DOE-backed project pushes limits of seismic-while-drilling technology

Technology International Inc. of Kingwood, Tex., has developed a breakthrough borehole imaging system which is nearly commercial, according to the US Department of Energy, which is sponsoring the project.

By pushing the limits of seismic-while-drilling technology, the patent-pending SeismicPulser system provides more accurate geo-steering for new oil and gas discoveries, facilitating field development and improving well economics, DOE’s Fossil Energy Office said on Aug. 12.

It said that drill bit SWD technology uses use a downhole acoustic source and receivers at the surface to create real-time images that allow operators to "see" ahead of the drill bit. The SeismicPulser system was developed to withstand harsh high-pressure, high-temperature environments in deep onshore and offshore deepwater wells which require special imaging technologies, it explained.

DOE said that no drill bit SWD system available today has the new system’s full capabilities. It said that the system, which is built into or attached on the drill string, emits broadband low-frequency sounds which, based on seismic calculations, can be transmitted to surface receivers from depths beyond 30,000 feet.

Project managers have indicated that SeismicPulser is the only system that meets the requirements of those oil companies planning to drill high-pressure, high-temperature wells to as deep as 35,000 feet in ultra-deep water, according to DOE.

It said that SeismicPulser provides accurate drill bit location relative to pre-drilling reservoir models and gives the operator real-time images roughly 1,000 feet ahead of the drill bit, all without interfering with normal drilling operations.

The system costs less than conventional vertical seismic profiling systems and increases safety and cost savings by detecting unexpected increased pore pressure ahead of the bit, DOE said. It also provides new operational capabilities by allowing operators to visualize and steer towards more optimal targets when drilling deep formations, it added.

DOE said that funding for the project came from the Fossil Energy Office’s oil and gas program. Field testing was performed at the University of Texas’s Devine seismic test site and DOE’s Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center near Casper, Wyo. The project was managed by the Fossil Energy Office’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Contact Nick Snow at[email protected]