seismos

Seismos Launches Operations in China

mason@seismos.com (Mason Nasizadeh) — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 21:05:40 GMT

Seismos kicks-off MWF™ (Measurements While Fracing) operations in China. MWF™ is the only system capable of detecting and correcting understimulation in real-time and is now available to the Chinese market.

Contact info@seismos.com for any related inquiries.

Seismos Founder and CEO, Panos Adamopoulos Sheds Light on Success Secrets.

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 18:36:13 GMT

In an interview with Oilfield Network News, Seismos Founder and CEO Panos Adamopoulos discusses Seismos products and how clients are using Seismos to leverage real-time decisions at the field level.

Follow the Oilfield Network News to receive the latest update about oilfield businesses, innovative technologies, and remarkable people.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/oilfieldnetworknews/

Cutting edge technology to measure fracturing performance

Wed, 08 May 2019 16:05:41 GMT

This case study appeared in the July 2018 edition of E&P Magazine

A major operator in Permian Basin asked Seismos to evaluate its treatment effectiveness and completion designs for the lower Wolfcamp A formation. The goals were to identify the types of fracture systems created across the lateral, and how such systems influence production. The project encompassed a two well pad and was completed in early 2018. Each lateral was composed of approximately 45 stages and was treated with a single design.

Delivery

Seismos used its non-invasive equipment suite (Seismos-Frac™) to acquire and deliver real-time data that enabled the operator to make on-the-fly decisions, while having no impact on operations. The instrumentation consisted of a proprietary sensor and source connected on the wellhead.

By sending a series of pulses down the fluid column at specific times during the treatment, Seismos remotely interrogated the subsurface for each stage. Various wellbore properties, near wellbore fracture conductivity, network complexity, effective propped fracture length, and far-field fracture network connectivity to the reservoir were computed.

Description of Findings

In addition to Seismos’ measurements, Sonic Logs, Tracers and Geochemical data were collected. Sonic logs and Geochemical data indicated two different zones (A & B) across the lateral of the subject wells.

The pump design resulted in the development of two distinct types of fracture systems with significantly different characteristics. Seismos' measurements identified a fracture system with two-times higher near-field complexity and conductivity values in zone B, compared to the fracture system developed in zone A of the lateral.

Seismos-Frac™ technology also found that the near-wellbore complexity had an inverse relationship with the extension of the fracture network. Zone A, while a less complex fracture network, had a 32% larger average effective propped fracture length compared to zone B.

Impact on Production

Zone A covered 50% of the lateral and had significantly higher hydrocarbon content than zone B; however, zone B had an overall higher brittleness index.

Tracer data provided additional insights for the production performance of the two facture systems. Despite having significantly lower hydrocarbon content than zone A, zone B was producing over two-times more hydrocarbons on an average stage basis (tracer data, 90 days).

Lower hydrocarbon quality rock yielding higher production was attributed to the development of an enhanced near wellbore complexity system, which was accurately measured by Seismos and supported by the geomechanical rock properties.

Conclusion

Seismos-Frac™ unlocked an understanding of the stimulated fracture systems developed across the lateral, measured with precision their extended reservoir connection, and identified the near field conductivity and complexity as the dominant production drivers. Correlations with Sonic Logs, Tracers, and Geochemical data proved that Seismos-Frac™ empowers operators to enhance production contributions of each stage.

Optimizing diverter performance in real-time

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 13:40:35 GMT

This case study appeared in the September 2018 edition of E&P Magazine

Challenge

One of the ten largest US operators asked Seismos to evaluate and help improve diverter use. The project consisted of 4 wells in the Barnett play. The operator varied the volumes of diverter on each stage of the first well to evaluate how diverter impacts the development of the fracture system. The focus was on fracture propagation and the stimulation of new fractures.

Delivery

Seismos-Frac™. fracture evaluation technology was used to monitor the effects of varying diverter volumes pumped on every stage, in particular with respect to near- and far-field conductivities, reservoir connectivity, and near-wellbore complexity. Additionally, Seismos-Frac™ measured the effective propped fracture length, and monitored the wellbore condition throughout the treatment.

