The increasing demand for hydrocarbon resources and decreasing supply of easily accessed reservoir deposits are pushing operators to focus on developing more complex reservoirs. An operator was drilling an exploration well in an offshore high-pressure, high-temperature sedimentary basin made up of tight carbonates. The basin has an active history of tectonic stresses that increases the uncertainties and complicated drilling safety and logging operations. The operator needed an integrated solution to drill and evaluate the well and avoid transporting and using chemical nuclear sources.
SLB used NeoScope™ sourceless formation evaluation-while-drilling service to drill and evaluate the well with high-quality petrophysical measurements close to the bit, saving approximately USD 500,000. We acquired measurements in real-time and recorded modes.
After consulting with SLB, the operator selected the NeoScope sourceless formation-evaluation-while-drilling service that reduces risk by eliminating the need for chemical sources. The industry’s only pulsed neutron generator (PNG) based LWD technology, NeoScope service provides a comprehensive suite of petrophysical measurements, including gamma ray, resistivity, neutron porosity, sourceless neutron-gamma density (SNGD), sigma, and spectroscopy.
The NeoScope service provided an integrated interpretation solution that significantly improved reservoir characterization. SNGD was used to compute a density-corrected matrix porosity that provided an accurate saturation profile. By reducing uncertainties in interpretation, hydrocarbon zones were confirmed and matrix properties were estimated, helping to identify the zones with high-production potential.
By acquiring the complete dataset in real time while drilling, the operator saved the costs associated with additional openhole logging. The well was drilled efficiently with less rathole and closer-to-the-bit measurements, saving the operator approximately USD 500,000. Sourceless formation evaluation LWD eliminated the risk of leaving a chemical source in hole without sacrificing the acquisition of petrophysical data in the challenging environment of this exploration well.
