see links below) were mentioned in the article. In the article, one of the vendors noted that, in his opinion, half of all land systems sold in 2010 will be wireless.

Input/Output Inc.'s Firefly^TM System
Vibtech's Unite^TM System
Ascend Geo's Ultra^TM

DOE Highlight: Two Tight Gas R&D Projects Recently Announced

• The University of Texas at Austin will design and implement energized frac jobs in tight gas sands. When wells are drilled in mature fields, partially depleted reservoirs are often encountered and operators can encounter reductions in well productivity due to water blockage and insufficient cleanup of frac fluid residues. In addition, many tight gas sand reservoirs all too readily absorb water, which interferes with frac fluid injection efficiency. A frac job in which the frac fluids are "energized" with carbon dioxide or nitrogen can avoid these problems, but no existing 3-D computer model of standard hydraulic fracturing can adequately simulate energized fracs. The main goal of this project is to add thermal and compositional capabilities to 3-D hydraulic fracture models. The new model will be tested by designing and implementing energized frac jobs in collaboration with Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum Corp. in Carthage field in East Texas and/or Ozona field in West Texas. 

• The Massachusetts Institute of Technology will develop a novel analytical technique to better locate and characterize naturally fractured sweet spots and induced fractures in tight gas formations. Deploying seismic data-gathering devices down the borehole instead of on the surface yields an even clearer picture. One such borehole seismic technique is dubbed vertical seismic profiling (VSP). The objective of this project is to develop a new method of scattered-wave analysis of 4D VSP in order to locate and characterize natural and induced fractures and optimize well placement. Researchers will work with Denver-based EnCana Oil & Gas Inc. to demonstrate these methods in Jonah field in Wyoming. 

MHT Advancements -- The last of four technology integration workshops hosted by PTTC for DOE's Microhole Technology Development program is occurring on Wed., Aug. 16 in Houston. BP will talk about their Anadarko Basin Cleveland Tight Gas Sand Re-Entry CT Drilling Program. Don Francis, Drilling and IT editor with Hart's E&P, will also be presenting about "Industry Interest in CT Drilling and Microhole Technology."

PTTC Highlight:  Transition to Industry Funding 

Trivia Question:  When and where (what state) was the first well to produce coalbed methane as a resource developed?