Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, Ill., and one of its long-time contractors set up a commercial partnership to offer unique methods to reduce risks of developing gas in over and underpressured formations.
Anomalously pressured formations contain an estimated 250 tcf of basin centered gas in US Rocky Mountain basins (OGJ, Nov. 6, 2000, p. 19). Over or underpressured gas accumulations tend to be compartmentalized in deeply buried, relatively impermeable rocks. Such abnormally pressured rocks contain a free gas phase that is often sealed as a result of capillary forces.
GTI and Surdam Consulting Inc., Laramie, Wyo., formed Innovative Discovery Technologies LLC to offer imaging, detection, and analytical techniques developed by Surdam and GTI predecessor Gas Research Institute.
The techniques have been tested in 26 world basins and helped discover five giant gas accumulations that contained 39 tcf in the US and Canada alone. The techniques help determine the estimated ultimate recovery of complex gas formations, often prior to drilling.
Traditional exploration methods haven't always worked in deep or basin-centered settings, said Dr. Ronald C. Surdam, president of IDT. The gas is there, but it has often been missed, he said.
Dr. Richard Parker, GTI technology manager, said, "Dr. Surdam was one of the discoverers of the capillary seal concept and has worked to develop technologies that can detect gas trapped by capillary and other pressure compartment seals and identify it for a client."