The Seismos-Frac™ measurements and processing were done in real time, enabling the operator to make changes on the remaining wells in the pad.

Results & Description of Findings

In stages with little or no diverters pumped, the stimulated fracture network was primarily characterized by a far-field system (Fig.I), meaning fractures with an extended connection to the reservoir. As the client increased the volume of diverters, the extension of that far field fracture system was restricted. Conversely the near field fracture region became more stimulated, increasing near wellbore conductivity and complexity. A threshold was observed past which further increasing the diverter volume affected negatively the development of the fracture system. Seismos-Frac™ identified with accuracy the "sweet spot" for the optimal volume of pumped diverter leading to the desired combination of fracture propagation and near wellbore complexity.

Impact

Based on the Seismos measurements the operator revised their completion program for the subsequent 3 wells. The revision allowed further control and management of fracture propagation and fracture network complexity, saving more than 50 pounds of diverter material on a stage by stage basis. Pumping less diverter resulted in significant economic improvements and savings.

Conclusions

Seismos-Frac™ Real-Time fracture evaluation technology allowed the operator to identify the appropriate volume of diverter to create optimum fracture characteristics.

Operators looking to optimize their use of diverters for the delivery of a target performance can use Seismos-Frac™ actual measurements to make real-time decisions, rather than relying on an ambiguous predictive software model.

Seismos was not just able to provide a binary ('works' vs. 'doesn't work') assessment but was the first technology to quantitatively measure the effect of diverters on the development of the fracture system, to identify the specific element of the fracture system that got affected, and to correlate varying volumes of diverter to specific fracture system responses.

Collaborative completions

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 12:46:04 GMT

Dale Logan, C&J Energy Services and Panos Adamopoulos, Seismos, USA, examine a combination of new technologies designed to optimize horizontal completions.

The process of optimizing a horizontal completion is typically a series of T trial-and-error adjustments designed to improve well productivity. As changes to the treatment schedule and/or perforation scheme are implemented, the effectiveness is judged by comparing the production of the new well to the production of offset wells. However, most operators agree that this optimization process could benefit significantly from additional feedback. For instance, when there is an observed difference in production between the new well and neighboring wells, is it caused by variations at every stage - or is it just a few stages that are underperforming or overperforming? It would also be valuable to be able to differentiate between productivity variations that result from changes in the completion design versus changes due to heterogeneity in the geological facies along the lateral.

There are several commercial technologies in the market that attempt to address

these questions. A few examples include hydraulic frac monitoring using microseismic, production logging and tracer logs. While these techniques have been used successfully in some instances, none have proven valuable enough to be universally accepted. The biggest challenge is that they are difficult to deploy and require a lot of planning on the part of the operator. And, because difficult deployment translates to increased expenses, most operators are willing to consider using these technologies only if they are foolproof, easy to use and provide complete diagnostic insight. Unfortunately, this is not the case with any of them, so they are relegated to exist as niche players within the shale industry.

Simple deployment delivers sophisticated data

The new Seismos-Frac™ service targets this shortcoming with a simple, noninvasive method that delivers a direct, comprehensive measurement of fracture-network properties. Seismos' approach uses a combination of ambient noise and induced, tube-wave pressure pulses to investigate the hydraulic fracture network. The measurements delivered include frac geometry (width, height and half-length), as well as near-and far-field characterizations of fracture network complexity, fracture conductivity and proppant placement. These results are produced on a stage-by-stage basis in near-real time, normally within 10 minutes of the completion of pumping. This enables the operator to review the measurements, assess the performance of a given stage and then use any learnings on successive stages.

The service is relatively affordable because it uses a straightforward installation process that is virtually plug and play. A pair of pressure transducers is installed at surface, which can typically be done in less than an hour. During the completion process, ambient noise is analyzed, and pressure pulses are sent down the fluid column to investigate the perf clusters - both before and after fracturing operations. This can be done without any interruption to the on-location completions team. As a result, this technology is particularly well suited to the industrialized environment of today's shale industry.

