Geosteering From Remote Operational Centers: A Necessity

During development of the geosteering service and business, there has been an ongoing debate of the most effective work process and where the value and impact will be the largest. Initially, all geosteering was completed at the wellsite, and very often by an experienced LWD engineer with a variety of geological background and knowledge. As resistivity technology develops, and the change from “simple” omnidirectional resistivity (through the use of multiple frequencies and continuous development of frequencies penetrating larger volumes of rock) the need for interpretation knowledge is increasing. To ensure necessary expertise is available, remote operations and data transmission from rigsite to SMEs are a necessity. The goal is to generate trust in interpretations of increasingly complex data among the personnel and drillers responsible for the delivery of the well. Short decision times and accepted methodology as standard work processes are essential for increased efficiency and optimizing wellbore placement in the real-time domain. Definitions of the changing value of the operations based on of well trajectory changes, and understanding of the process that has led to increased optimum placement and overall efficiency in field productivity, will be discussed.