DEFENSE RELATED EXPERTISE AVAILABLE TO OIL, GAS COMPANIES

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, N.M., has set a high priority of transferring technology to the U.S. industrial sector. The lab formerly concentrated mainly on defense related research, development, and demonstration. LANL has boosted expertise in high temperature logging techniques through federally funded geothermal programs and other efforts in the western U.S. and Central America during the 1980S.

March 4, 1991

2 min read

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, N.M., has set a high priority of transferring technology to the U.S. industrial sector.

The lab formerly concentrated mainly on defense related research, development, and demonstration.

LANL has boosted expertise in high temperature logging techniques through federally funded geothermal programs and other efforts in the western U.S. and Central America during the 1980S.

More recently microseismic technologies developed at LANL have received growing interest from oil and gas companies. Several cooperative experiments have been performed in oil fields in east central New Mexico and California.

This cooperative effort is part of a U.S. Department of Energy/LANL initiative to transfer mature technology with near term economic promise to the private sector.

Most of the research and development was carried out to meet specific requirements for the Hot Dry Rock program and to design downhole instruments to operate for long periods at more than 575 F., and the resulting technologies are applicable to all high temperature well logging situations.

High temperature transducers, seals, connectors, explosives, and other components used in conjunction with thermal protection systems for advanced electronic circuitry can be used in all downhole instruments in which high temperatures are encountered.

LANL engineers and technicians responsible for research, design, fabrication, and testing of the logging systems are also responsible for deploying and operating the unique equipment in the field.

Important improvements in tool design have resulted from the staff's exposure to field conditions.

In addition to high temperature logging techniques, LANL has many other technologies available for transfer. They include microseismic-acoustic instrumentation, high temperature explosive devices, and methods for tracing the flow of liquids through geologic formations.