Almost a decade on from inventing Seabed Logging, EMGS continues to accelerate the development of hydrocarbon exploration; finding ways to counter the challenges facing this industry. Clearplay Integrated EM is the right way forward, a focused fusion of EMGS' knowledge and capabilities.

Clearplay has application throughout life of field but will be defined, initially, by three, carefully-tailored services - Clearplay Find, Clearplay Test and Clearplay Evaluate - which have been designed to provide seamless, end-to-end EM support during hydrocarbon exploration.

Each service is tailored to provide the combination of EM technology, products, tools and expertise needed to achieve best fit with task at each stage in the exploration workflow. Yet each service is flexible enough to permit adjustment to suit the individual local conditions facing exploration companies.

For EMGS' customers, Clearplay provides a genuine competitive edge in an increasingly competitive field.

This 'scanning' service provides rapid generation of leads and, ultimately, prospects over large areas. It can also validate existing leads and prospects. Typically, it will involve acquiring data by towing a high power EM source over a coarse grid of receivers, 2-4 km apart, and the subsequent, rapid processing of that data onboard the survey vessel. It will be employed in early-stage exploration, pre or post licensing, but can also be used to re-explore mature areas.

Clearplay Find results are presented as 2D anomaly maps, vertical sections and 3D cubes. And easy integration with existing seismic and geological information is facilitated.

THE BENEFITS OF CLEARPLAY FIND
Clearplay Find provides good, early indications of hydrocarbons and prospectivity, to inform pre-licensing decision-making and permit rapid generation of prospect portfolios. Overall exploration efficiency is improved, risk is reduced and the ground is prepared for achieving significant performance improvements and cost reductions during the next phases of exploration.

Combining the EM data with seismic and other geological and geophysical data allows assessment of new blocks to be achieved faster and more accurately than with traditional techniques alone. And evidence of stratigraphic traps not easily identifiable on seismic maps can be provided.

If already exploring a new block, Clearplay Find data enables more detailed EM and Seismic surveys to be targeted at the areas it identifies as more likely to have accumulations of hydrocarbons.

IN SUMMARY
/ rapid lead and prospect identification
/ validation of existing leads and prospects
/ accelerated prospect delivery
/ better informed licensing and farm-in/farm-out decisions
/ more effective use of other exploration resources
/ ability to re-explore licences for missed opportunities
/ facilitates a 'last look' before relinquishing a licence or abandoning an asset
/ reduced environmental impact of exploration activities
/ reduced finding cost and finding time per barrel of oil
/ improved geological understanding of the block

This service provides rapid, more accurate ranking of prospects in offshore locations; significantly reducing the likelihood of drilling dry wells. Typically, a prospect will be targeted by towing the EM source over receivers placed in one, or more, lines or a grid, 1-2 kms apart.

The two possible outcomes are equally useful to operators as both contribute to increasing the discovery rate. A favourable test result indicates a much improved chance of success when drilling. A less favourable result allows prospects to be downgraded or abandoned.

Clearplay Test results are presented as vertical sections of the earth, showing the burial depth of the prospect. Combining this data with other geophysical information can provide an improved estimation of the total hydrocarbons volume.

THE BENEFITS OF CLEARPLAY TEST
Operators are able to achieve a better discovery rate, more rapidly, with the same or fewer resources than when using traditional methods alone.

Reduced likelihood of drilling dry wells means reduced commercial risk. And with confidence in the EM data, portfolio value is increased. Customers who routinely EM test prospects before drilling achieve far higher success rates than the 25% average discovery rate using traditional approaches alone.

IN SUMMARY
/ significantly increased discovery rate
/ reduced dry wells
/ reduced finding costs per barrel
/ accelerated prospect delivery and time to discovery

Clearplay Evaluate improves certainty and efficiency in appraisal and development phase decision-making. It markedly improves the assessment of a reservoir's potential following successful discovery well drilling. Typically the data is acquired by towing the EM source over and between the lines of a dense grid of receivers 0.5-1.5 km apart. The quantity and quality of the information this generates, including the 3D azimuthal data, enables the most sophisticated data processing and visualisations to be used and increases the accuracy of the results.

When combined with 3D seismic, geological models and appraisal well data, the outcome of this service is an improved estimation of the volume and distribution of hydrocarbons present within the prospect. These factors enable operators to establish, with greater certainty, whether the prospect contains commercially viable reserves.

Clearplay Evaluate results are presented as 3D images revealing quantitative resistivity vs depth. This information is an indicator of the distribution and saturation levels of hydrocarbons within the prospect.

THE BENEFITS OF CLEARPLAY EVALUATE
Clearplay Evaluate data, integrated with information available from other sources (such as 3D seismic) will significantly improve the speed and accuracy of prospect appraisal, giving a more informed assessment of hydrocarbon volumes and distribution within a prospect. It has the potential to reduce the number of appraisal wells drilled, producing significant cost savings.

As with all Clearplay services, the over-riding aim is improved efficiency, lower appraisal costs and reduced economic risk.

IN SUMMARY
/ more rapid and accurate assessment of hydrocarbon volumes/distribution
/ better informed appraisal and development decisions
/ reduced finding and development costs per barrel
/ reduced number of appraisal wells
/ accelerated time to development and first oil
/ reduced economic risk
/ reduced environmental impact of exploration activities
/ improved geological understanding of the prospect

Clearplay exploration phase services, most particularly Clearplay Find and Clearplay Evaluate, have extended application in both the development and production phases of life of field.

As exploration moves into development, Clearplay surveys will extend knowledge of the area immediate surrounding an identified target or, with a tighter grid than originally used in Clearplay Evaluate, will add revealing additional data to improve field development decisions.

During production phase, the distribution of hydrocarbons changes as the reservoir becomes depleted. Currently in R&D is an addition to the Clearplay offering which will monitor changes in distribution to maintain a healthy reservoir and maximise recovery.

Surveying to find missed opportunities or satellite fields is valid at any point in life of field where it could extend return on investment from existing assets. This is especially relevant late in the life of a field (or licence block) when a 'last look' may pick up opportunities may have been considered non-economic at earlier stages in life of field but are viable with infrastructure already in place.

To discover more about Clearplay:

/ email clearplay@emgs.com or
/ call your nearest emgs office.

EMGS HEADQUARTERS
Stiklestadveien 1
N-7041 Trondheim, Norway
Telephone +47 73 56 88 10

EUROPE AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST
Folkvordveien 11
N-4318 Sandnes, Norway
Telephone +47 73 56 88 10

NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA
16000 Barkers Point Land, Suite 145
Houston, TX 77079, USA
Telephone +1 281 920 5601

ASIA PACIFIC
Unit E-12.2-4, 15th Floor
East Wing, Wisma Rohas Perkasa
No. 8, Jalan Perak
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Telephone +603 21 66 06 13