Collaboration is key

Seismos-Frac technology has been available in the field since 2017 and has been deployed on roughly ll0 wells to date. Early evaluations show that variability in frac geometry and conductivity from stage to stage is not only common, it is often the norm. The two most frequent causes for these variations are changes in the treatment schedule and changes in the rock properties along the horizontal well bore. To isolate the two sources of variability, Seismos encourages operators to use the Seismos-Frac service alongside C&J Energy Services' Lateral Science method. This method uses existing drilling data to evaluate changes in rock mechanics along the lateral. As with the Seismos-Frac service, the LateralScience method is delivered in an affordable, noninvasive manner, which makes the tandem technologies a natural fit into any completion workflow.

Quantitative data tells the story

In a recent well, this collaborative approach was put to the test. In part one of the test, a group of seven stages was completed using 57% less proppant and 38% less slurry than a comparable group of stages with similar rock properties (as indicated by the LateralScience facies). For the subject test group, the Seismos-Frac geometric results indicated 35% less half-length, exactly the same height and slightly higher frac width. Qualitatively, these results make perfect sense - and, since the goal was to achieve a shorter half-length (to avoid frac hits), the operator was pleased.

In part two of the test, a group of 16 stages drilled in lower-strength rock was compared to a group of eight stages drilled in higher-strength rock. The treatment schedule and completion design were held constant between the two groups. In this scenario, the lower-strength rock delivered half-lengths that were 24% longer, accompanied by far-field fracture conductivity that was 30% lower than in the higher-strength rock. Once again, this result is consistent with a lower-strength interval creating more planar fractures that extend farther from the wellbore, which distributes the proppant across a larger area and therefore produces a lower average conductivity index. Qualitatively, this is consistent with Nolte plot interpretations made on previous wells, and a quantitative value can now be assigned to the impact observed.

Better information delivers better value

The value of Seismos-Frac measurements is obvious to experts in the completion engineering domain, and this value goes well beyond optimizing the completion design. The principle applications that operators have identified as most valuable include the following:

Well-to-well optimization

New field development

This application can be extremely valuable when an operator is moving into a new area and trying to determine what works and what does not. It can provide clarity on what the fracture system looks like and what well spacing might be most appropriate. It can also provide insight into understanding correlations between stimulation designs, geology and fracture-network properties.

Sensitivity studies

Seismos-Frac measurements can also quantify how sensitive the completion is to any changes implemented in the treatment schedule. It is not unusual for operators to experiment with changes in slurry volumes, pump rates, prop pant concentrations, chemical additives, etc. Real time, quantitative feedback on how these changes impact fracture geometry and fracture-network properties affords the operator greater insight to help decide whether to adopt a new completion approach. In addition to the real time value brought by sensitivity studies on a stage-by-stage basis, they are also useful after the fact to plan for the next well.

Stage-to-stage optimization (real time)

Completion optimization

When operating in well-understood areas, the value of these measurements is realized in real time, stage-by-stage completion optimization. The original treatment schedule assumes an anticipated geometry and set of fracture-network properties. The metrics that most completion engineers use to gauge fracturing performance are pounds of prop pant per lateral foot or barrels of treatment fluid per lateral foot. When wells perform outside of expectations, they presume it is related to these metrics or that it is due to poorly distributed proppant. By monitoring each stage, compliance can be assessed, and the treatment adjusted as needed. When adjustments are required, the monitoring also provides measurements to quantify the impact of each treatment change to the resulting fracture system.

Zipper fracs

When it is time to develop the field, most operators move to pad drilling and zipper fracs. The tighter well spacing introduces issues like potential interference between wells and even frac hits. In this case, understanding the frac height and half-length is critical to ensure compliance. This allows the operator to approach the completion aggressively while avoiding excessive frac length that could be detrimental to production.

Operational assurance

In some scenarios, the focus will be on operational efficiency. By monitoring treatments on the fly, an operator can detect issues - such as leaking plugs, hydraulic communication with previous stages or even screenouts - as they develop. Providing an additional tool to detect these events enables the operator to do a better job of reacting to them and ultimately in adjusting the approach to avoid them.

Delivering results

As discussed above, this service has the potential to change how the completion workflow is performed in the field. However, to transform this potential into tangible value, the plans put together at the head office must be well aligned with what is actually happening in the field. Experience has shown that there can be significant 'value leakage' at the field level if this is not properly addressed. This is the primary driver in the alliance formed between Seismos and C&J Energy Services.

