GeoEnlight Pilot

Today cores from downhole are drilled, pulled back to surface, and laid down in a barrel. A geologist will evaluate what the cores contains. A point gamma measurement is often taken of the cores, but they are also evaluated by subjective methods like visual inspection, smelling and touching the rocks. Decisions have to be taken quickly offshore since a very expensive drilling rig is waiting, but to be sure no hydrocarbon reservoir is missed, the geologist evaluation would therefore often choose more coring. The project GeoEnlight Pilot has developed and piloted a corescanner that can identify lithology, fractures and oil saturation. This has been achieved through use of spectral gamma and radar, which is a new sensor physics method inside formation evaluation. The radar can measure both permittivity and resistivity. This is used to calculate waterfilled porosity. GeoEnlight corescanner processes the measurements in real-time. The measurements are shown on a screen or transmitted as numerical information. This is achieved through use of advanced algorithms and models for calculation of electromagnetic response from the radar. As a part of the piloting, the measurements from GeoEnlight has been compared with other qualified measurements like wireline and logging while drilling. There is a strong correlation with these measurements. It should be noted that GeoEnlight has 1 cm vertical resolution of the electromagnetic measurements, which is very good compared to wireline. Further the measurements are compared to CT scan and flourusent HC målinger, where good correlation has been achieved with regards to petroleum/ water content, fractures and lithology. A paper describing the GeoEnlight results and logging process has been approved for publication by the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA). The paper will be presented at the upcoming SPWLA International Symposium in Rio de Janeiro in May 2024. In a continuation of the project it is suggested to use AI for automatic interpretation of data for identifying lithology, fractures and properties of the formation. GeoEnlight Pilot will open for sale of core scanning solutions both in Norway and internationally. Large international suppliers of coring equipment see high interest for the innovation both nationally and internationally. The energy company partners will benefit of the innovation since it will reduce exploration cost and increase the subsurface understanding of the formations and fluids. Reducing exploration well cost is important since it will reduce overall cost/ barrel. Increasing knowledge of the formations and fluids will reduce technical and financial risk of exploration drilling.

The projects allows measurements of the formation properties of the cores, while the cores resides inside the corebarrel. This will increase quality and reduce cost.

GeoEnlight Pilot will add substantial innovation to the decision process in exploration drilling. Today cores from downhole are drilled, pulled back to surface, and laid down in a barrel. A geologist will evaluate what the cores contains. A point gamma measurement is often taken of the cores, but they are also evaluated by subjective methods like visual inspection, smelling and touching the rocks. Decisions have to be taken quickly offshore since a very expensive drilling rig is waiting, but to be sure no hydrocarbon reservoir is missed, the geologist evaluation would therefore often choose more coring. The objective of the GeoEnlight Pilot is developing and piloting a corescanner that can accuratly identify lithology, fractures and oil saturation.