DGI Blog

Effective well and reservoir management depends upon timely access and analysis of relevant data associated with hydrocarbon assets. Volumes of diverse data are acquired throughout the life of a reservoir, from preliminary seismic analysis to daily production data indicating well performance. Taken individually, these data provide incomplete, but nonetheless valuable, insight regarding reservoir characteristics—geologic formations,…

Multilateral well drilling technologies have evolved significantly since being pioneered in the Bashkiria fields in Russia in 1953. Today, the diversity of drill string and bottom hole assembly designs combined with the ever-increasing volumes of subsurface data allow operators to more accurately understand geological conditions, identify risks, and plan and drill multilateral wells to maximize…

Reservoir engineers have the benefit of ever-greater volumes and varieties of reservoir data available to drive development and operational decisions. Yet, utilizing these data sources to provide a more detailed and accurate model of subsurface conditions remains one of the biggest industry challenges. Fortunately, a software solution, CoViz 4D from Dynamic Graphics, Inc., is helping…

Well trajectory design is noticeably more efficient when well planners incorporate all relevant subsurface data into their planning process. Integrating data such as geologic and petrophysical models, survey logs, shallow hazards, surface equipment, reservoir grids, and existing wells into a common visualization environment gives well planners the best possible understanding of the subsurface environment and…

Geomechanical analysis is an essential aspect of modeling reservoir deformation induced by changes in pressure, temperature, and saturation, as well as stresses in the surrounding geology brought about by production. Critically, changes in the overburden can lead to infrastructure damage or well failure.  Accurate modeling of the geomechanical changes in a reservoir during production, and…

Reservoir teams obtain a better understanding of well production when real-time well monitoring data can be acquired and visualized in context of the geologic formations and changing reservoir conditions. Based on this information, engineers can assess the effectiveness and efficiency of current production strategies and continually make adjustments to optimize recovery. Reservoir teams can gain…

The most effective fracture stimulation strategies begin by integrating, modeling, and visualizing relevant reservoir data—seismic, geomechanical, petrophysical, core analyses, well tests, and even historical production data—to obtain a detailed understanding of reservoir characteristics. Combined, these reservoir simulations and 3D geological models that depict faults, horizons, lithology; and proposed wellpaths provide a more detailed understanding of…

The greater the wellbore length the greater the degree of uncertainty in determining the actual trajectory location. A well-understood fact: Absolute accuracy is nearly impossible because of the inherent errors in measurements (sensors, measured depth, axial or cross-axial interference, geomagnetic field uncertainty). In extended reach wells using conventional MWD techniques, poor tool error models can…

Extended reach drilling (ERD), characterized by paths with long horizontal distances, is an approach to cost-effectively recover reserves. With a single wellbore, long-reach wells maximize reservoir exposure to boost productivity and enhance drainage capability. ERD also brings the advantage of reduced environmental impact, reaching remote targets or covering a larger area from a single drilling…

Innovations in multilateral well drilling and completion technologies continue to reduce the cost of well construction and enable secondary and tertiary recovery. With minimal increase in drilling and completion costs, multilaterals improve reservoir production by increasing the contact area of a wellbore in a formation or reaching multiple production zones from a single pad. Multilateral…