when
perfect isn't attainable
heuristic (adj.) “serving to discover or find out,” 1821, irregular formation from Greek heuriskein “to find; find out, discover; devise, invent; get, gain, procure”
heuristic (adj.) “serving to discover or find out,” 1821, irregular formation from Greek heuriskein “to find; find out, discover; devise, invent; get, gain, procure”
As scientists, we are motivated to gain the full knowledge of a reservoir’s properties and behavior, but as smart business men, we are motivated to learn exactly what we need to know and no more to arrive at a sufficient solution in the shortest amount of time. Instead of undertaking an intensive, time-consuming evaluation practice that considers all data and seeks to find an optimal location and drilling solution, we recognize that such pursuits are inherently impossible to achieve in a continuous landscape. This is evidenced by the fact no single Oil & Gas exploration and production company can claim to hit their targets 100% of the time. Dry holes happen.
Heuristics are simple decision strategies that ignore part of the available information, basing decisions on only a few relevant predictors. Common fundamental heuristic methods include trial and error, historical data analysis, profiling, and the process of elimination. We gather only the profile data necessary for our suitability criteria before moving forward.
Determine Areas of Surface Microbial Anomalies
The application of surface geochemical methods to finding petroleum is based on the detection of hydrocarbons in the soil that have leaked from a petroleum reservoir at depth. While the seal over the deposit was once considered impermeable, surface geochemistry data now show that such leakage is a common occurrence. Using iodine to detect hydrocarbons at the surface is the first step to decrease dryhole risk and justify more expensive studies.
Determine Areas of Coherent Structure
Determine Areas of Structural Activity
Seismic exploration is the search for oil and gas bearing formations by the recording, processing, and interpretation of artificially induced shock waves. The travel times of the returned seismic energy, integrated with existing borehole well information, help to estimate the structure (folding and faulting) and stratigraphy (rock type, depositional environment, and fluid content) of subsurface formations. Running Foxes conducts both 2D and 3D seismic surveys. In unexplored areas, 2D seismic is sufficient for identifying the gross structural elements. In areas of known hydrocarbons, especially where nearby wells exist, the more sophisticated and expensive 3D seismic is preferred for its finer resolution of structure element detail.
Determine Areas of Greatest Saturation
Determine Subsurface Formation Characteristics
Delineate Risk Segments and Hot Spots
A data model structures and harmonizes data gathered from all other surveys, logs, & studies. It sets the level of detail of the data content and demands precise definitions, which thereby set the data’s standard of quality. It also shows the relationships and dependencies among the data. Using ArcGIS Pro & the Exploration Analyst, we can perform play fairway analysis and risk mapping, calculate basin & field statistics, and get a 3D interpretation of the results
Surface Geochemistry can be an integral part in finding conventional petroleum reservoirs when used in conjunction with subsurface and seismic data
September 15-18, 2019 – AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Posted: January 16, 2020