Seismos believes value leakage can be minimized by aligning its Seismos-Frac offering with a service provider that is fully vested in the success of the service. It starts at the front lines, where C&J's frac engineers are trained to understand both LateralScience and Seismos-Frac technologies - as well as how the two complement each other. On-site engineers are fully briefed on both the overarching objectives of the survey and the expected results. It is very important that the person in charge of executing the job understands completely how each specific action will impact the success of the survey. While communication with the head office is important, communication between the frac van and the Seismos trailer is vital. When this is done seamlessly, the odds of success increase significantly.

Setting the stage for the next generation

As with any groundbreaking technology, growth and adoption follow a distinct life cycle ¬¬¬–– and these are still the very early days of the Seismos-Frac offering. While the service is being embraced by the industry, it is still in the evaluation phase as operators continue to test it and become comfortable with the results they are getting. Equipment and people are being added as quickly as practical to meet the demand. Pioneering technologies will enable the next generation of engineers to make better-informed decisions and ultimately deliver more oil and gas with ever-greater efficiency. The Seismos-Frac and LateralScience collaboration provides a preview of what that will look like.

New shale tech provides real-time picture, avoids frac hits

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 15:16:00 GMT

New shale tech provides real-time picture, avoids frac hits

Seismos announces Quantum partnership

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 13:12:53 GMT

Seismos, Inc. announces $10.5M of new equity investment led by Quantum
Energy Partners to drive growth and innovation

C&J Energy Services + Seismos: innovation through collaboration

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 12:26:51 GMT

A whole new level of reservoir intelligence.

This case study appeared in the January 2019 issue of E&P Magazine

Two cutting-edge technologies bring an unprecedented level of reservoir understanding to your shale operations. These affordable, noninvasive solutions deliver vast improvements in fracturing plans, field development and operational efficiency.

Oilfield innovation hasn't always come from research centers. In fact, some of our best efforts originate at the front lines. In the quest to solve everyday problems, operators often deliver groundbreaking results by combining two technologies in a new fashion just as George Mitchell did when he solved the shale puzzle by teaming the technologies of massive hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling.

Since those early days in the Barnett Shale, the industry has focused on improving operational efficiency

to drive costs down and maximize profitability. As the business matured, the incremental gains on operational efficiency began to level off. Today, this leaves operators looking elsewhere for the next game-changing innovation. Many believe it will come from a better understanding of the reservoir and are actively testing technologies that address this need.

Two such technologies are C&J Energy Services’ LateralSciences engineered completion method and Seismos' real-time hydraulic fracture monitoring. As standalone services, each excels at delivering a deep level of reservoir understanding in a very efficient manner. This makes both technologies particularly well suited to the shale business. The real value blossoms when they are used together.

C&J Energy Services and Seismos deliver an unprecedented data array that provides insight into rock heterogeneity, fracture geometry and conductivity along the shale lateral.

C&J's LateralScience method uses common drilling data to optimize the well-completion design. The results are normally delivered prior to the completion and are used in a predictive manner to help build a treatment schedule that is most appropriate for the geomechanical properties of the reservoir rock being treated. The workflow is similar to those of other engineered completion technologies, but with added advantages. Because it uses existing drilling data to characterize the reservoir rock, it is noninvasive, and it is also an order of magnitude less expensive. This makes the LateralScience method ideally suited for the shale business.

New ParagraphThe Seismos technology uses borehole pressure-wave reflections to evaluate the properties of the hydraulic fracture network created during the completion process. The properties derived from these measurements include effective fracture half-length, fracture height and fracture width. The measurements also deliver additional properties, including the nearfield conductivity and complexity index, as well as a far-field conductivity and reservoir connectivity index. Their data analysis is based on proprietary signal processing that is done on-site during the fracturing process. The technique is non- invasive, since it is deployed using two surface-mounted pressure transducers, a transmitter and a receiver. Data processing is delivered in real time, which enables the operator to make decisions on the fly. The deliverables from this innovative technology are typically used to address challenges such as optimizing stimulation treatments, determining and improving diversion effectiveness, and predicting and avoiding communication with offset wells.

