Benjamin Bellwald represent VBPR in EAGE Special Interest Community on Decarbonization and Energy Transition

The overall objective of the group is to promote knowledge and develop skills among geoscientists and engineers working with Decarbonization & Energy Transition technologies.

The kickoff call was hold September 6th 2019, and Karin de Borst from Shell was elected president with the commitments to:

• Attract new members, publish relevant news, exchange information in the LinkedIn group
• Support focused events by providing advice on topics, speakers, reviewing papers, etc
• Collaborations with other EAGE communities

Applying Resonance Enhanced Drilling to coring

VBPR approached OGIC to support a proof of concept project to identify if Resonance Enhanced Drilling (RED) could be used for coring. OGIC supported VBPR’s project with the RED team from the University of Aberdeen.

The project had three principle goals:
1.  Test RED technology efficiency with a coring bit.
2.  Attain equal or improved core quality for the homogeneous test rocks.
3.  Improve ROP of core cutting without sacrificing quality.

The research demonstrated no negative effects, no fracturing and that the cores were of good quality. Importantly, the pilot project demonstrated that ROP (rate of penetration) could be substantially improved for coring applications by as much as 50%. This increase could be extremely important for longer coring runs and could have important applications beyond industry such as IODP scientific drilling where coring for up to and over 1 km is relatively common. The next stage for this project will be to initiate a development project to bring the coring technology to market.

Atlantic Margin Initiative (TGS) - the key to new gas reserves for Europe

After 20 years of SeismicGravityMagnetic Integration (SGM) and Seafloor Sampling in the Arctic region, VBPR provide TGS with unique regional competence in chasing reservoirs for new gas resources in under-explored Møre-Vøring Basins and marginal highs. With the proximity of the East-Greenland continental margin, huge traps disguised by basalts can have excellent reservoirs.

A combined core, wireline logging and image log data set from the PTA2 and KMA1 boreholes, Big Island, Hawai‘i

To help understand volcanic facies in the subsurface, data sets that enable detailed comparisons between down-hole geophysical data and cored volcanic intervals are critical. The data set and results of this study include findings which should enable improved borehole facies analysis through volcanic sequences in the future, especially where down-borehole data and images but no core are available.

Great geological field course focusing on the Paleogene volcanic districts of the Hebrides

The field course was run by VBPR, DougalEarth and Breno Waichal from Florianopolis University as part of the VMAPP project. Geoscientists from Petrobras and CNPC participated to study the interactions between volcanism and prospective sedimentary basins. Fieldwork remains a vital aspect of exploration and production within complex volcanic basins such as the pre-salt offshore Brazil. Thanks to all participants for making it a special week.

N. Lebedeva-Ivanova will present breakthrough in seismic resolution utilizing advancements in P-Cable technology

High-resolution 3D site characterization can deliver reliable quantitative property volumes of the subsurface when based on seismic data able to image meter-sized objects. Following the theoretical analysis of seismic wave propagation in the shallow sub-surface (Lebedeva-Ivanova et al., 2018), Nina will present two case studies based on re-processing of 3D P-Cable seismic data.

EAGE 2019 Workshop 2:
Seismic Inversion for Marine Overburden Characterization

S. Planke and C. Berndt nominated to Innovation Prize for the P-Cable 3D Acquisition System

With more than 100 3D surveys acquired in all the oceans of the world, the P-Cable technology has revitalized research on glacial landforms, sedimentary processes and offshore geohazards, and also has great impact on exploration of shallow oil and gas reservoirs (ref. Wisting oil field, Barents Sea).

Please support the further technological development of P-Cable by placing your VOTE

Presentations at EGU in Vienna, March 7 - 12 April

The EGU General Assembly 2019, taking place in Vienna (Austria) on 7–12 April 2019, will bring together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. B. Bellwald (VBPR), R. Barrett (University of Kiel), B. Manton (VBPR) and S. Planke (VBPR) will present results from ongoing R&D projects.

Upper Regional Unconformity (URU) in SW Barents Sea as revealed by P-Cable Seismic data

New paper by B. Bellwald et al, characterizing meter-scale URU landform assemblage of the SW Barents Sea using P-Cable high-resolution seismic data. URU landforms are imaged in a quality comparable to conventional multi-beam echosounders.

OMV report reserves increase from 350 to 440 million barrels on Wisting

The Wisting team has successfully combined data from six exploration and appraisal wells with 3D seismic data (both P-Cable high-res data and conventional broadband) and Controlled Source Electro Magnetic (CSEM) data in the technical studies for subsurface optimization.
P-cable has enabled very detailed interpretation of reservoir heterogeneity and compartmentalization and as a result also more accurate volume prediction (see also "Wisting is Growing" - expronews)