There are many significant advantages that can be achieved by partnering these two technologies:

1) Used standalone, the LateralScience method pro vides valuable information about formation heterogeneity. Adding Seismos methodology to the equation enables the operator to visualize the geometry of the fracture network being created. This gives field engineers the ability to accurately predict fracture height growth in subsequent wells, which has a significant impact on fracture length and width. In short, the LateralScience method provides a qualitative indication of the lateral's geomechanical properties, and Seismos furthers the value by providing quantitative information to visualize the fracture propagation.

2) Seismos' real-time fracture monitoring technology can benefit significantly from the LateralScience method, which provides valuable calibration data to accommodate the geomechanical variations across the lateral. For instance, a significant stage-to-stage change in the Seismos measurements might be due to a change in the interaction between the fracturing fluids and the lithology (i.e., acid and limestone) or perhaps because of a change in formation pressure due to depletion. By teaming Seismos with the LateralScience method, the rock-strength variable is eliminated.

3) The effective fracture half-length information obtained from Seismos are valuable when "frac hits" are a concern. By monitoring the Seismos data in real time, operators can avoid the problem before it occurs. By teaming up with the LateralScience method, this can be done in more of a predictive manner, because the operator knows whether the likelihood of a frac hit is high before pumping a stage. Knowing the location of potential problem stages beforehand leads to more effective avoidance tactics.

4) The same can be said for screenout avoidance. When engineers recognize the signatures on the Seismos and LateralScience products that correspond with screenouts, they can use the two together to avoid screenouts proactively. The LateralScience method lets operators know which stages to be wary of, and Seismos measurements provide information about how to quantitatively change the treating schedule to mitigate the issue.

The above examples are all focused on real-time completion engineering problems. However, some of the highest value propositions for the C&J/Seismos partnership come from the reservoir-engineering arena. When operators have access to the type of reservoir intelligence on every well in the field, they can make much better-informed decisions on well spacing. For example, if effective fracture half-lengths are 800 feet on the east side of the field and 1,800 feet on the west side, there is no reason to restrict the operation to a uniform well spacing. This understanding in variability across the field will enable maximum oil recovery –– while minimizing the danger of wells interfering with each other.

The shale business has built itself on industrialized processes that are predictable and repeatable, opting for efficiency and avoiding the "science projects." Often, deploying reservoir technologies is time intensive, so these processes can be detrimental to the efficiency of the operation. However, both C&J's and Seismos' respective solutions offer noninvasive technologies that can vastly improve completion performance without interrupting or delaying the schedule. It is important to note that it takes specialized expertise to properly apply the LateralScience and Seismos data to the perforating and hydraulic fracturing operations –– and C&J is well equipped to deliver optimal results. The partnership between C&J and Seismos is designed to create a "one-stop shop" that provides superior reservoir intelligence and then takes this a step further to ensure that the intelligence is leveraged properly to deliver maximum value to your operations.

seismos

Seismos Launches Operations in China

Seismos kicks-off MWF™ (Measurements While Fracing) operations in China. MWF™ is the only system capable of detecting and correcting understimulation in real-time and is now available to the Chinese market.

Contact info@seismos.com for any related inquiries.

Seismos Founder and CEO, Panos Adamopoulos Sheds Light on Success Secrets.

Cutting edge technology to measure fracturing performance

This case study appeared in the July 2018 edition of E&P Magazine

Optimizing diverter performance in real-time

This case study appeared in the September 2018 edition of E&P Magazine

Collaborative completions

Dale Logan, C&J Energy Services and Panos Adamopoulos, Seismos, USA, examine a combination of new technologies designed to optimize horizontal completions.

New shale tech provides real-time picture, avoids frac hits

New shale tech provides real-time picture, avoids frac hits

Seismos announces Quantum partnership

Seismos, Inc. announces $10.5M of new equity investment led by Quantum Energy Partners to drive growth and innovation

C&J Energy Services + Seismos: innovation through collaboration

A whole new level of reservoir intelligence.

Seismos, Inc. announces $10.5M of new equity investment led by Quantum
Energy Partners to drive growth and innovation